Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Dihydrocoumarin
Dihydrocoumarin is a lactone in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2381 (CAS 119-84-6). Its odor is sweet, creamy, herbal, vanilla.
- FEMA
- 2381
- CAS
- 119-84-6
- JECFA
- 1171
- EU FL
- 13.009
- Formula
- C9H8O2
- EC
- 204-354-9
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 119-84-6.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2H-1-Benzopyran-2-one, 3,4-dihydro-, Hydrocoumarin, 3,4-Dihydro-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one, Hydrocinnamic acid, o-hydroxy-, δ-lactone, 2-Chromanone, Melilotin (coumarin), Melilotol, 3,4-Dihydrocoumarin, Melilotin, 3,4-Dihydro-1H-benzopyran-2-one, D 1223, DHC.
Can Dihydrocoumarin be labeled natural?
Nature makes dihydrocoumarin, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial dihydrocoumarin, same molecule. 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
Dihydrocoumarin is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2381. 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 13.009, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1171, evaluated at the 61st meeting in 2003. 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. Dihydrocoumarin appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 119-84-6, where EPA names it 2H-1-Benzopyran-2-one, 3,4-dihydro-.
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, creamy, herbal, vanilla.
Taste: Sweet, smooth, slightly bitter.
Where it is used
Dihydrocoumarin is used in beverage, confection, bakery and dairy, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Dihydrocoumarin by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde | 2886 | 80% | In nature |
| Octahydrocoumarin | 3791 | 79% | In nature |
| 2-(2-Hydroxyphenyl)-cyclopropanecarbocyclic acid delta-lactone | 4270 | 78% | In nature |
| Acetophenone | 2009 | 78% | In nature |
| 2-Methylacetophenone | 4316 | 72% | In nature |
More lactones in this index
Octahydrocoumarin · 3,9-Dimethyl-6-(1-methylethyl)-1,4-dioxaspiro[4.5]decan-2-one · 4-Hydroxybutyric acid lactone · 5-Hydroxyundecanoic acid lactone · 2-(2-Hydroxyphenyl)-cyclopropanecarbocyclic acid delta-lactone · gamma-Undecalactone
Dihydrocoumarin FAQ
Is dihydrocoumarin on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2381 covers dihydrocoumarin. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for dihydrocoumarin?
The FEMA number for dihydrocoumarin is 2381 and its CAS registry number is 119-84-6. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is dihydrocoumarin used for?
Dihydrocoumarin is described as sweet, creamy, herbal, vanilla. On the palate it is sweet, smooth, slightly bitter. It shows up in beverage, confection, bakery and dairy.
What did JECFA conclude about dihydrocoumarin?
JECFA evaluated dihydrocoumarin at the 61st meeting in 2003 under JECFA number 1171. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is dihydrocoumarin approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 13.009 is the Union List entry for dihydrocoumarin, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is dihydrocoumarin natural or artificial?
The process decides for dihydrocoumarin. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic dihydrocoumarin 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.
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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 DIHYDROCOUMARIN under CAS 119-84-6 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.