Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Dihydrocarvone
Dihydrocarvone is a ketone in the mint family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3565 (CAS 5524-05-0). Its odor is minty, fresh, herbal, green.
- FEMA
- 3565
- CAS
- 5524-05-0
- JECFA
- 377
- EU FL
- 07.128
- Formula
- C10H16O
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 11. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 3792-53-8.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Cyclohexanone, 2-methyl-5-(1-methylethenyl)-, (2R,5R)-, p-Menth-8-en-2-one, (+)-, Cyclohexanone, 2-methyl-5-(1-methylethenyl)-, (2R-trans)-, (2R,5R)-2-Methyl-5-(1-methylethenyl)cyclohexanone, (+)-Dihydrocarvone, (1R,4R)-(+)-Dihydrocarvone, (1R,4R)-Dihydrocarvone, (2R,5R)-5-Isopropenyl-2-methylcyclohexanone, d-Dihydrocarvone, (+)-trans-Dihydrocarvone, (2R,5R)-(+)-Dihydrocarvone, (2R,5R)-2-Methyl-5-(prop-1-en-2-yl)cyclohexan-1-one.
Can Dihydrocarvone be labeled natural?
Nature makes dihydrocarvone, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial dihydrocarvone, 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
Dihydrocarvone is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3565. 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 07.128, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
Purity. At least 77%; secondary components 10-15% dihydrocarveol; 5-6% carvone; 2-3% carveol
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 377, evaluated at the 51st meeting in 1998. 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. Dihydrocarvone appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 5524-05-0, where EPA names it Cyclohexanone, 2-methyl-5-(1-methylethenyl)-, (2R,5R)-.
Inactive in US commerce
EPA designates this substance inactive, so a Notice of Activity Form B is required before anyone manufactures or processes it again. Being FEMA GRAS does not change that. 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: Minty, fresh, herbal, green.
Where it is used
Dihydrocarvone is used in beverage, confection, oral care and flavoring, typically as a mint note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Dihydrocarvone by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| d-Carvone | 2249 | 94% | In nature |
| Dihydrocarveol | 2379 | 93% | In nature |
| Carveol | 2247 | 92% | In nature |
More ketones in this index
l-Piperitone · d,l-Menthone-1,2-glycerol ketal · p-Menthan-2-one · d-Carvone · 2-Propionylpyrroline · 3-(4-Hydroxy-phenyl)-1-(2,4,6-trihydroxy-phenyl)-propan-1-one
Dihydrocarvone FAQ
Does dihydrocarvone have FEMA GRAS status?
Dihydrocarvone holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3565. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite dihydrocarvone by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite dihydrocarvone as FEMA 3565 or CAS 5524-05-0; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is mint.
What does dihydrocarvone smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of dihydrocarvone is minty, fresh, herbal, green. Typical uses are beverage, confection, oral care and flavoring.
What did JECFA conclude about dihydrocarvone?
JECFA evaluated dihydrocarvone at the 51st meeting in 1998 under JECFA number 377. The panel concluded: no safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Can dihydrocarvone be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 07.128 is the Union List entry for dihydrocarvone, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can dihydrocarvone be labeled a natural flavor?
The process decides for dihydrocarvone. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic dihydrocarvone 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 CIS-DIHYDROCARVONE under CAS 3792-53-8 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.