Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Dehydromenthofurolactone
Dehydromenthofurolactone is a lactone in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3755 (CAS 75640-26-5). Its odor is sweet, fruity, creamy, floral.
- FEMA
- 3755
- CAS
- 75640-26-5
- JECFA
- 1163
- Formula
- C10H12O2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 15. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 75640-26-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2(4H)-Benzofuranone, 5,6-dihydro-3,6-dimethyl-, (6R)-, 2(4H)-Benzofuranone, 5,6-dihydro-3,6-dimethyl-, (R)-, (6R)-5,6-Dihydro-3,6-dimethyl-2(4H)-benzofuranone, (R)-Dehydromenthofurolactone, (6R)-3,6-Dimethyl-2,4,5,6-tetrahydro-1-benzofuran-2-one, anhydro woodward-eastman lactone, 5,6-dihydro-3,6-dimethyl-2(4h)-benzofuranone, (r)-, 2(4h)-benzofuranone, 5,6-dihydro-3,6-dimethyl-, (r)-, 2(4h)-benzofuranone, 5,6-dihydro-3,6-dimethyl-, (theta)-, (6r)-5,6-dihydro-3,6-dimethyl-2(4h)-benzofuranone, 3,6-dimethyl-5,6-dihydro-2(4h)benzofuranone, 3,6-dimethyl-4,5-dihydro-6h-benzo(b)furan-2-one.
Can Dehydromenthofurolactone be labeled natural?
The process decides for dehydromenthofurolactone. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic dehydromenthofurolactone is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic dehydromenthofurolactone 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
Dehydromenthofurolactone is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3755. 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 Dehydromenthofurolactone. 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 1163, evaluated at the 61st meeting in 2003. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
Odor and taste
Odor: Sweet, fruity, creamy, floral.
Where it is used
Dehydromenthofurolactone is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and dairy, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Dehydromenthofurolactone by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-(4-Methyl-2-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid-gamma-lactone | 3863 | 85% | In nature |
| Dihydromintlactone | 4032 | 78% | In nature |
| Menthofuran | 3235 | 63% | In nature |
| 3-n-Butylphthalide | 3334 | 57% | In nature |
| 7-Methyl-4,4a,5,6-tetrahydro-2(3H)-naphthalenone | 3715 | 55% | In nature |
More lactones in this index
5-Hydroxy-2,4-decadienoic acid delta-lactone · 2-(4-Methyl-2-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid-gamma-lactone · gamma-Decalactone · 3,9-Dimethyl-6-(1-methylethyl)-1,4-dioxaspiro[4.5]decan-2-one · 4-Acetoxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)furanone · Octahydrocoumarin
Dehydromenthofurolactone FAQ
Is dehydromenthofurolactone on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3755 covers dehydromenthofurolactone. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for dehydromenthofurolactone?
The FEMA number for dehydromenthofurolactone is 3755 and its CAS registry number is 75640-26-5. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is dehydromenthofurolactone used for?
Dehydromenthofurolactone is described as sweet, fruity, creamy, floral. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and dairy.
What did JECFA conclude about dehydromenthofurolactone?
JECFA evaluated dehydromenthofurolactone at the 61st meeting in 2003 under JECFA number 1163. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is dehydromenthofurolactone approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for dehydromenthofurolactone. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 1163), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Is dehydromenthofurolactone natural or artificial?
Nature makes dehydromenthofurolactone, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial dehydromenthofurolactone, 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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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 DEHYDROMENTHOFUROLACTONE under CAS 75640-26-5 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.