Flavor ingredient regulatory record
(+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol
(+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol is a terpene in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4031 (CAS 51411-24-6). Its odor is floral, sweet, citrus, herbal, green.
- FEMA
- 4031
- CAS
- 51411-24-6
- JECFA
- 1830
- Formula
- C15H28O
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 21. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 51411-24-6.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 6,10-Dodecadien-1-ol, 3,7,11-trimethyl-, 3,7,11-Trimethyl-6,10-dodecadien-1-ol, 2,3-Dihydrofarnesol, 6,10-dodecadien-1-ol, 3,7,11-trimethyl-, (6e)-3,7,11-trimethyldodeca-6,10-dien-1-ol, 3,7,11-trimethyldodeca-6,10-dien-1-ol, 2,3-dihydrofarnesol, 3,7,11-trimethyl-6,10-dodecadien-1-ol, db-240807.
Can (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol be labeled natural?
The process decides for (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol 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
(+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4031. 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 (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol. 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 1830, evaluated at the 69th meeting in 2008. 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. (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 51411-24-6, where EPA names it 6,10-Dodecadien-1-ol, 3,7,11-trimethyl-.
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 regulatory flags
| Flag | EPA definition | What it obliges |
|---|---|---|
| PMN | Indicates a commenced PMN substance. | Nothing new. The substance already went through premanufacture review and someone filed a notice of commencement, which is why it is on the Inventory. It is an existing chemical and needs no new premanufacture notice. Read more |
PMN does not establish: The flag records how the substance arrived, not what may be done with it. Check the flags beside it.
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: Floral, sweet, citrus, herbal, green.
Where it is used
(+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol is used in beverage, fragrance, confection and cosmetics, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farnesol | 2478 | 94% | In nature |
| (E,Z)-Phytol | 4196 | 87% | In nature |
| 3,7,11-Trimethyl-2,6,10-dodecatrienal | 4019 | 83% | In nature |
| 2,6,10-Trimethyl-2,6,10-pentadecatrien-14-one | 3442 | 82% | In nature |
More terpenes in this index
Bisabolene · alpha -Bisabolene · alpha-bisabolol · Nerolidol oxide · beta-Ionol · Nerol oxide
(+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol FAQ
Is (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 4031 covers (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol?
The FEMA number for (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol is 4031 and its CAS registry number is 51411-24-6. Its flavor category is floral.
What is (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol used for?
(+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol is described as floral, sweet, citrus, herbal, green. It shows up in beverage, fragrance, confection and cosmetics.
What did JECFA conclude about (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol?
JECFA evaluated (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol at the 69th meeting in 2008 under JECFA number 1830. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 1830), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Is (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol natural or artificial?
Nature makes (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol, same molecule. 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 (+/-)-DIHYDROFARNESOL under CAS 51411-24-6 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.