Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Dihydromintlactone
Dihydromintlactone is a lactone in the mint family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4032 (CAS 92015-65-1). Its odor is fresh, minty, sweet, herbal.
- FEMA
- 4032
- CAS
- 92015-65-1
- JECFA
- 1161
- EU FL
- 10.050
- Formula
- C10H16O2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 21. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 92015-65-1.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2(3H)-Benzofuranone, hexahydro-3,6-dimethyl-, Cyclohexaneacetic acid, 2-hydroxy-α,4-dimethyl-, γ-lactone, Hexahydro-3,6-dimethyl-2(3H)-benzofuranone, Perhydro-3,6-dimethyl-benzo[b]furan-2-one, Koumalactone, 3,6-Dimethylhexahydrobenzofuran-2(3H)-one, 3,6-Dimethyl-3a,4,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-3H-1-benzofuran-2-one, 3,6-Dimethyl-octahydro-1-benzofuran-2-one, 2(3h)-benzofuranone, hexahydro-3,6-dimethyl-, 3,6-dimethylhexahydrobenzofuran-2(3h)-one, 3,6-dimethyl-octahydro-1-benzofuran-2-one, hexahydro-3,6-dimethyl-2(3h)-benzofuranone.
Can Dihydromintlactone be labeled natural?
Dihydromintlactone occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: dihydromintlactone won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized dihydromintlactone is artificial. 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
Dihydromintlactone is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4032. 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 10.050, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1161, 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. Dihydromintlactone appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 92015-65-1, where EPA names it 2(3H)-Benzofuranone, hexahydro-3,6-dimethyl-.
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: Fresh, minty, sweet, herbal.
Taste: Sweet, minty, cooling.
Where it is used
Dihydromintlactone is used in beverage, confection, gum and oral care, typically as a mint note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Dihydromintlactone by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| p-Menthan-2-one | 3176 | 81% | In nature |
| 4-Hydroxy-3-methyloctanoic acid gamma-lactone | 3803 | 80% | In nature |
| Dehydromenthofurolactone | 3755 | 72% | In nature |
| (+/-)-(2,6,6,-Trimethyl-2-hydroxycyclohexylidene)acetic acid gamma-lactone | 4020 | 63% | In nature |
| 2-(4-Methyl-2-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid-gamma-lactone | 3863 | 62% | In nature |
More lactones in this index
Dihydrocoumarin · epsilon-Decalactone · delta-Decalactone · (+/-) 3-Methyl-gamma-decalactone · (+/-)-(2,6,6,-Trimethyl-2-hydroxycyclohexylidene)acetic acid gamma-lactone · gamma-Dodecalactone
Dihydromintlactone FAQ
Is dihydromintlactone FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists dihydromintlactone as GRAS under FEMA number 4032. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for dihydromintlactone?
Dihydromintlactone is FEMA 4032, CAS 92015-65-1. FEMA files it in the mint flavor category.
Does dihydromintlactone count as natural in the US and the EU?
Since dihydromintlactone is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when dihydromintlactone is synthesized. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Is dihydromintlactone on the EU Union List?
Dihydromintlactone is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 10.050 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated dihydromintlactone?
Yes. JECFA number 1161, evaluated at the 61st meeting in 2003. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
How is dihydromintlactone described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe dihydromintlactone as fresh, minty, sweet, herbal. On the palate it is sweet, minty, cooling. It is used in beverage, confection, gum and oral care.
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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 (+/-)-DIHYDROMINTLACTONE under CAS 92015-65-1 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.