Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Formic acid
Formic acid is an acid in the acidic family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2487 (CAS 64-18-6). Its odor is pungent, sharp, sour, vinegar-like.
- FEMA
- 2487
- CAS
- 64-18-6
- JECFA
- 79
- EU FL
- 08.001
- Formula
- CH2O2
- EC
- 200-579-1
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 64-18-6.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Aminic acid, Formylic acid, Hydrogen carboxylic acid, Methanoic acid, Bilorin, Collo-Bueglatt, Collo-Didax, Formisoton, Myrmicyl, Formira, Add-F, Methanoic acid monomer.
Can Formic acid be labeled natural?
The process decides for formic acid. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic formic acid 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
Formic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2487. 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 08.001, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 79, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. ADI 0 to 3 mg/kg body weight.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Formic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 64-18-6, where EPA names it Formic acid.
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: Pungent, sharp, sour, vinegar-like.
Where it is used
Formic acid is used in food preservation, beverage, sour candies and pickling, typically as a acidic note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Formic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acetaldehyde | 2003 | 83% | In nature |
| Ethanol | 2419 | 76% | In nature |
| Ethylamine | 4236 | 71% | In nature |
| Methyl mercaptan | 2716 | 70% | In nature |
| Acetic acid | 2006 | 67% | In nature |
More acids in this index
Tartaric acid (+)-, (-)-, (+/-)-, meso- · Propionic acid · Pyruvic acid · Acetic acid · Fumaric acid · Lactic acid
Formic acid FAQ
Is formic acid FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists formic acid as GRAS under FEMA number 2487. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for formic acid?
Formic acid is FEMA 2487, CAS 64-18-6. Its flavor category is acidic.
How is formic acid described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe formic acid as pungent, sharp, sour, vinegar-like. It is used in food preservation, beverage, sour candies and pickling.
What did JECFA conclude about formic acid?
JECFA evaluated formic acid at the 49th meeting in 1997 under JECFA number 79.
Is formic acid on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 08.001 is the Union List entry for formic acid, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does formic acid count as natural in the US and the EU?
Nature makes formic acid, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial formic acid, same molecule. 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.
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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 FORMIC ACID under CAS 64-18-6 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 flavor enhancer, flavoring agent or adjuvant, formulation aid.
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.