Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Hept-2-enoic acid
Hept-2-enoic acid is an acid in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3920 (CAS 18999-28-5). Its odor is fruity, sour, green apple, tangy.
- FEMA
- 3920
- CAS
- 18999-28-5
- JECFA
- 1373
- EU FL
- 08.083
- Formula
- C7H12O2
- EC
- 242-738-8
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 19. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 18999-28-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Heptenoic acid, 3-Butylacrylic acid, 2-heptenoic acid, (e)-hept-2-enoic acid, trans-2-heptenoic acid, (e)-2-heptenoic acid, 2-heptenoic acid, (2e)-, (2e)-hept-2-enoic acid, 2-heptenoic acid, trans-, 3-(n-butyl)acrylic acid, hept-2-ensaeure, hept-2t-ensaeure.
Can Hept-2-enoic acid be labeled natural?
Hept-2-enoic acid occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: hept-2-enoic acid won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized hept-2-enoic acid is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic hept-2-enoic acid 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
Hept-2-enoic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3920. 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 08.083, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1373.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
Odor and taste
Odor: Fruity, sour, green apple, tangy.
Where it is used
Hept-2-enoic acid is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors and savory dishes, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Hept-2-enoic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heptanoic acid | 3348 | 94% | In nature |
| (E)-2-Octenoic acid | 3957 | 93% | In nature |
| 3-Octenoic acid | 4362 | 91% | In nature |
| cis-5-Octenoic acid | 4350 | 81% | In nature |
| trans-4-Octenoic acid | 4357 | 81% | In nature |
More acids in this index
2-Oxo-3-phenylpropionic acid sodium salt · 3-Methoxybenzoic acid · 2-Oxopentanedioic acid · 3-Methylpentanoic acid · Decanedioic acid · 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid
Hept-2-enoic acid FAQ
Is hept-2-enoic acid on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3920 covers hept-2-enoic acid. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for hept-2-enoic acid?
The FEMA number for hept-2-enoic acid is 3920 and its CAS registry number is 18999-28-5. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is hept-2-enoic acid natural or artificial?
Since hept-2-enoic acid is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when hept-2-enoic acid is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic hept-2-enoic acid identical-to-natural.
Is hept-2-enoic acid approved in the EU?
Hept-2-enoic acid is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 08.083 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated hept-2-enoic acid?
Yes. JECFA number 1373.
What is hept-2-enoic acid used for?
Hept-2-enoic acid is described as fruity, sour, green apple, tangy. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors and savory dishes.
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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 (E)-2-HEPTENOIC ACID under CAS 18999-28-5 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.