Flavor ingredient regulatory record
D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate
D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate is an alcohol in the mint family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3992 (CAS 156324-82-2). Its odor is minty, cooling, fresh, herbal.
- FEMA
- 3992
- CAS
- 156324-82-2
- JECFA
- 1413
- Formula
- C14H26O4
- EC
- 417-420-9
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 20. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 156324-82-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Carbonic acid, 2-hydroxypropyl 5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)cyclohexyl ester, Menthyl 2-hydroxypropyl carbonate, carbonic acid, 2-hydroxypropyl 5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)cyclohexyl ester, 2-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexyloxycarbonyloxy-2-hydroxypropane, menthol propylene glycol carbonate, 2-hydroxypropyl (5-methyl-2-propan-2-ylcyclohexyl) carbonate, 1-[({[5-methyl-2-(propan-2-yl)cyclohexyl]oxy}carbonyl)oxy]propan-2-ol, 2-hydroxypropyl 2-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexyl carbonate, 2-hydroxypropyl (2-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexyl) carbonate, 2-hydroxypropyl 5-methyl-2-(propan-2-yl)cyclohexyl carbonate.
Can D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate be labeled natural?
D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate 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
D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3992. 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 D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate. 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)
JECFA number 1413, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 156324-82-2, where EPA names it Carbonic acid, 2-hydroxypropyl 5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)cyclohexyl ester.
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 regulatory flags
| Flag | EPA definition | What it obliges |
|---|---|---|
| PMN | Indicates a commenced PMN substance. | Nothing new. The substance already went through premanufacture review and someone filed a notice of commencement, which is why it is on the Inventory. It is an existing chemical and needs no new premanufacture notice. Read more |
PMN does not establish: The flag records how the substance arrived, not what may be done with it. Check the flags beside it.
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: Minty, cooling, fresh, herbal.
Where it is used
D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate is used in beverage, confection, oral care and chewing gum, typically as a mint note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| (-)-Menthol 1- and 2-propylene glycol carbonate | 3806 | 95% | Not determined |
| (+/-) N,N-Dimethyl menthyl succinamide | 4230 | 74% | Not determined |
| N-[(Ethoxycarbonyl)methyl)-p-menthane-3-carboxamide | 4309 | 72% | Not determined |
| Menthyl isovalerate | 2669 | 71% | In nature |
| Vanillin 3-(l-menthoxy)propane-1,2-diol acetal | 3904 | 70% | In nature |
More alcohols in this index
p-Menth-8-en-1-ol · p-Menthane-3,8-diol · 8-p-Menthene-1,2-diol · 2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol · (-)-Menthol 1- and 2-propylene glycol carbonate · 3-Methyl-1-pentanol
D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate FAQ
Is D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3992 covers D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate?
The FEMA number for D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate is 3992 and its CAS registry number is 156324-82-2. FEMA files it in the mint flavor category.
Is D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate natural or artificial?
Since D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate identical-to-natural.
Is D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 1413), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Has JECFA evaluated D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate?
Yes. JECFA number 1413, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. Conclusion: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
What is D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate used for?
D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate is described as minty, cooling, fresh, herbal. It shows up in beverage, confection, oral care and chewing gum.
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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 MENTHYL PROPYLENE GLYCOL CARBONATE under CAS 156324-82-2 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.