Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal
Hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal is an acetal in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2584 (CAS 7779-94-4). Its odor is sweet, floral, citrus, fresh.
- FEMA
- 2584
- CAS
- 7779-94-4
- JECFA
- 613
- EU FL
- 06.010
- Formula
- C14H30O3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 7779-94-4.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Octanol, 8,8-diethoxy-2,6-dimethyl-, Octanal, 7-hydroxy-3,7-dimethyl-, diethyl acetal, 8,8-Diethoxy-2,6-dimethyl-2-octanol, 8,8-diethoxy-2,6-dimethyloctan-2-ol, 2-octanol, 8,8-diethoxy-2,6-dimethyl-, 8,8-diethoxy-2,6-dimethyl-2-octanol, 7-hydroxy-3,7-dimethyloctanal diethyl acetal, 1,1-diethoxy-3,7-dimethyl-7-octanol, octanal, 7-hydroxy-3,7-dimethyl-, diethyl acetal, 1,1-diethoxy-3,7-dimethyloctan-7-ol, hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal [fhfi], (+-)-hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal.
Can Hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal be labeled natural?
Hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal is artificial. 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
Hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2584. 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 06.010, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 613, evaluated at the 53rd meeting in 1999. 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. Hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 7779-94-4, where EPA names it 2-Octanol, 8,8-diethoxy-2,6-dimethyl-.
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: Sweet, floral, citrus, fresh.
Where it is used
Hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal is used in beverage, confection, fragrance and baked goods, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal | 2585 | 88% | In nature |
| Hydroxycitronellal propyleneglycol acetal | 4485 | 87% | Not determined |
| (E,Z)-Phytyl acetate | 4197 | 73% | In nature |
| (E,Z)-Phytol | 4196 | 71% | In nature |
| Rhodinyl isovalerate | 2987 | 70% | In nature |
More acetals in this index
Hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal · Acetaldehyde diisoamyl acetal · Acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal · Acetaldehyde di-cis-3-hexenyl acetal · Vanillin 3-(l-menthoxy)propane-1,2-diol acetal · Acetaldehyde 1,3-octadiol acetal
Hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal FAQ
Does hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal have FEMA GRAS status?
Hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2584. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal as FEMA 2584 or CAS 7779-94-4; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the floral flavor category.
Can hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal be labeled a natural flavor?
Since hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal 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.
Can hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal be used in the EU and UK?
Hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 06.010 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal?
Yes. JECFA number 613, evaluated at the 53rd meeting in 1999. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal is sweet, floral, citrus, fresh. Typical uses are beverage, confection, fragrance and baked goods.
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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 HYDROXYCITRONELLAL DIETHYL ACETAL under CAS 7779-94-4 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.