Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Citral glyceryl acetal
Citral glyceryl acetal is an aldehyde in the citrus family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4486 (CAS 5694-82-6). Its odor is citrusy, fresh, lemon, lime, sweet.
- FEMA
- 4486
- CAS
- 5694-82-6
- Formula
- C13H22O3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 24. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 5694-82-6.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 1,3-Dioxolane-4-methanol, 2-(2,6-dimethyl-1,5-heptadien-1-yl)-, 1,3-Dioxolane-4-methanol, 2-(2,6-dimethyl-1,5-heptadienyl)-, 2-(2,6-Dimethyl-1,5-heptadien-1-yl)-1,3-dioxolane-4-methanol, 2,6-Octadienal, 3,7-dimethyl-, cyclic 1-(hydroxymethyl)-1,2-ethanediyl acetal, 1,3-dioxolane-4-methanol, 2-(2,6-dimethyl-1,5-heptadien-1-yl)-, 1,3-dioxolane-4-methanol, 2-(2,6-dimethyl-1,5-heptadienyl)-, [2-(2,6-dimethylhepta-1,5-dien-1-yl)-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl]methanol.
Can Citral glyceryl acetal be labeled natural?
Nature occurrence: Not yet found in nature (provisional).
Nature occurrence has not been settled for this substance, so the natural or artificial class is not stated here. The FEMA GRAS status does not depend on it.
Regulatory status, with citations
United States
Citral glyceryl acetal is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4486. 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 Citral glyceryl acetal. 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)
Citral glyceryl acetal has not been evaluated by JECFA as a flavouring agent, or no evaluation is on file.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Citral glyceryl acetal appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 5694-82-6, where EPA names it 1,3-Dioxolane-4-methanol, 2-(2,6-dimethyl-1,5-heptadien-1-yl)-.
Inactive in US commerce
EPA designates this substance inactive, so a Notice of Activity Form B is required before anyone manufactures or processes it again. Being FEMA GRAS does not change that. 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: Citrusy, fresh, lemon, lime, sweet.
Taste: Citrus, sweet, tangy.
Where it is used
Citral glyceryl acetal is used in beverage, confection, flavoring and desserts, typically as a citrus note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Citral glyceryl acetal by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farnesol | 2478 | 69% | In nature |
| (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol | 4031 | 68% | In nature |
| Neryl isovalerate | 2778 | 65% | In nature |
More aldehydes in this index
Octanal · Lauric aldehyde · Citronellal · Decanal · Citral · 9-Undecenal
Citral glyceryl acetal FAQ
Does citral glyceryl acetal have FEMA GRAS status?
Citral glyceryl acetal holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 4486. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite citral glyceryl acetal by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite citral glyceryl acetal as FEMA 4486 or CAS 5694-82-6; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the citrus flavor category.
What does citral glyceryl acetal smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of citral glyceryl acetal is citrusy, fresh, lemon, lime, sweet. On the palate it is citrus, sweet, tangy. Typical uses are beverage, confection, flavoring and desserts.
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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 CITRAL GLYCERYL ACETAL under CAS 5694-82-6 and carries its FEMA 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.