Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Ethyl 3-oxohexanoate
Ethyl 3-oxohexanoate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3683 (CAS 3249-68-1). Its odor is sweet, fruity, tropical, estery, apple.
- FEMA
- 3683
- CAS
- 3249-68-1
- JECFA
- 602
- EU FL
- 09.542
- Formula
- C8H14O3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 13. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 3249-68-1.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Hexanoic acid, 3-oxo-, ethyl ester, Caproic acid, β-oxo-, ethyl ester, Ethyl α-butyrylacetate, Ethyl butyrylacetate, Ethyl butyroacetate, 3-Oxohexanoic acid ethyl ester, Ethyl butyroylacetate, Ethyl 3-ketohexanoate, NSC 42868, Ethyl 3-propyl-3-oxopropanoate, Butyrylacetic acid ethyl ester, ethyl butyrylacetate.
Can Ethyl 3-oxohexanoate be labeled natural?
The process decides for ethyl 3-oxohexanoate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic ethyl 3-oxohexanoate is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic ethyl 3-oxohexanoate 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
Ethyl 3-oxohexanoate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3683. 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 09.542, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 602, evaluated at the 53rd meeting in 1999. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
Odor and taste
Odor: Sweet, fruity, tropical, estery, apple.
Where it is used
Ethyl 3-oxohexanoate 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 Ethyl 3-oxohexanoate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isoamyl acetoacetate | 3551 | 71% | In nature |
| Methyl 3-hydroxyhexanoate | 3508 | 70% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Ethyl 3-(methylthio)-trans-2-propenoate · Hexyl acetate · Glucose pentaacetate · trans-2-Octen-1-yl butanoate · Cinnamyl butyrate · Dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl 2-ethylbutanoate
Ethyl 3-oxohexanoate FAQ
Is ethyl 3-oxohexanoate on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3683 covers ethyl 3-oxohexanoate. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for ethyl 3-oxohexanoate?
The FEMA number for ethyl 3-oxohexanoate is 3683 and its CAS registry number is 3249-68-1. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is ethyl 3-oxohexanoate used for?
Ethyl 3-oxohexanoate is described as sweet, fruity, tropical, estery, apple. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and desserts.
What did JECFA conclude about ethyl 3-oxohexanoate?
JECFA evaluated ethyl 3-oxohexanoate at the 53rd meeting in 1999 under JECFA number 602. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is ethyl 3-oxohexanoate approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 09.542 is the Union List entry for ethyl 3-oxohexanoate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is ethyl 3-oxohexanoate natural or artificial?
Nature makes ethyl 3-oxohexanoate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial ethyl 3-oxohexanoate, same molecule. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
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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 3-OXOHEXANOATE under CAS 3249-68-1 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.