Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Erythritol
Erythritol is an alcohol in the sweet family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4819 (CAS 149-32-6). Its odor is sweet, clean, mild, neutral.
- FEMA
- 4819
- CAS
- 149-32-6
- Formula
- C4H10O4
- EC
- 205-737-3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS. Source: FEMA Flavor Ingredient Library.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 1,2,3,4-Butanetetrol, (2R,3S)-rel-, 1,2,3,4-Butanetetrol, (R*,S*)-, rel-(2R,3S)-1,2,3,4-Butanetetrol, Erythrol, Phycitol, Mesoerythritol, meso-Erythritol, Erythrit, NIK 242, C*Eridex, NSC 8099, C* Eridex 16954.
Can Erythritol be labeled natural?
The process decides for erythritol. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic erythritol 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.
- 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
Erythritol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4819. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 101.9 and 21 CFR 170.36.
European Union and United Kingdom
No EU FL number is on file for Erythritol. 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)
Erythritol has not been evaluated by JECFA as a flavouring agent, or no evaluation is on file.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Erythritol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 149-32-6, where EPA names it 1,2,3,4-Butanetetrol, (2R,3S)-rel-.
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: Sweet, clean, mild, neutral.
Taste: Sweet, non-caloric, refreshing.
Where it is used
Erythritol is used in beverage, confection, baked goods, dairy and sugar substitutes, typically as a sweet note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Erythritol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tartaric acid (+)-, (-)-, (+/-)-, meso- | 3044 | 83% | In nature |
| D-Xylose | 3606 | 82% | In nature |
| D-Sorbitol | 3029 | 77% | In nature |
| Glycerin | 2525 | 75% | In nature |
| L-Malic Acid | 2655 | 70% | In nature |
More alcohols in this index
1-Amino-2-propanol · 1,3-Propanediol · Glycerin · 1-Hexadecanol · Hexan-3-ol · alpha-Methylbenzyl alcohol
Erythritol FAQ
Does erythritol have FEMA GRAS status?
Erythritol holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 4819. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 101.9 and 21 CFR 170.36.
How do I cite erythritol by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite erythritol as FEMA 4819 or CAS 149-32-6; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is sweet.
What does erythritol smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of erythritol is sweet, clean, mild, neutral. On the palate it is sweet, non-caloric, refreshing. Typical uses are beverage, confection, baked goods, dairy and sugar substitutes.
Can erythritol be labeled a natural flavor?
Nature makes erythritol, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial erythritol, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic erythritol identical-to-natural.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check Erythritol in a formula
Screened against FEMA GRAS, 21 CFR and EU rules as you build. Free to start.
Sources and attribution. The FEMA number and GRAS status on this page name a conclusion reached by the Expert Panel of the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association of the United States. FDA does not list this substance by FEMA number in its Substances Added to Food inventory. Its identity is attested by EPA TSCA Chemical Substance Inventory, matched on CAS 149-32-6.
FEMA publishes its own entry for this substance in the FEMA Flavor Library, which is the authoritative record 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.