Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Citronellyl formate
Citronellyl formate is an ester in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2314 (CAS 105-85-1). Its odor is rose, fresh, floral, fruity.
- FEMA
- 2314
- CAS
- 105-85-1
- JECFA
- 53
- EU FL
- 09.078
- Formula
- C11H20O2
- EC
- 203-338-9
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 105-85-1.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 6-Octen-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, 1-formate, 6-Octen-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, formate, Citronellol, formate, NSC 46117, 3,7-Dimethyl-6-octen-1-ol formate, 3,7-Dimethyl-6-octen-1-yl formate, 3,7-Dimethyloct-6-en-1-yl formate, 6-octen-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, formate, 3,7-dimethyloct-6-enyl formate, (1)-3,7-dimethyloct-6-enyl formate, 6-octen-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, 1-formate, 3,7-dimethyloct-6-en-1-yl formate.
Can Citronellyl formate be labeled natural?
Since citronellyl formate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when citronellyl formate is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic citronellyl formate 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
Citronellyl formate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2314. 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 09.078, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
Purity. At least 90%; secondary component 5-10% citronellol
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 53, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. 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. Citronellyl formate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 105-85-1, where EPA names it 6-Octen-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, 1-formate.
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: Rose, fresh, floral, fruity.
Taste: Floral, rose-like, fruity.
Where it is used
Citronellyl formate is used in rose, floral and citrus, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Citronellyl formate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geranyl formate | 2514 | 94% | In nature |
| Citronellal | 2307 | 88% | In nature |
| Methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate | 3361 | 79% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Benzyl acetate · (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate · Geranyl acetate · Phenethyl acetate · Benzyl salicylate · Ethyl linalyl ether
Citronellyl formate FAQ
Does citronellyl formate have FEMA GRAS status?
Citronellyl formate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2314. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite citronellyl formate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite citronellyl formate as FEMA 2314 or CAS 105-85-1; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the floral flavor category.
Can citronellyl formate be labeled a natural flavor?
Citronellyl formate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: citronellyl formate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized citronellyl formate is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Can citronellyl formate be used in the EU and UK?
Citronellyl formate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.078 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated citronellyl formate?
Yes. JECFA number 53, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does citronellyl formate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of citronellyl formate is rose, fresh, floral, fruity. On the palate it is floral, rose-like, fruity. Typical uses are rose, floral and citrus.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
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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 CITRONELLYL FORMATE under CAS 105-85-1 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.