Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Crotonic acid
Crotonic acid is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3908 (CAS 107-93-7). Its odor is milky.
- FEMA
- 3908
- CAS
- 107-93-7
- JECFA
- 1371
- Formula
- C4H6O2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 19. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 3724-65-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: (e)-but-2-enoic acid, trans-2-butenoic acid, 3-methylacrylic acid, (2e)-but-2-enoic acid, beta-methylacrylic acid, alpha-butenoic acid, alpha-crotonic acid, solid crotonic acid, beta-methacrylic acid, kyselina krotonova, acrylic acid, 3-methyl-, 2e-butenoic acid.
Can Crotonic acid be labeled natural?
Crotonic acid occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: crotonic acid won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized crotonic acid is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic crotonic acid 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
Crotonic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3908. No specific 21 CFR section is on file; the FEMA GRAS conclusion is the basis for use.
European Union and United Kingdom
No EU FL number is on file for Crotonic acid. 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 1371.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
Odor and taste
Odor: milky.
Where it is used
Crotonic acid is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and desserts, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Crotonic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Isobutoxy-1-ethoxyethane | 4528 | 68% | Not determined |
| Acetaldehyde 1,3-octadiol acetal | 4376 | 67% | Not determined |
| Hexanal butane-2,3-diol acetal | 4384 | 64% | Not determined |
More esters in this index
Geranyl formate · cis-3-Hexenyl cis-3-hexenoate · Heptyl octanoate · 3-Octyl butyrate · Isoamyl benzoate · Ethyl 3-(furfurylthio)propionate
Crotonic acid FAQ
Is crotonic acid on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3908 covers crotonic acid.
What is the FEMA number for crotonic acid?
The FEMA number for crotonic acid is 3908 and its CAS registry number is 107-93-7. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is crotonic acid natural or artificial?
Since crotonic acid is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when crotonic acid is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic crotonic acid identical-to-natural.
Is crotonic acid approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for crotonic acid. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 1371), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Has JECFA evaluated crotonic acid?
Yes. JECFA number 1371.
What is crotonic acid used for?
Crotonic acid is described as milky. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and desserts.
Ingredient lookup
Check an ingredient
Start typing to search the ingredient corpus.
Or browse every ingredient page, A to Z.
Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check Crotonic acid in a formula
Screened against FEMA GRAS, 21 CFR and EU rules as you build. Free to start.
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 (E)-2-BUTENOIC ACID under CAS 3724-65-0 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number and its 21 CFR citations. 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.