Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Geraniol
Geraniol is a terpene alcohol in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2507 (CAS 106-24-1). Its odor is rose, geranium, citrus, sweet floral.
- FEMA
- 2507
- CAS
- 106-24-1
- JECFA
- 1223
- EU FL
- 02.012
- Formula
- C10H18O
- EC
- 203-377-1
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 106-24-1.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (2E)-, 2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (E)-, (2E)-3,7-Dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-ol, Geranyl alcohol, Lemonol, trans-3,7-Dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-ol, trans-Geraniol, β-Geraniol, (E)-Geraniol, (E)-Nerol, (E)-3,7-Dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-ol, NSC 9279.
Can Geraniol be labeled natural?
The process decides for geraniol. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic geraniol is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic geraniol 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
Geraniol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2507. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 182.60.
European Union and United Kingdom
Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 02.012, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1223, evaluated at the 61st meeting in 2003. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list. Listed on the EPA TSCA inventory.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Geraniol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 106-24-1, where EPA names it 2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (2E)-.
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: Rose, geranium, citrus, sweet floral. Detectable at about 0.075 ppm.
Taste: Floral, rose-like, citrus hint. Taste threshold about 0.04 ppm.
Where it is used
Geraniol is used in rose, floral and citrus, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Geraniol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nerol | 2770 | 100% | In nature |
| (-)-3,7-Dimethyl-6-octen-1-ol | 2309 | 95% | In nature |
| Citral | 2303 | 84% | In nature |
| Citronellal | 2307 | 81% | In nature |
| (E,Z)-Geranic acid | 4121 | 80% | In nature |
More terpene alcohols in this index
Nerol · Linalool · alpha-Terpineol · 4-(p-Hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone · l-Menthol
Geraniol FAQ
Is geraniol on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2507 covers geraniol. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 182.60.
What is the FEMA number for geraniol?
The FEMA number for geraniol is 2507 and its CAS registry number is 106-24-1. Its flavor category is floral.
What is geraniol used for?
Geraniol is described as rose, geranium, citrus, sweet floral. On the palate it is floral, rose-like, citrus hint. Its odor threshold is about 0.075 ppm. It shows up in rose, floral and citrus.
What did JECFA conclude about geraniol?
JECFA evaluated geraniol at the 61st meeting in 2003 under JECFA number 1223. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is geraniol approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 02.012 is the Union List entry for geraniol, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is geraniol natural or artificial?
Nature makes geraniol, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial geraniol, same molecule. 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 GERANIOL under CAS 106-24-1 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.