Flavor ingredient regulatory record
d-Limonene
d-Limonene is a terpene in the citrus family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2633 (CAS 5989-27-5). Its odor is fresh orange peel, citrus, light.
- FEMA
- 2633
- CAS
- 5989-27-5
- JECFA
- 1326
- EU FL
- 01.045
- Formula
- C10H16
- EC
- 227-813-5
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 5989-27-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 3,7-dimethyl-1,6-octadien-3-ol, linalyl alcohol, (+)-limonene, (r)-(+)-limonene, (d)-limonene, (+)-(4r)-limonene, (4r)-limonene, (r)-4-isopropenyl-1-methyl-1-cyclohexene, d-(+)-limonene, (+)-dipentene, limonene, (+)-, citrene.
Can d-Limonene be labeled natural?
Nature makes d-Limonene, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial d-Limonene, 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.
- 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-Limonene is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2633. 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 01.045, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1326, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. ADI not specified (1993). Use of d-limonene as a flavouring agent is subsumed in the 1993 ADI not specified, which was maintained at the sixty-third meeting.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list. Listed on the EPA TSCA inventory.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. d-Limonene appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 5989-27-5, where EPA names it Cyclohexene, 1-methyl-4-(1-methylethenyl)-, (4R)-.
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 orange peel, citrus, light.
Taste: Orange, citrus, clean.
Where it is used
d-Limonene is used in beverage, confection and floral flavors, typically as a citrus note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to d-Limonene by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| (E,R)-3,7-Dimethyl-1,5,7-octatrien-3-ol | 3830 | 95% | In nature |
| p-Menth-8-en-1-ol | 3564 | 82% | In nature |
| alpha-Terpineol | 3045 | 74% | In nature |
| p-Menth-3-en-1-ol | 3563 | 73% | In nature |
| Nerolidol | 2772 | 72% | In nature |
More terpenes in this index
p-Mentha-1,3-diene · d-Limonen-10-ol · Nootkatone · Valencene · 2,2,6-Trimethyl-6-vinyltetrahydropyran · Myrtenol
d-Limonene FAQ
Is d-Limonene on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2633 covers d-Limonene. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for d-Limonene?
The FEMA number for d-Limonene is 2633 and its CAS registry number is 5989-27-5. Its flavor category is citrus.
What is d-Limonene used for?
d-Limonene is described as fresh orange peel, citrus, light. On the palate it is orange, citrus, clean. It shows up in beverage, confection and floral flavors.
What did JECFA conclude about d-Limonene?
JECFA evaluated d-Limonene at the 63rd meeting in 2004 under JECFA number 1326. The panel concluded: ADI not specified (1993). Use of d-limonene as a flavouring agent is subsumed in the 1993 ADI not specified, which was maintained at the sixty-third meeting.
Is d-Limonene approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 01.045 is the Union List entry for d-Limonene, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is d-Limonene natural or artificial?
The process decides for d-Limonene. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic d-Limonene 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.
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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 D-LIMONENE under CAS 5989-27-5 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.