Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Furfuryl octanoate
Furfuryl octanoate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3396 (CAS 39252-03-4). Its odor is sweet, fruity, tropical, pear, estery.
- FEMA
- 3396
- CAS
- 39252-03-4
- JECFA
- 742
- EU FL
- 13.067
- Formula
- C13H20O3
- EC
- 254-381-5
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 7. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 39252-03-4.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Octanoic acid, 2-furanylmethyl ester, Octanoic acid, furfuryl ester, furan-2-ylmethyl octanoate, furfuryl caprylate, alpha-furfuryl octanoate, 2-furfuryl octanoate, octanoic acid, 2-furanylmethyl ester, octanoic acid, furfuryl ester, 2-furanylmethyl octanoate, .alpha.-furfuryl octanoate, .alpha.-furfuryl octanoate [fhfi], 2-furylmethyl octanoate.
Can Furfuryl octanoate be labeled natural?
Furfuryl octanoate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: furfuryl octanoate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized furfuryl octanoate 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 octanoate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3396. 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 13.067, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 742, 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.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Furfuryl octanoate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 39252-03-4, where EPA names it Octanoic acid, 2-furanylmethyl ester.
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, fruity, tropical, pear, estery.
Where it is used
Furfuryl octanoate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, desserts and ice cream, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Furfuryl octanoate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Furfuryl pentanoate | 3397 | 84% | In nature |
| Isoamyl 3-(2-furan)propionate | 2071 | 84% | In nature |
| Heptanal propyleneglycol acetal | 4368 | 77% | Not determined |
| Phenethyl octanoate | 3222 | 76% | In nature |
| Isoamyl 4-(2-furan)butyrate | 2070 | 76% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Rum ether · Diethyl succinate · Hexyl acetate · Butyl beta-(methylthio)acrylate · Rhodinyl isovalerate · Dodecyl butyrate
Furfuryl octanoate FAQ
Is furfuryl octanoate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists furfuryl octanoate as GRAS under FEMA number 3396. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for furfuryl octanoate?
Furfuryl octanoate is FEMA 3396, CAS 39252-03-4. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Does furfuryl octanoate count as natural in the US and the EU?
Since furfuryl octanoate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when furfuryl octanoate is synthesized. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Is furfuryl octanoate on the EU Union List?
Furfuryl octanoate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 13.067 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated furfuryl octanoate?
Yes. JECFA number 742, evaluated at the 55th meeting in 2000.
How is furfuryl octanoate described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe furfuryl octanoate as sweet, fruity, tropical, pear, estery. It is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, desserts and ice cream.
Ingredient lookup
Check an ingredient
Start typing to search the ingredient corpus.
Or browse every ingredient page, A to Z.
Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check Furfuryl octanoate in a formula
Screened against FEMA GRAS, 21 CFR and EU rules as you build. Free to start.
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 ALPHA-FURFURYL OCTANOATE under CAS 39252-03-4 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.