Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Ethyl formate
Ethyl formate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2434 (CAS 109-94-4). Its odor is sweet, fruity, rum, apple, estery.
- FEMA
- 2434
- CAS
- 109-94-4
- JECFA
- 26
- EU FL
- 09.072
- Formula
- C3H6O2
- EC
- 203-721-0
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 109-94-4.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Formic acid, ethyl ester, Areginal, Methanoic acid ethyl ester, Ethyl methanoate, NSC 406578, NSC 8828, areginal, formic acid, ethyl ester, ethyl methanoate, ethyl formic ester, aethylformiat, formic ether.
Can Ethyl formate be labeled natural?
Since ethyl formate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when ethyl formate is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic ethyl formate 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 formate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2434. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 184.1295.
European Union and United Kingdom
Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.072, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 26, evaluated at the 46th meeting in 1996. ADI 0 to 3 mg/kg body weight.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Ethyl formate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 109-94-4, where EPA names it Formic 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, rum, apple, estery.
Where it is used
Ethyl formate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors and baked goods, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Ethyl formate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butyraldehyde | 2219 | 92% | In nature |
| Ethyl Acetate | 2414 | 81% | In nature |
| 2-Butanone | 2170 | 76% | In nature |
| Butyric acid | 2221 | 75% | In nature |
| 1-Penten-3-ol | 3584 | 74% | In nature |
More esters in this index
2,4-Hexadienyl propionate · Tributyl acetylcitrate · Benzyl acetoacetate · cis-Hexenyl tiglate · Butyl isobutyrate · Methyl nicotinate
Ethyl formate FAQ
Does ethyl formate have FEMA GRAS status?
Ethyl formate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2434. It is also codified at 21 CFR 184.1295.
How do I cite ethyl formate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite ethyl formate as FEMA 2434 or CAS 109-94-4; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Can ethyl formate be labeled a natural flavor?
Ethyl formate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: ethyl formate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized ethyl formate is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Can ethyl formate be used in the EU and UK?
Ethyl formate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.072 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated ethyl formate?
Yes. JECFA number 26, evaluated at the 46th meeting in 1996.
What does ethyl formate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of ethyl formate is sweet, fruity, rum, apple, estery. Typical uses are beverage, confection, fruit flavors and baked goods.
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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 FORMATE under CAS 109-94-4 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.