Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Ethyl undecanoate
Ethyl undecanoate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3492 (CAS 627-90-7). Its odor is sweet, fruity, waxy, floral, tropical.
- FEMA
- 3492
- CAS
- 627-90-7
- JECFA
- 36
- EU FL
- 09.274
- Formula
- C13H26O2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 10. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 627-90-7.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Undecanoic acid, ethyl ester, Hendecanoic acid, ethyl ester, Ethyl undecylate, NSC 97265, undecanoic acid, ethyl ester, undecanoic acid ethyl ester, ethyl undecylate, ethyl hendecanoate, ethyl n-undecanoate, n-undecanoic acid ethyl ester, ai3-04250, ethyl undecanoate [fhfi].
Can Ethyl undecanoate be labeled natural?
Ethyl undecanoate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: ethyl undecanoate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized ethyl undecanoate 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 undecanoate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3492. 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 09.274, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 36, 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 undecanoate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 627-90-7, where EPA names it Undecanoic 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, waxy, floral, tropical.
Where it is used
Ethyl undecanoate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, ice cream and bakery, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Ethyl undecanoate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decyl propionate | 2369 | 98% | In nature |
| Ethyl decanoate | 2432 | 98% | In nature |
| Lauryl acetate | 2616 | 97% | In nature |
| n-Amyl octanoate | 2079 | 97% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Phenyl salicylate · Isoamyl octanoate · Isobutyl N-methylanthranilate · Ethyl 2-methyl-4-pentenoate · 3-Mercapto-3-methylbutyl formate · Isoamyl laurate
Ethyl undecanoate FAQ
Is ethyl undecanoate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists ethyl undecanoate as GRAS under FEMA number 3492. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for ethyl undecanoate?
Ethyl undecanoate is FEMA 3492, CAS 627-90-7. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Does ethyl undecanoate count as natural in the US and the EU?
Since ethyl undecanoate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when ethyl undecanoate is synthesized. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Is ethyl undecanoate on the EU Union List?
Ethyl undecanoate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.274 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated ethyl undecanoate?
Yes. JECFA number 36, evaluated at the 46th meeting in 1996. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
How is ethyl undecanoate described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe ethyl undecanoate as sweet, fruity, waxy, floral, tropical. It is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, ice cream and bakery.
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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 UNDECANOATE under CAS 627-90-7 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 flavor enhancer, 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.