Flavor ingredient regulatory record
(E,Z)-Geranic acid
(E,Z)-Geranic acid is an acid in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4121 (CAS 459-80-3). Its odor is floral, citrus, sweet, herbaceous.
- FEMA
- 4121
- CAS
- 459-80-3
- JECFA
- 1825
- EU FL
- 08.081
- Formula
- C10H16O2
- EC
- 207-299-9
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 22. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 459-80-3.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2,6-Octadienoic acid, 3,7-dimethyl-, Geranic acid, 3,7-Dimethyl-2,6-octadienoic acid, NSC 229335, geranic acid, (2e)-3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dienoic acid, trans-geranic acid, (e)-3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dienoic acid, 2,6-octadienoic acid, 3,7-dimethyl-, 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienoic acid, (e)-geranic acid, geranoic acid.
Can (E,Z)-Geranic acid be labeled natural?
Nature makes (E,Z)-Geranic acid, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial (E,Z)-Geranic acid, 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.
- 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
(E,Z)-Geranic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4121. 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 08.081, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1825, 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. (E,Z)-Geranic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 459-80-3, where EPA names it 2,6-Octadienoic acid, 3,7-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 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: Floral, citrus, sweet, herbaceous.
Where it is used
(E,Z)-Geranic acid is used in beverage, confection, flavoring, perfume and aromatherapy, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to (E,Z)-Geranic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3,7-Dimethyl-6-octenoic acid | 3142 | 95% | In nature |
| Nerol | 2770 | 86% | In nature |
| Geraniol | 2507 | 86% | In nature |
| Citral | 2303 | 84% | In nature |
| (E) & (Z)-4,8-Dimethyl-3,7-nonadien-2-one | 3969 | 76% | In nature |
More acids in this index
Phenoxyacetic acid · 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxy benzoic acid · 2-Methylbutyric acid · Decanoic acid · 4-Methoxybenzoic acid · Valeric acid
(E,Z)-Geranic acid FAQ
Is (E,Z)-Geranic acid on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 4121 covers (E,Z)-Geranic acid. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for (E,Z)-Geranic acid?
The FEMA number for (E,Z)-Geranic acid is 4121 and its CAS registry number is 459-80-3. Its flavor category is floral.
What is (E,Z)-Geranic acid used for?
(E,Z)-Geranic acid is described as floral, citrus, sweet, herbaceous. It shows up in beverage, confection, flavoring, perfume and aromatherapy.
What did JECFA conclude about (E,Z)-Geranic acid?
JECFA evaluated (E,Z)-Geranic acid at the 69th meeting in 2008 under JECFA number 1825. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is (E,Z)-Geranic acid approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 08.081 is the Union List entry for (E,Z)-Geranic acid, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is (E,Z)-Geranic acid natural or artificial?
The process decides for (E,Z)-Geranic acid. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic (E,Z)-Geranic acid 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.
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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 GERANIC ACID under CAS 459-80-3 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.