Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate
Dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3339 (CAS 73019-14-4). Its odor is sweet, fruity, citrus, tropical, estery.
- FEMA
- 3339
- CAS
- 73019-14-4
- JECFA
- 78
- EU FL
- 09.515
- Formula
- C16H28O2
- EC
- 277-234-7
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 6. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 73019-14-4.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Butanoic acid, 2-ethyl-, (2E)-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl ester, Butanoic acid, 2-ethyl-, 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienyl ester, (E)-, Butanoic acid, 2-ethyl-, (2E)-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienyl ester, (2E)-3,7-Dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate, geranyl 2-ethylbutyrate, (e)-3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dienyl 2-ethylbutyrate, butanoic acid, 2-ethyl-, (2e)-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl ester, 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienyl 2-ethylbutanoate, (e)-, 3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dienyl 2-ethylbutanoate, butanoic acid, 2-ethyl-, (2e)-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienyl ester, butanoic acid, 2-ethyl-, 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienyl ester, (e)-, 2-trans-3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dienyl 2-ethyl butanoate [fhfi].
Can Dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate be labeled natural?
The process decides for dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate 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
Dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3339. 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 09.515, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 78, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. 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. Dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 73019-14-4, where EPA names it Butanoic acid, 2-ethyl-, (2E)-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl ester.
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: Sweet, fruity, citrus, tropical, estery.
Where it is used
Dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, desserts and ice cream, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neryl isovalerate | 2778 | 92% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Isobutyl acetate · Methyl 3-hydroxyhexanoate · 2-Ethanethoic acid, S-(2-methyl-3-furanyl) ester · (E)-Ethyl 3-(2-furyl)acrylate · alpha-Amylcinnamyl formate · Citronellyl anthranilate
Dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate FAQ
Is dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate as GRAS under FEMA number 3339. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate?
Dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate is FEMA 3339, CAS 73019-14-4. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate as sweet, fruity, citrus, tropical, estery. It is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, desserts and ice cream.
What did JECFA conclude about dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate?
JECFA evaluated dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate at the 49th meeting in 1997 under JECFA number 78. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 09.515 is the Union List entry for dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate count as natural in the US and the EU?
Nature makes dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate, 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.
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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 2-TRANS-3,7-DIMETHYLOCTA-2,6-DIENYL 2-ETHYLBUTANOATE under CAS 73019-14-4 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.