Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Decanoic acid
Decanoic acid is an acid in the dairy family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2364 (CAS 334-48-5). Its odor is fatty, waxy, coconut, creamy.
- FEMA
- 2364
- CAS
- 334-48-5
- JECFA
- 105
- EU FL
- 08.011
- Formula
- C10H20O2
- EC
- 206-376-4
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 334-48-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Capric acid, Decoic acid, n-Decoic acid, Decylic acid, n-Decylic acid, n-Capric acid, 1-Nonanecarboxylic acid, n-Decanoic acid, Caprinic acid, Caprynic acid, Emery 659, Prifac 296.
Can Decanoic acid be labeled natural?
Decanoic acid occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: decanoic acid won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized decanoic 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
Decanoic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2364. 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 08.011, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 105, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. 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. Decanoic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 334-48-5, where EPA names it Decanoic 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: Fatty, waxy, coconut, creamy.
Taste: Fatty, slightly sour, creamy.
Where it is used
Decanoic acid is used in dairy, confection, bakery, flavoring and nutritional supplements, typically as a dairy note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Decanoic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undecanoic acid | 3245 | 98% | In nature |
| Nonanoic acid | 2784 | 98% | In nature |
| Lauric acid | 2614 | 96% | In nature |
| Octanoic acid | 2799 | 94% | In nature |
| 4-Methylnonanoic acid | 3574 | 88% | In nature |
More acids in this index
Tridecanoic acid · Pentadecanoic acid · Isobutyric acid · Butyric acid · trans-2-Methyl-2-butenoic acid · Phenylacetic acid
Decanoic acid FAQ
Is decanoic acid FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists decanoic acid as GRAS under FEMA number 2364. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for decanoic acid?
Decanoic acid is FEMA 2364, CAS 334-48-5. FEMA files it in the dairy flavor category.
Does decanoic acid count as natural in the US and the EU?
Since decanoic acid is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when decanoic acid is synthesized. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Is decanoic acid on the EU Union List?
Decanoic acid is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 08.011 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated decanoic acid?
Yes. JECFA number 105, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
How is decanoic acid described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe decanoic acid as fatty, waxy, coconut, creamy. On the palate it is fatty, slightly sour, creamy. It is used in dairy, confection, bakery, flavoring and nutritional supplements.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
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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 DECANOIC ACID under CAS 334-48-5 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 flavor enhancer, flavoring agent or adjuvant, lubricant or release agent, surface-active agent.
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.