Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Difurfuryl ether
Difurfuryl ether is an ether in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3337 (CAS 4437-22-3). Its odor is sweet, fruity, caramel, nutty, earthy.
- FEMA
- 3337
- CAS
- 4437-22-3
- JECFA
- 1522
- Formula
- C10H10O3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 6. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 4437-22-3.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Furan, 2,2′-[oxybis(methylene)]bis-, Furan, 2,2′-(oxydimethylene)di-, Furfuryl ether, Furan, 2,2′-oxydimethylenebis-, 2,2′-[Oxybis(methylene)]bis[furan], 2,2′-Difurfuryl ether, NSC 97234, 2-((Furan-2-ylmethoxy)methyl)furan, 2,2′-(Oxybis(methylene))difuran, 2,2′-Oxybis(methylene)difuran, furfuryl ether, 2,2'-difurfuryl ether.
Can Difurfuryl ether be labeled natural?
Nature makes difurfuryl ether, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial difurfuryl ether, 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
Difurfuryl ether is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3337. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
Difurfuryl ether was on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 13.061 when Regulation (EU) 872/2012 adopted the list, and the entry has since been withdrawn. It does not appear in the current consolidated text of Regulation (EC) 1334/2008. Check the amending regulations for the conditions that applied to existing stock, and treat EU or UK use as closed unless another route covers it.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1522, evaluated at the 86th meeting in 2018. 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. Difurfuryl ether appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 4437-22-3, where EPA names it Furan, 2,2'-[oxybis(methylene)]bis-.
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, caramel, nutty, earthy.
Where it is used
Difurfuryl ether is used in beverage, confection, bakery and snack foods, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Difurfuryl ether by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,2'-(Thiodimethylene)difuran | 3238 | 86% | In nature |
| di-2-Furylmethane | 4540 | 73% | In nature |
| 2,4-Difurfurylfuran | 4095 | 70% | Not determined |
| 2,2'-(Dithiodimethylene)difuran | 3146 | 70% | In nature |
| Dibenzyl ether | 2371 | 58% | In nature |
More ethers in this index
Benzyl ethyl ether · 2,4-Dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane · o-Methylanisole · beta-Naphthyl methyl ether · Isoeugenyl ethyl ether · sec-Butyl ethyl ether
Difurfuryl ether FAQ
Does difurfuryl ether have FEMA GRAS status?
Difurfuryl ether holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3337. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite difurfuryl ether by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite difurfuryl ether as FEMA 3337 or CAS 4437-22-3; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is fruity.
What does difurfuryl ether smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of difurfuryl ether is sweet, fruity, caramel, nutty, earthy. Typical uses are beverage, confection, bakery and snack foods.
What did JECFA conclude about difurfuryl ether?
JECFA evaluated difurfuryl ether at the 86th meeting in 2018 under JECFA number 1522. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is difurfuryl ether approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for difurfuryl ether. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 1522), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Can difurfuryl ether be labeled a natural flavor?
The process decides for difurfuryl ether. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic difurfuryl ether 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 DIFURFURYL ETHER under CAS 4437-22-3 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.