Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Ethyl 4-pentenoate
Ethyl 4-pentenoate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4360 (CAS 1968-40-7). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, ripe, estery.
- FEMA
- 4360
- CAS
- 1968-40-7
- JECFA
- 1618
- Formula
- C7H12O2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 23. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 1968-40-7.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 4-Pentenoic acid, ethyl ester, 4-Ethoxycarbonylbut-1-ene, ethyl pent-4-enoate, 4-pentenoic acid ethyl ester, 4-pentenoic acid, ethyl ester, 4-ethoxycarbonylbut-1-ene, ethyl pent-4-en-1-oate, ai3-37200, ethyl 4-pentenoate [fhfi], ethyl4-pentenoate, ethylpent-4-enoate, pent-4-enoic acid ethyl ester.
Can Ethyl 4-pentenoate be labeled natural?
Ethyl 4-pentenoate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: ethyl 4-pentenoate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized ethyl 4-pentenoate 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
Ethyl 4-pentenoate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4360. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
No EU FL number is on file for Ethyl 4-pentenoate. 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 1618.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Ethyl 4-pentenoate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 1968-40-7, where EPA names it 4-Pentenoic acid, ethyl ester.
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, fruity, floral, ripe, estery.
Where it is used
Ethyl 4-pentenoate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and jams, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Ethyl 4-pentenoate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethyl 2-methyl-4-pentenoate | 3489 | 92% | In nature |
| (E)-1,5-Octadien-3-one | 4405 | 85% | In nature |
| 1-Octen-3-one | 3515 | 84% | In nature |
| Ethyl acrylate | 2418 | 75% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Methyl N-methylanthranilate · Octyl acetate · Butyl beta-(methylthio)acrylate · 3-(Methylthio)propyl acetate · Allyl cyclohexane butyrate · Propyl 2,4-decadienoate
Ethyl 4-pentenoate FAQ
Does ethyl 4-pentenoate have FEMA GRAS status?
Ethyl 4-pentenoate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 4360. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite ethyl 4-pentenoate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite ethyl 4-pentenoate as FEMA 4360 or CAS 1968-40-7; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Can ethyl 4-pentenoate be labeled a natural flavor?
Since ethyl 4-pentenoate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when ethyl 4-pentenoate is synthesized. 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.
Is ethyl 4-pentenoate approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for ethyl 4-pentenoate. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 1618), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Has JECFA evaluated ethyl 4-pentenoate?
Yes. JECFA number 1618.
What does ethyl 4-pentenoate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of ethyl 4-pentenoate is sweet, fruity, floral, ripe, estery. Typical uses are beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and jams.
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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 4-PENTENOATE under CAS 1968-40-7 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.