Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Cyclohexanecarboxylic acid
Cyclohexanecarboxylic acid is an acid in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3531 (CAS 98-89-5). Its odor is fruity, floral, sweet, slightly sour.
- FEMA
- 3531
- CAS
- 98-89-5
- JECFA
- 961
- EU FL
- 08.060
- Formula
- C7H12O2
- EC
- 202-711-3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 11. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 98-89-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzoic acid, hexahydro-, Hexahydrobenzoic acid, Cyclohexanoic acid, Cyclohexylcarboxylic acid, Carboxycyclohexane, Cyclohexylmethanoic acid, NSC 452, NSC 97391, NSC 97393, Cyclohexyl formic acid, hexahydrobenzoic acid, carboxycyclohexane.
Can Cyclohexanecarboxylic acid be labeled natural?
The process decides for cyclohexanecarboxylic acid. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic cyclohexanecarboxylic acid 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
Cyclohexanecarboxylic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3531. 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 08.060, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 961, evaluated at the 59th meeting in 2002. 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. Cyclohexanecarboxylic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 98-89-5, where EPA names it Cyclohexanecarboxylic acid.
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: Fruity, floral, sweet, slightly sour.
Taste: Sour, slightly sweet, tangy.
Where it is used
Cyclohexanecarboxylic acid is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, sauces and dressings, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Cyclohexanecarboxylic 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-Methylpentanoic acid | 3437 | 87% | In nature |
| Valeric acid | 3101 | 84% | In nature |
| (+/-)-1-Cyclohexylethanol | 4794 | 84% | Not determined |
| 2-Methylvaleric acid | 2754 | 83% | In nature |
| 4-Methylpentanoic acid | 3463 | 73% | In nature |
More acids in this index
4-Amino-5-(3-(isopropylamino)-2,2-dimethyl-3-oxopropoxy)-2-methylquinoline-3-carboxylic acid · cis-5-Octenoic acid · 4-Methoxybenzoic acid · 3-Isopropenyl-6-oxoheptanoic acid · Hept-2-enoic acid · 5&6-Decenoic acid
Cyclohexanecarboxylic acid FAQ
Is cyclohexanecarboxylic acid FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists cyclohexanecarboxylic acid as GRAS under FEMA number 3531. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for cyclohexanecarboxylic acid?
Cyclohexanecarboxylic acid is FEMA 3531, CAS 98-89-5. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is cyclohexanecarboxylic acid described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe cyclohexanecarboxylic acid as fruity, floral, sweet, slightly sour. On the palate it is sour, slightly sweet, tangy. It is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, sauces and dressings.
What did JECFA conclude about cyclohexanecarboxylic acid?
JECFA evaluated cyclohexanecarboxylic acid at the 59th meeting in 2002 under JECFA number 961. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is cyclohexanecarboxylic acid on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 08.060 is the Union List entry for cyclohexanecarboxylic acid, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does cyclohexanecarboxylic acid count as natural in the US and the EU?
Nature makes cyclohexanecarboxylic acid, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial cyclohexanecarboxylic 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.
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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 CYCLOHEXANECARBOXYLIC ACID under CAS 98-89-5 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.