Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Dihydroxyacetophenone
Dihydroxyacetophenone is a ketone in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3662 (CAS 28631-86-9). Its odor is sweet, fruity, caramel, floral, buttery.
- FEMA
- 3662
- CAS
- 28631-86-9
- JECFA
- 729
- EU FL
- 07.135
- Formula
- C8H8O3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 13. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 28631-86-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Ethanone, 1-phenyl-, dihydroxy deriv., Acetophenone, dihydroxy-, 1-(2,3-dihydroxyphenyl)ethanone, 2',3'-dihydroxyacetophenone, 2,3-dihydroxyacetophenone, 3-acetyl-1,2-benzenediol, 1-(2,3-dihydroxyphenyl)ethan-1-one, acetophenone, dihydroxy-, dihydroxyacetophenone, 2,3-, ethanone, 1-(2,3-dihydroxyphenyl)-, acetophenone, 2',3'-dihydroxy-, ethanone, 1-(dihydroxyphenyl)-.
Can Dihydroxyacetophenone be labeled natural?
Since dihydroxyacetophenone is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when dihydroxyacetophenone is synthesized. 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
Dihydroxyacetophenone is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3662. 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 07.135, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
Purity. 23-25% 2,3-isomer; 19-22% 2,4-isomer; 19-20% 2,5-isomer; 20-21% 3,4-isomer and 15-18% 3,5-isomer
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 729, evaluated at the 55th meeting in 2000. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
Odor and taste
Odor: Sweet, fruity, caramel, floral, buttery.
Where it is used
Dihydroxyacetophenone is used in beverage, confection, bakery, dairy and flavoring, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Dihydroxyacetophenone by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Hydroxyacetophenone | 3548 | 87% | In nature |
More ketones in this index
2-Methylcyclohexanone · 3,5-Dimethyl-1,2-cyclo-pentanedione · 6-Hydroxycarvone · Mixture of 3-Hydroxy-5-methyl-2-hexanone and 2-Hydroxy-5-methyl-3-hexanone · Dihydronootkatone · (E)-2-(2-Octenyl)cyclopentanone
Dihydroxyacetophenone FAQ
Is dihydroxyacetophenone on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3662 covers dihydroxyacetophenone. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for dihydroxyacetophenone?
The FEMA number for dihydroxyacetophenone is 3662 and its CAS registry number is 28631-86-9. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is dihydroxyacetophenone natural or artificial?
Dihydroxyacetophenone occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: dihydroxyacetophenone won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized dihydroxyacetophenone 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.
Is dihydroxyacetophenone approved in the EU?
Dihydroxyacetophenone is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 07.135 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated dihydroxyacetophenone?
Yes. JECFA number 729, evaluated at the 55th meeting in 2000. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What is dihydroxyacetophenone used for?
Dihydroxyacetophenone is described as sweet, fruity, caramel, floral, buttery. It shows up in beverage, confection, bakery, dairy and flavoring.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
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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 DIHYDROXYACETOPHENONE under CAS 28631-86-9 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.