Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Furfuryl methyl ether
Furfuryl methyl ether is a furan in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3159 (CAS 13679-46-4). Its odor is sweet, nutty, caramel, toasted.
- FEMA
- 3159
- CAS
- 13679-46-4
- JECFA
- 1520
- Formula
- C6H8O2
- EC
- 237-176-5
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 4. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 13679-46-4.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Furan, 2-(methoxymethyl)-, 2-(Methoxymethyl)furan, 2-Furfuryl methyl ether, NSC 35554, Methyl furfuryl ether, 2-Furylmethyl methyl ether, 2-(methoxymethyl)furan, furan, 2-(methoxymethyl)-, 2-furfuryl methyl ether, methyl furfuryl ether, ai3-23506, furfuryl methyl ether [fhfi].
Can Furfuryl methyl ether be labeled natural?
The process decides for furfuryl methyl ether. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic furfuryl methyl ether 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
Furfuryl methyl ether is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3159. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
Furfuryl methyl ether was on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 13.052 when Regulation (EU) 872/2012 adopted the list, and the entry has since been withdrawn. It does not appear in the current consolidated text of Regulation (EC) 1334/2008. Check the amending regulations for the conditions that applied to existing stock, and treat EU or UK use as closed unless another route covers it.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1520, 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. Furfuryl methyl ether appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 13679-46-4, where EPA names it Furan, 2-(methoxymethyl)-.
Inactive in US commerce
EPA designates this substance inactive, so a Notice of Activity Form B is required before anyone manufactures or processes it again. Being FEMA GRAS does not change that. 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, toasted.
Taste: Sweet, roasted, slightly nutty.
Where it is used
Furfuryl methyl ether is used in beverage, confection, bakery and snacks, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Furfuryl methyl ether by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Furfuryl methyl sulfide | 3160 | 85% | In nature |
| Methoxypyrazine | 3302 | 84% | In nature |
| Ethyl furfuryl ether | 4114 | 79% | In nature |
| Furfuryl formate | 4542 | 78% | In nature |
| Anisole | 2097 | 69% | In nature |
More furans in this index
2-Acetyl-5-methylfuran · 2,2'-(Dithiodimethylene)difuran · 2-Ethyl-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone · 2-Methyl-5-(methylthio)furan · 2,5-Dimethylfuran-3(2H)-one · 2-Phenyl-3-carbethoxyfuran
Furfuryl methyl ether FAQ
Is furfuryl methyl ether FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists furfuryl methyl ether as GRAS under FEMA number 3159. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for furfuryl methyl ether?
Furfuryl methyl ether is FEMA 3159, CAS 13679-46-4. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is furfuryl methyl ether described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe furfuryl methyl ether as sweet, nutty, caramel, toasted. On the palate it is sweet, roasted, slightly nutty. It is used in beverage, confection, bakery and snacks.
What did JECFA conclude about furfuryl methyl ether?
JECFA evaluated furfuryl methyl ether at the 61st meeting in 2003 under JECFA number 1520. The panel concluded: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Is furfuryl methyl ether approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for furfuryl methyl ether. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 1520), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Does furfuryl methyl ether count as natural in the US and the EU?
Nature makes furfuryl methyl ether, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial furfuryl methyl ether, 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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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 FURFURYL METHYL ETHER under CAS 13679-46-4 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number. 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.