Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Camphene
Camphene is a terpene in the woody family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2229 (CAS 79-92-5). Its odor is pine, herbal, earthy, fresh.
- FEMA
- 2229
- CAS
- 79-92-5
- JECFA
- 1323
- EU FL
- 01.009
- Formula
- C10H16
- EC
- 201-234-8
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 79-92-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane, 2,2-dimethyl-3-methylene-, 2,2-Dimethyl-3-methylenebicyclo[2.2.1]heptane, 2,2-Dimethyl-3-methylenenorbornane, 3,3-Dimethyl-2-methylenenorcamphane, 3,3-Dimethyl-2-methylenenorbornane, dl-Camphene, (±)-Camphene, DL-Camphene, NSC 4165, 2-Methylene-3,3-dimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptane, YS Camphene, 2,2-Dimethyl-3-methylidenebicyclo[2.2.1]heptane.
Can Camphene be labeled natural?
Nature makes camphene, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial camphene, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic camphene 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
Camphene is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2229. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 01.009, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
Purity. At least 80%; secondary components 15-19% C15H24 terpene hydrocarbons (eg. valencene)
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1323, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. 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. Camphene appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 79-92-5, where EPA names it Bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane, 2,2-dimethyl-3-methylene-.
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: Pine, herbal, earthy, fresh.
Where it is used
Camphene is used in beverage, confection, flavoring and aromatherapy, typically as a woody note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Camphene by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fenchyl alcohol | 2480 | 76% | In nature |
| 3-Pinanone | 4198 | 76% | Not determined |
| l-fenchone | 4519 | 74% | In nature |
| d-Fenchone | 2479 | 74% | In nature |
| Borneol | 2157 | 73% | In nature |
More terpenes in this index
beta-Pinene · Santalol · Thujyl alcohol · 2(10)-Pinen-3-ol · Terpinolene · Isoborneol
Camphene FAQ
Is camphene FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists camphene as GRAS under FEMA number 2229. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for camphene?
Camphene is FEMA 2229, CAS 79-92-5. Its flavor category is woody.
How is camphene described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe camphene as pine, herbal, earthy, fresh. It is used in beverage, confection, flavoring and aromatherapy.
What did JECFA conclude about camphene?
JECFA evaluated camphene at the 63rd meeting in 2004 under JECFA number 1323. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is camphene on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 01.009 is the Union List entry for camphene, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does camphene count as natural in the US and the EU?
The process decides for camphene. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic camphene is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic camphene identical-to-natural.
Ingredient lookup
Check an ingredient
Start typing to search the ingredient corpus.
Or browse every ingredient page, A to Z.
Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check Camphene in a formula
Screened against FEMA GRAS, 21 CFR and EU rules as you build. Free to start.
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 CAMPHENE under CAS 79-92-5 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 color or coloring adjunct, flavoring agent or adjuvant.
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.