Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Hexyl isothiocyanate
Hexyl isothiocyanate is an isothiocyanate in the sulfur family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4422 (CAS 4404-45-9). Its odor is pungent, mustard-like, sharp, acrid.
- FEMA
- 4422
- CAS
- 4404-45-9
- JECFA
- 1895
- Formula
- C7H13NS
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 23. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 6803-40-3.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Hexane, 1-isothiocyanato-, Isothiocyanic acid, hexyl ester, 1-Isothiocyanatohexane, n-Hexyl isothiocyanate, 1-Hexyl isothiocyanate, 1-isothiocyanatohexane, 1-hexyl isothiocyanate, hexane, 1-isothiocyanato-, isothiocyanic acid, hexyl ester, 1-isothiocyanato-hexane, hexyl isothiocyanate, 1-, hexyl isothiocyanate [fhfi].
Can Hexyl isothiocyanate be labeled natural?
Since hexyl isothiocyanate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when hexyl isothiocyanate is synthesized. In the EU and UK the natural claim likewise needs the natural route, while Mercosur and Mexico keep a third class, identical-to-natural, for the synthetic material.
- 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
Hexyl isothiocyanate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4422. 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 Hexyl isothiocyanate. 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 1895, 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: Pungent, mustard-like, sharp, acrid.
Where it is used
Hexyl isothiocyanate is used in seasoning, sauces, condiments and snacks, typically as a sulfur note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Hexyl isothiocyanate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5-Hexenyl isothiocyanate | 4421 | 96% | In nature |
| Amyl isothiocyanate | 4417 | 92% | In nature |
| 5-(Methylthio)pentyl isothiocyanate | 4416 | 92% | In nature |
| 3-(Methylthio)propyl isothiocyanate | 3312 | 91% | In nature |
| Phenethyl isothiocyanate | 4014 | 90% | In nature |
More isothiocyanates in this index
5-(Methylthio)pentyl isothiocyanate · 3-(Methylthio)propyl isothiocyanate · Methyl isothiocyanate · Isopropyl isothiocyanate · 2-Butyl isothiocyanate · Isoamyl isothiocyanate
Hexyl isothiocyanate FAQ
Is hexyl isothiocyanate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists hexyl isothiocyanate as GRAS under FEMA number 4422. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for hexyl isothiocyanate?
Hexyl isothiocyanate is FEMA 4422, CAS 4404-45-9. FEMA files it in the sulfur flavor category.
Does hexyl isothiocyanate count as natural in the US and the EU?
Hexyl isothiocyanate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: hexyl isothiocyanate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized hexyl isothiocyanate is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic hexyl isothiocyanate identical-to-natural.
Is hexyl isothiocyanate approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for hexyl isothiocyanate. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 1895), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Has JECFA evaluated hexyl isothiocyanate?
Yes. JECFA number 1895, evaluated at the 69th meeting in 2008. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
How is hexyl isothiocyanate described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe hexyl isothiocyanate as pungent, mustard-like, sharp, acrid. It is used in seasoning, sauces, condiments 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 HEXYL ISOTHIOCYANATE under CAS 6803-40-3 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.