Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Heptyl heptanoate
Heptyl heptanoate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4341 (CAS 624-09-9). Its odor is sweet, fruity, tropical, pear, apple.
- FEMA
- 4341
- CAS
- 624-09-9
- JECFA
- 1875
- Formula
- C14H28O2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 23. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 624-09-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Heptanoic acid, heptyl ester, Heptyl heptoate, 1-Heptyl heptanoate, heptanoic acid, heptyl ester, heptyl heptoate, 1-heptyl heptanoate, ai3-02076, heptyl heptanoate [fhfi], heptylheptanoate, heptanoic acid heptyl ester, 1-heptylheptanoate, heptyl heptanoate, natural (us), 98%.
Can Heptyl heptanoate be labeled natural?
Nature makes heptyl heptanoate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial heptyl heptanoate, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic heptyl heptanoate 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
Heptyl heptanoate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4341. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
No EU FL number is on file for Heptyl heptanoate. That is not a finding either way. The Union List covers defined flavouring substances, so natural complex materials are handled as flavouring preparations under Parts B to F and never receive a number, and substances used as additives sit under Regulation 1333/2008 instead. Confirm the position before EU or UK use.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1875, evaluated at the 69th meeting in 2008. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
Odor and taste
Odor: Sweet, fruity, tropical, pear, apple.
Where it is used
Heptyl heptanoate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, desserts and ice cream, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Heptyl heptanoate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heptyl octanoate | 2553 | 99% | In nature |
| n-Amyl octanoate | 2079 | 97% | In nature |
| Octyl octanoate | 2811 | 97% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Dodecyl lactate · Propyleneglycol dibutyrate · Ethyl Caprylate · Phenethyl cinnamate · Ethyl anthranilate · n-Amyl octanoate
Heptyl heptanoate FAQ
Is heptyl heptanoate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists heptyl heptanoate as GRAS under FEMA number 4341. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for heptyl heptanoate?
Heptyl heptanoate is FEMA 4341, CAS 624-09-9. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is heptyl heptanoate described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe heptyl heptanoate as sweet, fruity, tropical, pear, apple. It is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, desserts and ice cream.
What did JECFA conclude about heptyl heptanoate?
JECFA evaluated heptyl heptanoate at the 69th meeting in 2008 under JECFA number 1875. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is heptyl heptanoate approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for heptyl heptanoate. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 1875), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Does heptyl heptanoate count as natural in the US and the EU?
The process decides for heptyl heptanoate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic heptyl heptanoate is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic heptyl heptanoate 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 HEPTYL HEPTANOATE under CAS 624-09-9 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.