Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Ethyl Hexanoate
Ethyl Hexanoate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2439 (CAS 123-66-0). Its odor is fruity, pineapple, banana, wine, apple.
- FEMA
- 2439
- CAS
- 123-66-0
- JECFA
- 31
- EU FL
- 09.060
- Formula
- C8H16O2
- EC
- 204-640-3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 123-66-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Hexanoic acid, ethyl ester, Ethyl caproate, Caproic acid ethyl ester, Ethyl capronate, NSC 8882, ethyl caproate, hexanoic acid, ethyl ester, hexanoic acid ethyl ester, ethyl hexoate, ethyl hexanoate (caproate), capronic ether absolute, ethyl n-hexanoate.
Can Ethyl Hexanoate be labeled natural?
The process decides for Ethyl Hexanoate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic Ethyl Hexanoate is artificial. 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 Hexanoate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2439. 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 09.060, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 31, 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. Listed on the EPA TSCA inventory.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Ethyl Hexanoate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 123-66-0, where EPA names it Hexanoic 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, pineapple, banana, wine, apple.
Taste: Pineapple, apple, wine-like, fruity.
Where it is used
Ethyl Hexanoate is used in pineapple, apple, wine and fruit flavors, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Ethyl Hexanoate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Propyl hexanoate | 2949 | 95% | In nature |
| Hexyl acetate | 2565 | 95% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Isoamyl propionate · Propyl acetate · Octyl octanoate · Heptyl octanoate · Isoamyl cinnamate · Butyl butyryllactate
Ethyl Hexanoate FAQ
Is Ethyl Hexanoate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists Ethyl Hexanoate as GRAS under FEMA number 2439. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for Ethyl Hexanoate?
Ethyl Hexanoate is FEMA 2439, CAS 123-66-0. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is Ethyl Hexanoate described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe Ethyl Hexanoate as fruity, pineapple, banana, wine, apple. On the palate it is pineapple, apple, wine-like, fruity. It is used in pineapple, apple, wine and fruit flavors.
What did JECFA conclude about Ethyl Hexanoate?
JECFA evaluated Ethyl Hexanoate at the 46th meeting in 1996 under JECFA number 31. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is Ethyl Hexanoate on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 09.060 is the Union List entry for Ethyl Hexanoate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does Ethyl Hexanoate count as natural in the US and the EU?
Nature makes Ethyl Hexanoate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial Ethyl Hexanoate, same molecule. 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.
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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 HEXANOATE under CAS 123-66-0 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.