Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Citral
Citral is an aldehyde in the citrus family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2303 (CAS 5392-40-5). Its odor is strong lemon, fresh citrus, slightly green.
- FEMA
- 2303
- CAS
- 5392-40-5
- JECFA
- 1225
- EU FL
- 05.020
- Formula
- C10H16O
- EC
- 226-394-6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 5392-40-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal, geranial, neral, lemonal, geranialdehyde, lemsyn gb, 2,6-octadienal, 3,7-dimethyl-, nci-c56348, 3,7-dimethyl-trans-2,6-octadienal, trans-citral, (2e)-3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dienal, alpha-citral.
Can Citral be labeled natural?
The process decides for citral. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic citral is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic citral 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
Citral is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2303. 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 05.020, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1225, evaluated at the 61st meeting in 2003. ADI 0 to 0.5 mg/kg body weight.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Citral appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 5392-40-5, where EPA names it 2,6-Octadienal, 3,7-dimethyl-.
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: Strong lemon, fresh citrus, slightly green.
Taste: Intense lemon, citrus peel, slightly bitter.
Where it is used
Citral is used in beverage, confection and citrus flavors, typically as a citrus note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Citral by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citronellal | 2307 | 96% | In nature |
| (E) & (Z)-4,8-Dimethyl-3,7-nonadien-2-one | 3969 | 91% | In nature |
| Nerol | 2770 | 90% | In nature |
| Geraniol | 2507 | 90% | In nature |
| Geranyl formate | 2514 | 80% | In nature |
More aldehydes in this index
Octanal · Citronellal · Decanal · Lauric aldehyde · Citral glyceryl acetal · 2-trans,6-trans Octadienal
Citral FAQ
Is citral on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2303 covers citral. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 182.60.
What is the FEMA number for citral?
The FEMA number for citral is 2303 and its CAS registry number is 5392-40-5. Its flavor category is citrus.
What is citral used for?
Citral is described as strong lemon, fresh citrus, slightly green. On the palate it is intense lemon, citrus peel, slightly bitter. It shows up in beverage, confection and citrus flavors.
What did JECFA conclude about citral?
JECFA evaluated citral at the 61st meeting in 2003 under JECFA number 1225.
Is citral approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 05.020 is the Union List entry for citral, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is citral natural or artificial?
Nature makes citral, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial citral, same molecule. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material 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 Citral 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 CITRAL under CAS 5392-40-5 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 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.