Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Fenchyl alcohol
Fenchyl alcohol is an alcohol in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2480 (CAS 1632-73-1). Its odor is sweet, floral, woody, herbal, balsamic.
- FEMA
- 2480
- CAS
- 1632-73-1
- JECFA
- 1397
- EU FL
- 02.038
- Formula
- C10H18O
- EC
- 208-135-9
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 1632-73-1.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Bicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ol, 1,3,3-trimethyl-, 2-Norbornanol, 1,3,3-trimethyl-, 1,3,3-Trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ol, 2-Fenchanol, Fenchol, 1,3,3-Trimethyl-2-norbornanol, 2,2,4-Trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-3-ol, fenchol, 1,3,3-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ol, 2-fenchanol, 1,3,3-trimethyl-2-norbornanol, bicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ol, 1,3,3-trimethyl-.
Can Fenchyl alcohol be labeled natural?
Fenchyl alcohol occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: fenchyl alcohol won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized fenchyl alcohol is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic fenchyl alcohol 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
Fenchyl alcohol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2480. 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 02.038, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1397, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. 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. Fenchyl alcohol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 1632-73-1, where EPA names it Bicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ol, 1,3,3-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: Sweet, floral, woody, herbal, balsamic.
Taste: Sweet, herbal, slightly bitter.
Where it is used
Fenchyl alcohol is used in beverage, fragrance, confection, cosmetics and food flavoring, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Fenchyl alcohol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| l-fenchone | 4519 | 95% | In nature |
| d-Fenchone | 2479 | 95% | In nature |
| 3-Pinanone | 4198 | 85% | Not determined |
| Borneol | 2157 | 84% | In nature |
| Isoborneol | 2158 | 84% | In nature |
More alcohols in this index
Lauryl alcohol · Hydroxycitronellol · Rhodinol · Anisyl alcohol · alpha-Propylphenethyl alcohol · Phenethyl alcohol
Fenchyl alcohol FAQ
Is fenchyl alcohol on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2480 covers fenchyl alcohol. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for fenchyl alcohol?
The FEMA number for fenchyl alcohol is 2480 and its CAS registry number is 1632-73-1. FEMA files it in the floral flavor category.
Is fenchyl alcohol natural or artificial?
Since fenchyl alcohol is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when fenchyl alcohol is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic fenchyl alcohol identical-to-natural.
Is fenchyl alcohol approved in the EU?
Fenchyl alcohol is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 02.038 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated fenchyl alcohol?
Yes. JECFA number 1397, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What is fenchyl alcohol used for?
Fenchyl alcohol is described as sweet, floral, woody, herbal, balsamic. On the palate it is sweet, herbal, slightly bitter. It shows up in beverage, fragrance, confection, cosmetics and food flavoring.
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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 FENCHYL ALCOHOL under CAS 1632-73-1 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.