Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Furfural
Furfural is a furan in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2489 (CAS 98-01-1). Its odor is sweet, nutty, caramel, toasty.
- FEMA
- 2489
- CAS
- 98-01-1
- JECFA
- 450
- EU FL
- 13.018
- Formula
- C5H4O2
- EC
- 202-627-7
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 98-01-1.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Furancarboxaldehyde, 2-Furaldehyde, Artificial ant oil, Fural, 2-Furanaldehyde, 2-Furancarbonal, Furfuraldehyde, Furfurol, Furfurole, Furole, Pyromucic aldehyde, α-Furole.
Can Furfural be labeled natural?
Nature makes furfural, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial furfural, 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.
- 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
Furfural is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2489. 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 13.018, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 450, evaluated at the 55th meeting in 2000. ADI 0 to 0.5 mg/kg body weight.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list. Listed on the EPA TSCA inventory.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Furfural appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 98-01-1, where EPA names it 2-Furancarboxaldehyde.
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, nutty, caramel, toasty. Detectable at about 3 ppm.
Where it is used
Furfural is used in beverage, baked goods, confection and flavoring agents, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Furfural by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Methyl-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde | 4332 | 83% | In nature |
| 5-Methylfurfural | 2702 | 77% | In nature |
| Furfuryl alcohol | 2491 | 75% | In nature |
| 2-Methylfuran | 4179 | 73% | In nature |
| 5-Methyl-3(2H)-furanone | 4176 | 72% | In nature |
More furans in this index
2-Heptylfuran · 3-Methyl-2-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)-furan · 4-Hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone · 2-Methyl-3-(methylthio)furan · 2,5-Diethyltetrahydrofuran · Furfural propyleneglycol acetal
Furfural FAQ
Is furfural on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2489 covers furfural. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for furfural?
The FEMA number for furfural is 2489 and its CAS registry number is 98-01-1. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is furfural used for?
Furfural is described as sweet, nutty, caramel, toasty. Its odor threshold is about 3 ppm. It shows up in beverage, baked goods, confection and flavoring agents.
What did JECFA conclude about furfural?
JECFA evaluated furfural at the 55th meeting in 2000 under JECFA number 450.
Is furfural approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 13.018 is the Union List entry for furfural, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is furfural natural or artificial?
The process decides for furfural. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic furfural is artificial. 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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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 FURFURAL under CAS 98-01-1 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 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.