Flavor ingredient regulatory record
delta-Dodecalactone
delta-Dodecalactone is a lactone in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2401 (CAS 713-95-1). Its odor is creamy, buttery, coconut, peach.
- FEMA
- 2401
- CAS
- 713-95-1
- JECFA
- 236
- EU FL
- 10.008
- Formula
- C12H22O2
- EC
- 211-932-4
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 713-95-1.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: δ-dodecalactone, 5-dodecanolide, dodecan-5-olide, 2h-pyran-2-one, 6-heptyltetrahydro-, 5-hydroxydodecanoic acid lactone, n-heptyl-delta-valerolactone, delta-heptyl-delta-valerolactone, dodecanoic acid, 5-hydroxy-, delta-lactone, ai 3-36030, delta-dodecane lactone, 6-heptyltetrahydro-2h-pyran-2-one, delta-dodecanolactone.
Can delta-Dodecalactone be labeled natural?
Nature makes delta-Dodecalactone, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial delta-Dodecalactone, same molecule. 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
delta-Dodecalactone is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2401. 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 10.008, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 236, 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. delta-Dodecalactone appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 713-95-1, where EPA names it 2H-Pyran-2-one, 6-heptyltetrahydro-.
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: Creamy, buttery, coconut, peach.
Taste: Creamy, fatty, slightly fruity.
Where it is used
delta-Dodecalactone is used in dairy, butter flavors and cream flavors, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to delta-Dodecalactone by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5-Hydroxyundecanoic acid lactone | 3294 | 97% | In nature |
| delta-Decalactone | 2361 | 93% | In nature |
| gamma-Dodecalactone | 2400 | 91% | In nature |
| Ethyl decanoate | 2432 | 90% | In nature |
| gamma-Undecalactone | 3091 | 84% | In nature |
More lactones in this index
(+/-) 3-Methyl-gamma-decalactone · 2-(4-Methyl-2-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid-gamma-lactone · 5-Hydroxy-8-undecenoic acid delta-lactone · (+/-)-(2,6,6,-Trimethyl-2-hydroxycyclohexylidene)acetic acid gamma-lactone · delta-Octalactone · delta-Decalactone
delta-Dodecalactone FAQ
Does delta-Dodecalactone have FEMA GRAS status?
delta-Dodecalactone holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2401. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite delta-Dodecalactone by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite delta-Dodecalactone as FEMA 2401 or CAS 713-95-1; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is fruity.
What does delta-Dodecalactone smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of delta-Dodecalactone is creamy, buttery, coconut, peach. On the palate it is creamy, fatty, slightly fruity. Typical uses are dairy, butter flavors and cream flavors.
What did JECFA conclude about delta-Dodecalactone?
JECFA evaluated delta-Dodecalactone at the 49th meeting in 1997 under JECFA number 236. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Can delta-Dodecalactone be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 10.008 is the Union List entry for delta-Dodecalactone, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can delta-Dodecalactone be labeled a natural flavor?
The process decides for delta-Dodecalactone. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic delta-Dodecalactone is artificial. 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 DELTA-DODECALACTONE under CAS 713-95-1 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.
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.