Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Decanedioic acid
Decanedioic acid is an acid in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4943 (CAS 111-20-6). Its odor is sour, fatty, waxy, slightly sweet.
- FEMA
- 4943
- CAS
- 111-20-6
- Formula
- C10H18O4
- EC
- 203-845-5
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS. Source: FEMA Flavor Ingredient Library.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Sebacic acid, 1,8-Octanedicarboxylic acid, 1,10-Decanedioic acid, n-Decanedioic acid, NSC 19492, NSC 97405, Epinal NFH 10.50B10.00, Sebacic acid TA, sebacic acid, 1,8-octanedicarboxylic acid, 1,10-decanedioic acid, sebacinsaure.
Can Decanedioic acid be labeled natural?
The process decides for decanedioic acid. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic decanedioic acid is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic decanedioic acid 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
Decanedioic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4943. 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 Decanedioic acid. 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)
Decanedioic acid has not been evaluated by JECFA as a flavouring agent, or no evaluation is on file.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Decanedioic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 111-20-6, where EPA names it Decanedioic 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: Sour, fatty, waxy, slightly sweet.
Taste: Sour, fatty, mild.
Where it is used
Decanedioic acid is used in beverage, confection, savory dishes and snack foods, typically as a fruity note.
More acids in this index
3-Isopropenylpentanedioic acid · Undecanoic acid · 2-Ethylbutyric acid · Methyl-3-pentenoic acid · Isovaleric acid · 2-Oxo-3-phenylpropionic acid sodium salt
Decanedioic acid FAQ
Is decanedioic acid on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 4943 covers decanedioic acid. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for decanedioic acid?
The FEMA number for decanedioic acid is 4943 and its CAS registry number is 111-20-6. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is decanedioic acid used for?
Decanedioic acid is described as sour, fatty, waxy, slightly sweet. On the palate it is sour, fatty, mild. It shows up in beverage, confection, savory dishes and snack foods.
Is decanedioic acid natural or artificial?
Nature makes decanedioic acid, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial decanedioic acid, same molecule. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check Decanedioic acid in a formula
Screened against FEMA GRAS, 21 CFR and EU rules as you build. Free to start.
Sources and attribution. The FEMA number and GRAS status on this page name a conclusion reached by the Expert Panel of the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association of the United States. FDA does not list this substance by FEMA number in its Substances Added to Food inventory. Its identity is attested by EPA TSCA Chemical Substance Inventory, matched on CAS 111-20-6.
FEMA publishes its own entry for this substance in the FEMA Flavor Library, which is the authoritative record 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.