Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Cyclohexylmethylpyrazine
Cyclohexylmethylpyrazine is a pyrazine in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3631 (CAS 28217-92-7). Its odor is nutty, roasted, earthy, sweet, green.
- FEMA
- 3631
- CAS
- 28217-92-7
- JECFA
- 783
- EU FL
- 14.069
- Formula
- C11H16N2
- EC
- 248-905-1
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 12. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 28217-92-7.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Pyrazine, 2-(cyclohexylmethyl)-, Pyrazine, (cyclohexylmethyl)-, 2-(Cyclohexylmethyl)pyrazine, (Cyclohexylmethyl)pyrazine, (cyclohexylmethyl)pyrazine, 2-(cyclohexylmethyl)pyrazine, cyclohexylmethyl pyrazine, pyrazine, (cyclohexylmethyl)-, 2-pyrazine cyclohexyl methane, (2-pyrazinylmethyl)cyclohexane, 2-pyrazinyl cyclohexyl methane, pyrazine, 2-(cyclohexylmethyl)-.
Can Cyclohexylmethylpyrazine be labeled natural?
The process decides for cyclohexylmethylpyrazine. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic cyclohexylmethylpyrazine is artificial. 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.
- 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
Cyclohexylmethylpyrazine is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3631. 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 14.069, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 783.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Cyclohexylmethylpyrazine appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 28217-92-7, where EPA names it Pyrazine, 2-(cyclohexylmethyl)-.
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: Nutty, roasted, earthy, sweet, green.
Where it is used
Cyclohexylmethylpyrazine is used in snacks, savory foods, seasonings and beverages, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Cyclohexylmethylpyrazine by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Pentylpyridine | 3383 | 78% | In nature |
| 2-Hexylpyridine | 4948 | 77% | Not determined |
| 2-(3-Phenylpropyl)pyridine | 3751 | 66% | In nature |
| 2-Isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine | 3132 | 53% | In nature |
| 2-Methoxy-3-(1-methylpropyl)pyrazine | 3433 | 48% | In nature |
More pyrazines in this index
1-Pyrroline · 2-Isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine · 6,7-Dihydro-2,3-dimethyl-5H-cyclopentapyrazine · 2-Ethoxy-3-isopropylpyrazine · 2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline · 2-Methoxy-3-(1-methylpropyl)pyrazine
Cyclohexylmethylpyrazine FAQ
Does cyclohexylmethylpyrazine have FEMA GRAS status?
Cyclohexylmethylpyrazine holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3631. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite cyclohexylmethylpyrazine by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite cyclohexylmethylpyrazine as FEMA 3631 or CAS 28217-92-7; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is fruity.
What does cyclohexylmethylpyrazine smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of cyclohexylmethylpyrazine is nutty, roasted, earthy, sweet, green. Typical uses are snacks, savory foods, seasonings and beverages.
What did JECFA conclude about cyclohexylmethylpyrazine?
JECFA evaluated cyclohexylmethylpyrazine under JECFA number 783.
Can cyclohexylmethylpyrazine be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 14.069 is the Union List entry for cyclohexylmethylpyrazine, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can cyclohexylmethylpyrazine be labeled a natural flavor?
Nature makes cyclohexylmethylpyrazine, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial cyclohexylmethylpyrazine, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic cyclohexylmethylpyrazine 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 Cyclohexylmethylpyrazine 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 CYCLOHEXYLMETHYL PYRAZINE under CAS 28217-92-7 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.