Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal
Hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal is an acetal in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2585 (CAS 141-92-4). Its odor is sweet, floral, citrus, green, fresh.
- FEMA
- 2585
- CAS
- 141-92-4
- JECFA
- 612
- EU FL
- 06.011
- Formula
- C12H26O3
- EC
- 205-510-9
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 141-92-4.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Octanol, 8,8-dimethoxy-2,6-dimethyl-, Octanal, 7-hydroxy-3,7-dimethyl-, dimethyl acetal, 8,8-Dimethoxy-2,6-dimethyl-2-octanol, 1,1-Dimethoxy-3,7-dimethyloctan-7-ol, 7-Hydroxy-3,7-dimethyloctanal, dimethyl acetal, Laurine dimethyl acetal, NSC 76412, 8,8-dimethoxy-2,6-dimethyloctan-2-ol, laurine dimethyl acetal, 8,8-dimethoxy-2,6-dimethyl-2-octanol, hydroxycitronellal dma, 2-octanol, 8,8-dimethoxy-2,6-dimethyl-.
Can Hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal be labeled natural?
Nature makes hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal, same molecule. 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 dimethyl acetal is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2585. 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 06.011, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 612, 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 dimethyl acetal appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 141-92-4, where EPA names it 2-Octanol, 8,8-dimethoxy-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, green, fresh.
Taste: Sweet, floral, slightly citrus.
Where it is used
Hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal is used in fragrance, beverage, confection, personal care and flavoring, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Hydroxycitronellal dimethyl 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 diethyl acetal | 2584 | 88% | In nature |
| Hydroxycitronellal propyleneglycol acetal | 4485 | 84% | Not determined |
| Hydroxycitronellol | 2586 | 82% | In nature |
| Hydroxycitronellal | 2583 | 67% | In nature |
| Methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate | 3361 | 62% | In nature |
More acetals in this index
Hydroxycitronellal diethyl acetal · Ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal · Acetaldehyde diisoamyl acetal · Acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal · Vanillin propylene glycol acetal · Vanillin erythro- & threo-butan-2,3-diol acetal
Hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal FAQ
Is hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2585 covers hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal?
The FEMA number for hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal is 2585 and its CAS registry number is 141-92-4. Its flavor category is floral.
What is hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal used for?
Hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal is described as sweet, floral, citrus, green, fresh. On the palate it is sweet, floral, slightly citrus. It shows up in fragrance, beverage, confection, personal care and flavoring.
What did JECFA conclude about hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal?
JECFA evaluated hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal at the 53rd meeting in 1999 under JECFA number 612. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 06.011 is the Union List entry for hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal natural or artificial?
The process decides for hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic hydroxycitronellal dimethyl 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.
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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 DIMETHYL ACETAL under CAS 141-92-4 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.