Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Ethyl pyruvate
Ethyl pyruvate is a ketone in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2457 (CAS 617-35-6). Its odor is sweet, fruity, caramel, buttery.
- FEMA
- 2457
- CAS
- 617-35-6
- JECFA
- 938
- EU FL
- 09.442
- Formula
- C5H8O3
- EC
- 210-511-2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 617-35-6.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Propanoic acid, 2-oxo-, ethyl ester, Pyruvic acid, ethyl ester, Ethyl 2-oxopropanoate, Ethyl 2-oxopropionate, Ethyl methylglyoxylate, 2-Oxopropanoic acid ethyl ester, NSC 48386, 2-Oxopropionic acid ethyl ester, Methyl ethoxycarbonyl ketone, ethyl 2-oxopropanoate, ethyl 2-oxopropionate, pyruvic acid, ethyl ester.
Can Ethyl pyruvate be labeled natural?
Nature makes ethyl pyruvate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial ethyl pyruvate, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic ethyl pyruvate 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 pyruvate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2457. 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 09.442, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 938, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Ethyl pyruvate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 617-35-6, where EPA names it Propanoic acid, 2-oxo-, 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, caramel, buttery.
Where it is used
Ethyl pyruvate is used in beverage, confection, dairy and baked goods, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Ethyl pyruvate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,3-Hexanedione | 2558 | 92% | In nature |
| 3,4-Hexanedione | 3168 | 89% | In nature |
| Ethyl acrylate | 2418 | 88% | In nature |
| Propyl acetate | 2925 | 88% | In nature |
| 2,3-Pentadione | 2841 | 76% | In nature |
More ketones in this index
3-Penten-2-one · Epoxy oxophorone · 2-Methylacetophenone · 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-one · (E)-2-(2-Octenyl)cyclopentanone · 3-Methyl-2,4-nonanedione
Ethyl pyruvate FAQ
Is ethyl pyruvate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists ethyl pyruvate as GRAS under FEMA number 2457. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for ethyl pyruvate?
Ethyl pyruvate is FEMA 2457, CAS 617-35-6. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is ethyl pyruvate described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe ethyl pyruvate as sweet, fruity, caramel, buttery. It is used in beverage, confection, dairy and baked goods.
What did JECFA conclude about ethyl pyruvate?
JECFA evaluated ethyl pyruvate at the 57th meeting in 2001 under JECFA number 938. The panel concluded: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Is ethyl pyruvate on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 09.442 is the Union List entry for ethyl pyruvate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does ethyl pyruvate count as natural in the US and the EU?
The process decides for ethyl pyruvate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic ethyl pyruvate is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic ethyl pyruvate identical-to-natural.
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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 PYRUVATE under CAS 617-35-6 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.