Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Butyric acid
Butyric acid is an acid in the dairy family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2221 (CAS 107-92-6). Its odor is rancid, buttery, cheesy, sour.
- FEMA
- 2221
- CAS
- 107-92-6
- JECFA
- 87
- EU FL
- 08.005
- Formula
- C4H8O2
- EC
- 203-532-3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 107-92-6.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Butanoic acid, n-Butyric acid, Ethylacetic acid, 1-Propanecarboxylic acid, Propylformic acid, n-Butanoic acid, Honey robber, NSC 8415, MeSH ID: D020148, B 103500, butanoic acid, n-butyric acid.
Can Butyric acid be labeled natural?
Nature makes butyric acid, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial butyric acid, same molecule. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
- United States
- Natural or artificial, by process
- European Union and UK
- Natural only from natural material
- Mercosur and Mexico
- Natural or identical-to-natural
How each market defines the classes: natural vs artificial flavor under 21 CFR 101.22.
Regulatory status, with citations
United States
Butyric acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2221. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 182.60.
European Union and United Kingdom
Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 08.005, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 87, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Butyric acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 107-92-6, where EPA names it Butanoic acid.
Active in US commerce
EPA designates this substance active, so no Notice of Activity Form B is required before manufacturing. What active and inactive mean.
EPA publishes no regulatory flags on this listing. What the flags mean.
From the EPA non-confidential TSCA Inventory, July 2026 release. EPA also maintains a confidential portion it does not publish. Search the Inventory by CAS number.
Odor and taste
Odor: Rancid, buttery, cheesy, sour.
Taste: Sour, pungent, fatty.
Where it is used
Butyric acid is used in dairy, confection, savory dishes and flavoring agents, typically as a dairy note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Butyric acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isovaleric acid | 3102 | 93% | In nature |
| Butyramide | 4252 | 93% | In nature |
| Alanine | 3252 | 92% | In nature |
| 2-Methylbutyric acid | 2695 | 88% | In nature |
| 2-Pentanone | 2842 | 88% | In nature |
More acids in this index
Isobutyric acid · Tridecanoic acid · Decanoic acid · Pentadecanoic acid · 2,4-Dimethyl-2-pentenoic acid · Linoleic and linolenic acid
Butyric acid FAQ
Does butyric acid have FEMA GRAS status?
Butyric acid holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2221. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 182.60.
How do I cite butyric acid by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite butyric acid as FEMA 2221 or CAS 107-92-6; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is dairy.
What does butyric acid smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of butyric acid is rancid, buttery, cheesy, sour. On the palate it is sour, pungent, fatty. Typical uses are dairy, confection, savory dishes and flavoring agents.
What did JECFA conclude about butyric acid?
JECFA evaluated butyric acid at the 49th meeting in 1997 under JECFA number 87. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Can butyric acid be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 08.005 is the Union List entry for butyric acid, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can butyric acid be labeled a natural flavor?
The process decides for butyric acid. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic butyric acid is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
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Sources and attribution. The identity and regulatory facts on this page are taken from the FDA Substances Added to Food inventory, a US government record, which lists this substance as BUTYRIC ACID under CAS 107-92-6 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number and its 21 CFR citations. The inventory is searchable at FDA. FDA records its technical effect as antioxidant, flavoring agent or adjuvant, ph control agent.
A FEMA GRAS conclusion is reached by the Expert Panel of the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association of the United States, and the FEMA number names that conclusion. FEMA publishes its own entry for this substance in the FEMA Flavor Library, which is the authoritative record of what the Panel decided and is worth reading alongside this page.
Ambrose Compliance is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by FEMA. FEMA and FEMA GRAS are used here as identifiers for a published regulatory determination, not as marks of any relationship between FEMA and Ambrose.
About this page. Facts come from the FDA Substances Added to Food inventory, the Code of Federal Regulations, the EPA TSCA Inventory, the EU Union List, JECFA and the Ambrose database, with FEMA's published determination cited where it applies; parts of the text are written by Ambrose AI, which can make mistakes. Check the cited source before relying on anything here. This is not regulatory or legal advice.