Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Ethyl maltol isobutyrate
Ethyl maltol isobutyrate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4534 (CAS 852997-28-5). Its odor is sweet, fruity, caramel, candy, estery.
- FEMA
- 4534
- CAS
- 852997-28-5
- JECFA
- 2252
- Formula
- C11H14O4
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 24. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 852997-28-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: propanoic acid, 2-methyl-, 2-ethyl-4-oxo-4h-pyran-3-yl ester, ethyl maltol isobutyrate 2-ethyl-3-((3-methylbut-1-en-2-yl)oxy)-4h-pyran-4-one, ethyl maltol isobutyrate 2-ethyl-3-((3-methylbut-1-en- 2-yl)oxy)-4h-pyran-4-one, (2-ethyl-4-oxopyran-3-yl) 2-methylpropanoate, 2-ethyl-4-oxo-4h-pyran-3-yl 2-methylpropanoate, ethyl maltol isobutyrate;fema no. 4534.
Can Ethyl maltol isobutyrate be labeled natural?
Nature occurrence: Not yet found in nature (provisional).
Nature occurrence has not been settled for this substance, so the natural or artificial class is not stated here. The FEMA GRAS status does not depend on it.
Regulatory status, with citations
United States
Ethyl maltol isobutyrate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4534. 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 maltol isobutyrate. 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 2252.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list. Listed on the EPA TSCA inventory.
Odor and taste
Odor: Sweet, fruity, caramel, candy, estery.
Where it is used
Ethyl maltol isobutyrate 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 maltol isobutyrate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maltyl isobutyrate | 3462 | 92% | Not determined |
| Guaiacol isobutyrate | 4608 | 85% | Not determined |
| 2-Methyl-3-(1-oxopropoxy)-4H-pyran-4-one | 3941 | 81% | In nature |
| Guaiacol propionate | 4609 | 77% | In nature |
| Vanillin isobutyrate | 3754 | 75% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Phenyl butyrate · Benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal · Phenethyl isovalerate · Isoamyl salicylate · Allyl heptanoate · Sodium 2-(4-methoxyphenoxy)propanoate
Ethyl maltol isobutyrate FAQ
Does ethyl maltol isobutyrate have FEMA GRAS status?
Ethyl maltol isobutyrate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 4534. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite ethyl maltol isobutyrate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite ethyl maltol isobutyrate as FEMA 4534 or CAS 852997-28-5; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is ethyl maltol isobutyrate approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for ethyl maltol isobutyrate. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 2252), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Has JECFA evaluated ethyl maltol isobutyrate?
Yes. JECFA number 2252.
What does ethyl maltol isobutyrate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of ethyl maltol isobutyrate is sweet, fruity, caramel, candy, estery. Typical uses are beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and desserts.
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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 MALTOL ISOBUTYRATE under CAS 852997-28-5 and carries its FEMA 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.