Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Farnesol
Farnesol is a terpene in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2478 (CAS 4602-84-0). Its odor is floral, sweet, citrus, herbaceous.
- FEMA
- 2478
- CAS
- 4602-84-0
- JECFA
- 1230
- EU FL
- 02.029
- Formula
- C15H26O
- EC
- 225-004-1
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 4602-84-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2,6,10-Dodecatrien-1-ol, 3,7,11-trimethyl-, 3,7,11-Trimethyl-2,6,10-dodecatrien-1-ol, Farnesyl alcohol, FCI 119a, NSC 60597, Nikkosome, 3,7,11-Trimethyl-2,6,10-dodecen-1-ol, CSU 1806, MeSH ID: D005204, 3,7,11-trimethyl-2,6,10-dodecatrien-1-ol, farnesyl alcohol, fci 119a.
Can Farnesol be labeled natural?
Since farnesol is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when farnesol is synthesized. 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.
- 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
Farnesol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2478. 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 02.029, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1230, evaluated at the 61st meeting in 2003. 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. Farnesol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 4602-84-0, where EPA names it 2,6,10-Dodecatrien-1-ol, 3,7,11-trimethyl-.
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: Floral, sweet, citrus, herbaceous.
Where it is used
Farnesol is used in fragrance, beverage, confection and personal care, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Farnesol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol | 4031 | 94% | In nature |
| 3,7,11-Trimethyl-2,6,10-dodecatrienal | 4019 | 89% | In nature |
| 2,6,10-Trimethyl-2,6,10-pentadecatrien-14-one | 3442 | 86% | In nature |
| Nerolidol | 2772 | 83% | In nature |
| (E,Z)-Phytol | 4196 | 82% | In nature |
More terpenes in this index
beta-Ionol · Linalool oxide pyranoid · Tetrahydrolinalool · beta-Bisabolene · (-)-Sclareol · Nerolidol oxide
Farnesol FAQ
Is farnesol FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists farnesol as GRAS under FEMA number 2478. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for farnesol?
Farnesol is FEMA 2478, CAS 4602-84-0. FEMA files it in the floral flavor category.
Does farnesol count as natural in the US and the EU?
Farnesol occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: farnesol won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized farnesol is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic farnesol identical-to-natural.
Is farnesol on the EU Union List?
Farnesol is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 02.029 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated farnesol?
Yes. JECFA number 1230, evaluated at the 61st meeting in 2003. Conclusion: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
How is farnesol described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe farnesol as floral, sweet, citrus, herbaceous. It is used in fragrance, beverage, confection and personal care.
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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 FARNESOL under CAS 4602-84-0 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.