Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Diethyl tartrate
Diethyl tartrate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2378 (CAS 87-91-2). Its odor is sweet, fruity, grape, apple, estery.
- FEMA
- 2378
- CAS
- 87-91-2
- JECFA
- 622
- EU FL
- 09.446
- Formula
- C8H14O6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 87-91-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Butanedioic acid, 2,3-dihydroxy- (2R,3R)-, 1,4-diethyl ester, Tartaric acid, diethyl ester, Butanedioic acid, 2,3-dihydroxy-[R-(R*,R*)]-, diethyl ester, Butanedioic acid, 2,3-dihydroxy- (2R,3R)-, diethyl ester, (+)-Diethyl L-tartrate, (R,R)-Tartaric acid diethyl ester, Ethyl tartrate, Ethyl (+)-tartrate, Diethyl L-tartrate, Diethyl (2R,3R)-(+)-tartrate, Diethyl (R,R)-(+)-tartrate, Diethyl 1,2-dihydroxy-1,2-ethanedicarboxylate.
Can Diethyl tartrate be labeled natural?
Since diethyl tartrate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when diethyl tartrate is synthesized. 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
Diethyl tartrate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2378. 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 09.446, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 622, evaluated at the 53rd meeting in 1999. 0-20 mg/kg bw. ADI 0 to 20 mg/kg body weight.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Diethyl tartrate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 87-91-2, where EPA names it Butanedioic acid, 2,3-dihydroxy- (2R,3R)-, 1,4-diethyl ester.
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: Sweet, fruity, grape, apple, estery.
Where it is used
Diethyl tartrate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and desserts, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Diethyl tartrate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diethyl succinate | 2377 | 71% | In nature |
| Triethyl citrate | 3083 | 68% | In nature |
| D-Sorbitol | 3029 | 59% | In nature |
| Butyl butyryllactate | 2190 | 58% | In nature |
| D-Xylose | 3606 | 56% | In nature |
More esters in this index
2-Ethylhexyl benzoate · Isobornyl acetate · 3-Hexenyl 3-methylbutanoate · Ethyl benzoate · Benzyl hexanoate · (E,Z)-3,6-Nonadien-1-ol acetate
Diethyl tartrate FAQ
Is diethyl tartrate on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2378 covers diethyl tartrate. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for diethyl tartrate?
The FEMA number for diethyl tartrate is 2378 and its CAS registry number is 87-91-2. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is diethyl tartrate natural or artificial?
Diethyl tartrate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: diethyl tartrate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized diethyl tartrate 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.
Is diethyl tartrate approved in the EU?
Diethyl tartrate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.446 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated diethyl tartrate?
Yes. JECFA number 622, evaluated at the 53rd meeting in 1999. Conclusion: 0-20 mg/kg bw.
What is diethyl tartrate used for?
Diethyl tartrate is described as sweet, fruity, grape, apple, estery. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and desserts.
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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 DIETHYL TARTRATE under CAS 87-91-2 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 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.