Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Ethanol
Ethanol is an alcohol in the alcoholic family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2419 (CAS 64-17-5). Its odor is sweet, pungent, fermented, fruity.
- FEMA
- 2419
- CAS
- 64-17-5
- JECFA
- 41
- EU FL
- 02.078
- Formula
- C2H6O
- EC
- 200-578-6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 64-17-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Ethyl alcohol, Alcohol, Algrain, Anhydrol, Ethyl hydrate, Ethyl hydroxide, Jaysol, Jaysol S, Methylcarbinol, Molasses alcohol, Potato alcohol, Tecsol.
Can Ethanol be labeled natural?
The process decides for ethanol. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic ethanol 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
Ethanol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2419. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 184.1293.
European Union and United Kingdom
Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 02.078, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 41, evaluated at the 46th meeting in 1996. No safety concern at current levels of intake.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Ethanol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 64-17-5, where EPA names it Ethanol.
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: Sweet, pungent, fermented, fruity.
Taste: Bitter, warming, slightly sweet.
Where it is used
Ethanol is used in beverage, fermented products and flavoring agent, typically as a alcoholic note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Ethanol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethylamine | 4236 | 96% | In nature |
| Isopropyl alcohol | 2929 | 92% | In nature |
| Propyl alcohol | 2928 | 86% | In nature |
| Acetaldehyde | 2003 | 82% | In nature |
| Butyl alcohol | 2178 | 81% | In nature |
More alcohols in this index
Propyl alcohol · Amyl alcohol · Butyl alcohol · Isopropyl alcohol · Rhodinol · 2-Hexen-1-ol
Ethanol FAQ
Does ethanol have FEMA GRAS status?
Ethanol holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2419. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 184.1293.
How do I cite ethanol by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite ethanol as FEMA 2419 or CAS 64-17-5; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is alcoholic.
What does ethanol smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of ethanol is sweet, pungent, fermented, fruity. On the palate it is bitter, warming, slightly sweet. Typical uses are beverage, fermented products and flavoring agent.
What did JECFA conclude about ethanol?
JECFA evaluated ethanol at the 46th meeting in 1996 under JECFA number 41. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake.
Can ethanol be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 02.078 is the Union List entry for ethanol, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can ethanol be labeled a natural flavor?
Nature makes ethanol, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial ethanol, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic ethanol identical-to-natural.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check Ethanol in a formula
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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 ETHYL ALCOHOL under CAS 64-17-5 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 antimicrobial agent, emulsifier or emulsifier salt, flavor enhancer, flavoring agent or adjuvant, processing aid, solvent or vehicle.
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.