Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Indole
Indole is a phenol in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2593 (CAS 120-72-9). Its odor is sweet, floral, earthy, musky.
- FEMA
- 2593
- CAS
- 120-72-9
- JECFA
- 1301
- EU FL
- 14.007
- Formula
- C8H7N
- EC
- 204-420-7
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 120-72-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 1H-Indole, 1-Azaindene, 1-Benzazole, 2,3-Benzopyrrole, Ketole, Benzo[b]pyrrole, NSC 1964, 1h-indole, 2,3-benzopyrrole, indol, 1-azaindene, 1-benzazole.
Can Indole be labeled natural?
Nature makes indole, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial indole, same molecule. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material 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
Indole is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2593. 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 14.007, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1301, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. 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. Indole appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 120-72-9, where EPA names it 1H-Indole.
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, earthy, musky.
Where it is used
Indole is used in fragrance, beverage, confection and flavoring, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Indole by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skatole | 3019 | 84% | In nature |
| Methyl 2-pyrrolyl ketone | 3202 | 78% | In nature |
| 2-Propionylpyrrole | 3614 | 76% | Not determined |
| Benzothiazole | 3256 | 71% | In nature |
| 4-Amino-5,6-dimethylthieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-2(1H)-one | 4669 | 68% | Not determined |
More phenols in this index
m-Dimethoxybenzene · 1,2-Dimethoxybenzene · p-Dimethoxybenzene · 2-Phenoxyethanol · Acetanisole · 2-Methoxy-4-vinylphenol
Indole FAQ
Does indole have FEMA GRAS status?
Indole holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2593. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite indole by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite indole as FEMA 2593 or CAS 120-72-9; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is floral.
What does indole smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of indole is sweet, floral, earthy, musky. Typical uses are fragrance, beverage, confection and flavoring.
What did JECFA conclude about indole?
JECFA evaluated indole at the 63rd meeting in 2004 under JECFA number 1301. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Can indole be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 14.007 is the Union List entry for indole, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can indole be labeled a natural flavor?
The process decides for indole. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic indole is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material 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 INDOLE under CAS 120-72-9 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.