Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Heptanal
Heptanal is an aldehyde in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2540 (CAS 111-71-7). Its odor is fatty, green, fruity, apple, nutty.
- FEMA
- 2540
- CAS
- 111-71-7
- JECFA
- 95
- EU FL
- 05.031
- Formula
- C7H14O
- EC
- 203-898-4
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 111-71-7.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Enanthal, Enanthaldehyde, Enanthole, Heptaldehyde, Heptyl aldehyde, Oenanthal, Oenanthaldehyde, Oenanthic aldehyde, Oenanthol, Enanthic aldehyde, n-Heptylaldehyde, n-Heptanal.
Can Heptanal be labeled natural?
Heptanal occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: heptanal won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized heptanal is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic heptanal 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
Heptanal is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2540. 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 05.031, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
Purity. At least 92%; secondary component 4-7% 2-methylhexanal
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 95, evaluated at the 59th meeting in 2002. 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. Heptanal appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 111-71-7, where EPA names it Heptanal.
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: Fatty, green, fruity, apple, nutty.
Taste: Fatty, fruity, slightly sweet.
Where it is used
Heptanal is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, savory dishes and snacks, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Heptanal by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| cis-4-Heptenal | 3289 | 96% | In nature |
| Hept-2(trans)-enal | 3165 | 95% | In nature |
| 6-Methylheptanal | 4498 | 95% | In nature |
| Octanal | 2797 | 91% | In nature |
| 6-Methyloctanal | 4433 | 91% | Not determined |
More aldehydes in this index
trans-4-Hexenal · Heptanal propyleneglycol acetal · 4,7-Decadienal · Perillaldehyde propyleneglycol acetal · Benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal · 9-Decenal
Heptanal FAQ
Is heptanal on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2540 covers heptanal. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for heptanal?
The FEMA number for heptanal is 2540 and its CAS registry number is 111-71-7. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is heptanal natural or artificial?
Since heptanal is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when heptanal is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic heptanal identical-to-natural.
Is heptanal approved in the EU?
Heptanal is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 05.031 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated heptanal?
Yes. JECFA number 95, evaluated at the 59th meeting in 2002. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What is heptanal used for?
Heptanal is described as fatty, green, fruity, apple, nutty. On the palate it is fatty, fruity, slightly sweet. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, savory dishes and snacks.
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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 HEPTANAL under CAS 111-71-7 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 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.