Flavor ingredient regulatory record
gamma-Dodecalactone
gamma-Dodecalactone is a lactone in the dairy family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2400 (CAS 2305-05-7). Its odor is creamy, buttery, peach, sweet, fatty.
- FEMA
- 2400
- CAS
- 2305-05-7
- JECFA
- 235
- EU FL
- 10.019
- Formula
- C12H22O2
- EC
- 218-971-6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 2305-05-7.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2(3H)-Furanone, dihydro-5-octyl-, Dodecanoic acid, 4-hydroxy-, γ-lactone, Dihydro-5-octyl-2(3H)-furanone, γ-Dodecalactone, 4-Dodecanolide, γ-Octyl-γ-butyrolactone, 4-Hydroxydodecanoic acid lactone, γ-Dodecanolactone, 4-Hydroxydodecanoic acid γ-lactone, 5-Octyltetrahydro-2-furanone, (±)-4-n-Octylbutyrolactone, (RS)-γ-Dodecalactone.
Can gamma-Dodecalactone be labeled natural?
gamma-Dodecalactone occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: gamma-Dodecalactone won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized gamma-Dodecalactone 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
gamma-Dodecalactone is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2400. 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 10.019, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 235, 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-Dodecalactone appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 2305-05-7, where EPA names it 2(3H)-Furanone, dihydro-5-octyl-.
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, buttery, peach, sweet, fatty.
Taste: Creamy, buttery, coconut.
Where it is used
gamma-Dodecalactone is used in cream, butter, dairy and peach, typically as a dairy note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to gamma-Dodecalactone by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| gamma-Undecalactone | 3091 | 95% | In nature |
| gamma-Decalactone | 2360 | 92% | In nature |
| delta-Dodecalactone | 2401 | 91% | In nature |
| (+/-) 3-Methyl-gamma-decalactone | 3999 | 90% | In nature |
| Ethyl decanoate | 2432 | 74% | In nature |
More lactones in this index
N-Lactoyl ethanolamine · gamma-Valerolactone · Phthalide · delta-Decalactone · gamma-Undecalactone · gamma-Decalactone
gamma-Dodecalactone FAQ
Is gamma-Dodecalactone FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists gamma-Dodecalactone as GRAS under FEMA number 2400. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for gamma-Dodecalactone?
gamma-Dodecalactone is FEMA 2400, CAS 2305-05-7. FEMA files it in the dairy flavor category.
Does gamma-Dodecalactone count as natural in the US and the EU?
Since gamma-Dodecalactone is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when gamma-Dodecalactone 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 gamma-Dodecalactone on the EU Union List?
gamma-Dodecalactone is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 10.019 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated gamma-Dodecalactone?
Yes. JECFA number 235, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
How is gamma-Dodecalactone described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe gamma-Dodecalactone as creamy, buttery, peach, sweet, fatty. On the palate it is creamy, buttery, coconut. It is used in cream, butter, dairy and peach.
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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 GAMMA-DODECALACTONE under CAS 2305-05-7 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 flavor enhancer, 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.