Flavor ingredient regulatory record
di-2-Furylmethane
di-2-Furylmethane is a furan in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4540 (CAS 1197-40-6). Its odor is sweet, nutty, caramel, roasted, earthy.
- FEMA
- 4540
- CAS
- 1197-40-6
- JECFA
- 2104
- Formula
- C9H8O2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 24. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 1197-40-6.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Furan, 2,2′-methylenebis-, Furan, 2,2′-methylenedi-, 2,2′-Methylenebis[furan], 2,2′-Difurylmethane, Di-α-furylmethane, 2-(2-Furfuryl)furan, 2,2′-Methylenedifuran, Difuran-2-ylmethane, 2-(Furan-2-ylmethyl)furan, furan, 2,2'-methylenebis-, 2,2-difurylmethane, 2,2-methylenedifuran.
Can di-2-Furylmethane be labeled natural?
di-2-Furylmethane occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: di-2-Furylmethane won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized di-2-Furylmethane is artificial. In the EU and UK the natural claim likewise needs the natural route, while Mercosur and Mexico keep a third class, identical-to-natural, for the synthetic material.
- 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
di-2-Furylmethane is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4540. 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 di-2-Furylmethane. 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 2104, evaluated at the 76th meeting in 2012. 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, nutty, caramel, roasted, earthy.
Taste: Sweet, nutty, rich.
Where it is used
di-2-Furylmethane is used in beverage, confection, bakery and snacks, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to di-2-Furylmethane by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Furfurylpyrrole | 3284 | 80% | In nature |
| 2-Butylfuran | 4081 | 78% | In nature |
| Difurfuryl ether | 3337 | 73% | In nature |
| 2,2'-(Dithiodimethylene)difuran | 3146 | 73% | In nature |
| 2,2'-(Thiodimethylene)difuran | 3238 | 72% | In nature |
More furans in this index
4-Acetyl-2,5-dimethylfuran-3(2H)-one · 2,5-Dimethyl-4-ethoxy-3(2H)-furanone · 2,5-Diethyltetrahydrofuran · 2-Acetyl-3,5-dimethylfuran · 2-Methyl-3-(methylthio)furan · 2,5-Dimethylfuran
di-2-Furylmethane FAQ
Does di-2-Furylmethane have FEMA GRAS status?
di-2-Furylmethane holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 4540. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite di-2-Furylmethane by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite di-2-Furylmethane as FEMA 4540 or CAS 1197-40-6; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Can di-2-Furylmethane be labeled a natural flavor?
Since di-2-Furylmethane is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when di-2-Furylmethane is synthesized. In the EU and UK the natural claim likewise needs the natural route, while Mercosur and Mexico keep a third class, identical-to-natural, for the synthetic material.
Is di-2-Furylmethane approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for di-2-Furylmethane. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 2104), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Has JECFA evaluated di-2-Furylmethane?
Yes. JECFA number 2104, evaluated at the 76th meeting in 2012. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does di-2-Furylmethane smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of di-2-Furylmethane is sweet, nutty, caramel, roasted, earthy. On the palate it is sweet, nutty, rich. Typical uses are beverage, confection, bakery and snacks.
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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 DI-2-FURYLMETHANE under CAS 1197-40-6 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.