Flavor ingredient regulatory record
gamma-Decalactone
gamma-Decalactone is a lactone in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2360 (CAS 706-14-9). Its odor is creamy peach, coconut, sweet fruity.
- FEMA
- 2360
- CAS
- 706-14-9
- JECFA
- 231
- EU FL
- 10.017
- Formula
- C10H18O2
- EC
- 211-892-8
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 706-14-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: γ-decalactone, 4-decanolide, peach lactone, gamma-decanolactone, 5-hexyloxolan-2-one, decan-4-olide, 2(3h)-furanone, 5-hexyldihydro-, 2-decalactone, 5-hexyldihydro-2(3h)-furanone, 4-hexyl-4-butanolide, gamma-n-decalactone, 5-hexyltetrahydro-2-furanone.
Can gamma-Decalactone be labeled natural?
gamma-Decalactone occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: gamma-Decalactone won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized gamma-Decalactone is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic gamma-Decalactone 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
gamma-Decalactone is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2360. 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 10.017, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 231, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. gamma-Decalactone appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 706-14-9, where EPA names it 2(3H)-Furanone, 5-hexyldihydro-.
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: Creamy peach, coconut, sweet fruity.
Taste: Peach, creamy, slightly fatty.
Where it is used
gamma-Decalactone is used in beverage, dairy and peach flavors, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to gamma-Decalactone by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| (+/-) 3-Methyl-gamma-decalactone | 3999 | 96% | In nature |
| gamma-Nonalactone | 2781 | 96% | In nature |
| gamma-Undecalactone | 3091 | 94% | In nature |
| gamma-Dodecalactone | 2400 | 92% | In nature |
| 5-Hydroxy-8-undecenoic acid delta-lactone | 3758 | 84% | In nature |
More lactones in this index
delta-Dodecalactone · epsilon-Decalactone · Hydroxynonanoic acid delta-lactone · 5-Hydroxyundecanoic acid lactone · 4,4-Dibutyl-gamma-butyrolactone · (+/-)-(2,6,6,-Trimethyl-2-hydroxycyclohexylidene)acetic acid gamma-lactone
gamma-Decalactone FAQ
Is gamma-Decalactone on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2360 covers gamma-Decalactone. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for gamma-Decalactone?
The FEMA number for gamma-Decalactone is 2360 and its CAS registry number is 706-14-9. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is gamma-Decalactone natural or artificial?
Since gamma-Decalactone is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when gamma-Decalactone is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic gamma-Decalactone identical-to-natural.
Is gamma-Decalactone approved in the EU?
gamma-Decalactone is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 10.017 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated gamma-Decalactone?
Yes. JECFA number 231, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What is gamma-Decalactone used for?
gamma-Decalactone is described as creamy peach, coconut, sweet fruity. On the palate it is peach, creamy, slightly fatty. It shows up in beverage, dairy and peach flavors.
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 gamma-Decalactone 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 GAMMA-DECALACTONE under CAS 706-14-9 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.