Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Furfuryl pentanoate
Furfuryl pentanoate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3397 (CAS 36701-01-6). Its odor is sweet, fruity, tropical, pear, estery.
- FEMA
- 3397
- CAS
- 36701-01-6
- JECFA
- 741
- EU FL
- 13.068
- Formula
- C10H14O3
- EC
- 253-160-0
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 7. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 36701-01-6.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Pentanoic acid, 2-furanylmethyl ester, Furfuryl valerate, Oxaromate 884, furan-2-ylmethyl pentanoate, furfuryl valerate, 2-furfuryl pentanoate, pentanoic acid, 2-furanylmethyl ester, alpha-furfuryl pentanoate, 2-furanylmethyl pentanoate, oxaromate 884, .alpha.-furfuryl pentanoate, .alpha.-furfuryl pentanoate [fhfi].
Can Furfuryl pentanoate be labeled natural?
Nature makes furfuryl pentanoate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial furfuryl pentanoate, same molecule. 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 pentanoate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3397. 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 13.068, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 741, 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 pentanoate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 36701-01-6, where EPA names it Pentanoic 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 pentanoate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and desserts, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Furfuryl pentanoate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Furfuryl octanoate | 3396 | 84% | In nature |
| 2-Pentanoylfuran | 4192 | 84% | In nature |
| Isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate | 2198 | 75% | In nature |
| Isoamyl 3-(2-furan)propionate | 2071 | 74% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Isobutyl cinnamate · 1-p-Menthen-9-yl acetate · 1-Octen-3-yl butyrate · Allyl hexanoate · 1-Isobutoxy-1-ethoxyethane · 6-Hydroxydihydrotheaspirane
Furfuryl pentanoate FAQ
Does furfuryl pentanoate have FEMA GRAS status?
Furfuryl pentanoate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3397. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite furfuryl pentanoate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite furfuryl pentanoate as FEMA 3397 or CAS 36701-01-6; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is fruity.
What does furfuryl pentanoate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of furfuryl pentanoate is sweet, fruity, tropical, pear, estery. Typical uses are beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and desserts.
What did JECFA conclude about furfuryl pentanoate?
JECFA evaluated furfuryl pentanoate at the 55th meeting in 2000 under JECFA number 741.
Can furfuryl pentanoate be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 13.068 is the Union List entry for furfuryl pentanoate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can furfuryl pentanoate be labeled a natural flavor?
The process decides for furfuryl pentanoate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic furfuryl pentanoate is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
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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 ALPHA-FURFURYL PENTANOATE under CAS 36701-01-6 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.