Flavor ingredient regulatory record
delta-Octalactone
delta-Octalactone is a lactone in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3214 (CAS 698-76-0).
- FEMA
- 3214
- CAS
- 698-76-0
- JECFA
- 228
- EU FL
- 10.015
- Formula
- C8H14O2
- EC
- 211-820-5
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 4. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 698-76-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2H-Pyran-2-one, tetrahydro-6-propyl-, Octanoic acid, 5-hydroxy-, δ-lactone, Octanoic acid, 5-hydroxy-, lactone, Tetrahydro-6-propyl-2H-pyran-2-one, 5-Hydroxyoctanoic acid lactone, 5-Hydroxyoctanoic acid δ-lactone, δ-Octalactone, δ-Propyl-δ-valerolactone, 5-Octanolide, (±)-δ-Octalactone, (RS)-δ-Octalactone, δ-Octanolactone.
Can delta-Octalactone be labeled natural?
Nature occurrence: Not yet found in nature (provisional).
Nature occurrence has not been settled for this substance, so the natural or artificial class is not stated here. The FEMA GRAS status does not depend on it.
Regulatory status, with citations
United States
delta-Octalactone is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3214. 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 10.015, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 228, 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-Octalactone appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 698-76-0, where EPA names it 2H-Pyran-2-one, tetrahydro-6-propyl-.
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
Taste: Sweet, creamy, coconut.
Where it is used
delta-Octalactone is used in beverage, confection, dairy, bakery and fruit flavors, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to delta-Octalactone by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydroxynonanoic acid delta-lactone | 3356 | 88% | In nature |
| 4-Hydroxy-3-methyloctanoic acid gamma-lactone | 3803 | 85% | In nature |
| gamma-Heptalactone | 2539 | 85% | In nature |
| delta-Decalactone | 2361 | 63% | In nature |
More lactones in this index
gamma-Undecalactone · 4,4-Dibutyl-gamma-butyrolactone · (+/-) 3-Methyl-gamma-decalactone · delta-Decalactone · (+/-)-(2,6,6,-Trimethyl-2-hydroxycyclohexylidene)acetic acid gamma-lactone · Octahydrocoumarin
delta-Octalactone FAQ
Does delta-Octalactone have FEMA GRAS status?
delta-Octalactone holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3214. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite delta-Octalactone by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite delta-Octalactone as FEMA 3214 or CAS 698-76-0; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Can delta-Octalactone be used in the EU and UK?
delta-Octalactone is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 10.015 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated delta-Octalactone?
Yes. JECFA number 228, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
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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-OCTALACTONE under CAS 698-76-0 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.