Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Carvacrol
Carvacrol is a phenol in the spice family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2245 (CAS 499-75-2). Its odor is herbaceous, warm, spicy, aromatic.
- FEMA
- 2245
- CAS
- 499-75-2
- JECFA
- 710
- EU FL
- 04.031
- Formula
- C10H14O
- EC
- 207-889-6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 499-75-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Phenol, 2-methyl-5-(1-methylethyl)-, 2-Methyl-5-(1-methylethyl)phenol, Antioxine, p-Cymen-2-ol, 2-Hydroxy-p-cymene, 2-Methyl-5-isopropylphenol, 5-Isopropyl-2-methylphenol, 5-Isopropyl-o-cresol, 6-Methyl-3-isopropylphenol, 2-Hydroxy-1-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)benzene, 3-Isopropyl-6-methylphenol, Isopropyl o-cresol.
Can Carvacrol be labeled natural?
Nature makes carvacrol, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial carvacrol, 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
Carvacrol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2245. 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 04.031, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 710, evaluated at the 55th meeting in 2000. 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. Carvacrol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 499-75-2, where EPA names it Phenol, 2-methyl-5-(1-methylethyl)-.
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: Herbaceous, warm, spicy, aromatic.
Taste: Spicy, pungent, slightly bitter.
Where it is used
Carvacrol is used in seasoning, beverage, sauces and meat products, typically as a spice note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Carvacrol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-Ethylguaiacol | 2436 | 79% | In nature |
| Thymol | 3066 | 73% | In nature |
| p,alpha-Dimethylbenzyl alcohol | 3139 | 72% | In nature |
| Carveol | 2247 | 66% | In nature |
| o-Propylphenol | 3522 | 66% | In nature |
More phenols in this index
4-Propenyl-2,6-dimethoxyphenol · Zingerone · Eugenol · 4-Allyl-2,6-dimethoxyphenol · 2,6-Dimethoxyphenol · p-Propylanisole
Carvacrol FAQ
Does carvacrol have FEMA GRAS status?
Carvacrol holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2245. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite carvacrol by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite carvacrol as FEMA 2245 or CAS 499-75-2; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is spice.
What does carvacrol smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of carvacrol is herbaceous, warm, spicy, aromatic. On the palate it is spicy, pungent, slightly bitter. Typical uses are seasoning, beverage, sauces and meat products.
What did JECFA conclude about carvacrol?
JECFA evaluated carvacrol at the 55th meeting in 2000 under JECFA number 710. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Can carvacrol be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 04.031 is the Union List entry for carvacrol, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can carvacrol be labeled a natural flavor?
The process decides for carvacrol. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic carvacrol 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 CARVACROL under CAS 499-75-2 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 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.