Flavor ingredient regulatory record
cis-3-Hexenoic acid
cis-3-Hexenoic acid is an acid in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4493 (CAS 1775-43-5).
- FEMA
- 4493
- CAS
- 1775-43-5
- JECFA
- 2181
- Formula
- C6H10O2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 24. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 1775-43-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 3-Hexenoic acid, (3Z)-, 3-Hexenoic acid, (Z)-, (3Z)-3-Hexenoic acid, (Z)-3-Hexenoic acid, 3-Cis hexenoic acid, (z)-3-hexenoic acid, 3-hexenoic acid, (3z)-, 3-hexenoic acid, (z)-, 3-hexenoic acid, cis-, (z)-hex-3-enoic acid, (3z)-3-hexenoic acid, cis-hex-3-enoic acid.
Can cis-3-Hexenoic acid be labeled natural?
Nature makes cis-3-Hexenoic acid, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial cis-3-Hexenoic acid, same molecule. In the EU and UK the natural claim likewise needs the natural route, while Mercosur and Mexico keep a third class, identical-to-natural, for the synthetic material.
- 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
cis-3-Hexenoic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4493. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
No EU FL number is on file for cis-3-Hexenoic acid. That is not a finding either way. The Union List covers defined flavouring substances, so natural complex materials are handled as flavouring preparations under Parts B to F and never receive a number, and substances used as additives sit under Regulation 1333/2008 instead. Confirm the position before EU or UK use.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 2181, evaluated at the 76th meeting in 2012. 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. cis-3-Hexenoic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 1775-43-5, where EPA names it 3-Hexenoic acid, (3Z)-.
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
Taste: Sour, fruity, green.
Where it is used
cis-3-Hexenoic acid is used in beverage, fruit flavors, savory dishes and condiments, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to cis-3-Hexenoic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Hexenoic acid | 3170 | 100% | In nature |
| (E,E)-2,4-Hexadienoic acid | 3921 | 97% | In nature |
| Hexanoic acid | 2559 | 95% | In nature |
| 2,4-Hexadien-1-ol | 3922 | 81% | In nature |
| cis-3-Hexen-1-ol | 2563 | 81% | In nature |
More acids in this index
3-Methylpentanoic acid · Heptanoic acid · 5-Oxodecanoic acid · (E,Z)-4-Methylpent-2-enoic acid · 2,4-Dimethyl-2-pentenoic acid · (E)-2-Pentenoic acid
cis-3-Hexenoic acid FAQ
Is cis-3-Hexenoic acid on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 4493 covers cis-3-Hexenoic acid. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for cis-3-Hexenoic acid?
The FEMA number for cis-3-Hexenoic acid is 4493 and its CAS registry number is 1775-43-5. Its flavor category is fruity.
What did JECFA conclude about cis-3-Hexenoic acid?
JECFA evaluated cis-3-Hexenoic acid at the 76th meeting in 2012 under JECFA number 2181. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is cis-3-Hexenoic acid approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for cis-3-Hexenoic acid. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 2181), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Is cis-3-Hexenoic acid natural or artificial?
The process decides for cis-3-Hexenoic acid. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic cis-3-Hexenoic acid is artificial. In the EU and UK the natural claim likewise needs the natural route, while Mercosur and Mexico keep a third class, identical-to-natural, for the synthetic material.
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 cis-3-Hexenoic acid 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 CIS-3-HEXENOIC ACID under CAS 1775-43-5 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number. 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.