Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Ethyl Caprylate
Ethyl Caprylate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2449 (CAS 106-32-1). Its odor is fruity, wine, apricot, brandy, floral.
- FEMA
- 2449
- CAS
- 106-32-1
- JECFA
- 33
- EU FL
- 09.111
- Formula
- C10H20O2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 106-32-1.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Octanoic acid, ethyl ester, Ethyl caprylate, Ethyl n-octanoate, Caprylic acid ethyl ester, Et caprylate, NSC 8898, ethyl n-octanoate, octanoic acid, ethyl ester, caprylic acid ethyl ester, ethyl octoate, octanoic acid ethyl ester, ethyl octylate.
Can Ethyl Caprylate be labeled natural?
Nature makes Ethyl Caprylate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial Ethyl Caprylate, same molecule. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material 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 Caprylate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2449. 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 09.111, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 33, evaluated at the 46th meeting in 1996. 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. Ethyl Caprylate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 106-32-1, where EPA names it Octanoic 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: Fruity, wine, apricot, brandy, floral.
Taste: Fruity, wine-like, slightly waxy, apricot.
Where it is used
Ethyl Caprylate is used in apricot, wine, brandy and fruit flavors, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Ethyl Caprylate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Octyl acetate | 2806 | 97% | In nature |
| Propyl heptanoate | 2948 | 96% | In nature |
| Ethyl decanoate | 2432 | 90% | In nature |
| Methyl octanoate | 2728 | 88% | In nature |
More esters in this index
trans-3-Hexenyl formate · Butyl phenylacetate · Propyl phenylacetate · Octyl acetate · Glucose pentaacetate · Hexyl acetate
Ethyl Caprylate FAQ
Does Ethyl Caprylate have FEMA GRAS status?
Ethyl Caprylate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2449. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite Ethyl Caprylate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite Ethyl Caprylate as FEMA 2449 or CAS 106-32-1; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is fruity.
What does Ethyl Caprylate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of Ethyl Caprylate is fruity, wine, apricot, brandy, floral. On the palate it is fruity, wine-like, slightly waxy, apricot. Typical uses are apricot, wine, brandy and fruit flavors.
What did JECFA conclude about Ethyl Caprylate?
JECFA evaluated Ethyl Caprylate at the 46th meeting in 1996 under JECFA number 33. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Can Ethyl Caprylate be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 09.111 is the Union List entry for Ethyl Caprylate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can Ethyl Caprylate be labeled a natural flavor?
The process decides for Ethyl Caprylate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic Ethyl Caprylate is artificial. 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 OCTANOATE under CAS 106-32-1 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 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.