Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Geranyl acetate
Geranyl acetate is an ester in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2509 (CAS 105-87-3). Its odor is rose, lavender, floral, fruity.
- FEMA
- 2509
- CAS
- 105-87-3
- JECFA
- 58
- EU FL
- 09.011
- Formula
- C12H20O2
- EC
- 203-341-5
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 105-87-3.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, 1-acetate, (2E)-, Geraniol acetate, 2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, acetate, (E)-, 2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, acetate, (2E)-, Acetic acid geraniol ester, trans-3,7-Dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-yl acetate, Bay pine (oyster) oil, Geranyl ethanoate, trans-Geranyl acetate, β-Geranyl acetate, trans-1-Acetoxy-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadiene, (E)-3,7-Dimethyl-2,6-octadienyl acetate.
Can Geranyl acetate be labeled natural?
Nature makes geranyl acetate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial geranyl acetate, 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
Geranyl acetate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2509. 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 09.011, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
Purity. At least 90%; secondary components 4-6% geraniol and 1-2% nerol
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 58, evaluated at the 23rd meeting in 1979. 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. Geranyl acetate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 105-87-3, where EPA names it 2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, 1-acetate, (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, lavender, floral, fruity.
Taste: Floral, rose, slightly fruity.
Where it is used
Geranyl acetate is used in rose, lavender and floral, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Geranyl acetate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pseudoionone | 4299 | 88% | In nature |
| Geranyl formate | 2514 | 75% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Benzyl salicylate · (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate · Benzyl acetate · Phenethyl salicylate · Phenethyl acetate · Linalyl anthranilate
Geranyl acetate FAQ
Does geranyl acetate have FEMA GRAS status?
Geranyl acetate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2509. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 182.60.
How do I cite geranyl acetate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite geranyl acetate as FEMA 2509 or CAS 105-87-3; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is floral.
What does geranyl acetate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of geranyl acetate is rose, lavender, floral, fruity. On the palate it is floral, rose, slightly fruity. Typical uses are rose, lavender and floral.
What did JECFA conclude about geranyl acetate?
JECFA evaluated geranyl acetate at the 23rd meeting in 1979 under JECFA number 58.
Can geranyl acetate be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 09.011 is the Union List entry for geranyl acetate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can geranyl acetate be labeled a natural flavor?
The process decides for geranyl acetate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic geranyl acetate 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 GERANYL ACETATE under CAS 105-87-3 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.