Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Citronellal
Citronellal is an aldehyde in the citrus family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2307 (CAS 106-23-0). Its odor is fresh citrus, lemon-rose, green.
- FEMA
- 2307
- CAS
- 106-23-0
- JECFA
- 1220
- EU FL
- 05.021
- Formula
- C10H18O
- EC
- 203-376-6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 106-23-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenal, rhodinal, 3,7-dimethyloct-6-enal, 6-octenal, 3,7-dimethyl-, 2,3-dihydrocitral, citronella, citronellel, beta-citronellal, 3,7-dimethyl-6-octen-1-al, citronellol,(d), .beta.-citronellal, 3,7-dimethyl-oct-6-enal.
Can Citronellal be labeled natural?
The process decides for citronellal. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic citronellal is artificial. 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
Citronellal is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2307. 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 05.021, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
Purity. At least 85%; secondary components 12-14% mixture of terpenoid materials (mainly 1,8-cineole, 2-isopropylidene-5-methylcyclohexanol, linalool, citronellyl acetate and other naturally occurring terpenes)
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1220, evaluated at the 61st meeting in 2003. 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. Citronellal appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 106-23-0, where EPA names it 6-Octenal, 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: Fresh citrus, lemon-rose, green.
Taste: Citrus, slightly floral, clean.
Where it is used
Citronellal is used in beverage and citrus flavors, typically as a citrus note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Citronellal by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citral | 2303 | 94% | In nature |
| (-)-3,7-Dimethyl-6-octen-1-ol | 2309 | 90% | In nature |
| (E) & (Z)-4,8-Dimethyl-3,7-nonadien-2-one | 3969 | 88% | In nature |
| Geraniol | 2507 | 81% | In nature |
| Nerol | 2770 | 81% | In nature |
More aldehydes in this index
Citral glyceryl acetal · Decanal · Citral · Lauric aldehyde · Octanal · Cinnamaldehyde propyleneglycol acetal
Citronellal FAQ
Is citronellal FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists citronellal as GRAS under FEMA number 2307. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for citronellal?
Citronellal is FEMA 2307, CAS 106-23-0. Its flavor category is citrus.
How is citronellal described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe citronellal as fresh citrus, lemon-rose, green. On the palate it is citrus, slightly floral, clean. It is used in beverage and citrus flavors.
What did JECFA conclude about citronellal?
JECFA evaluated citronellal at the 61st meeting in 2003 under JECFA number 1220. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is citronellal on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 05.021 is the Union List entry for citronellal, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does citronellal count as natural in the US and the EU?
Nature makes citronellal, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial citronellal, 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.
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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 CITRONELLAL under CAS 106-23-0 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.