Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Isoamyl laurate
Isoamyl laurate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2077 (CAS 6309-51-9). Its odor is sweet, fruity, banana, pear, floral.
- FEMA
- 2077
- CAS
- 6309-51-9
- JECFA
- 182
- EU FL
- 09.103
- Formula
- C17H34O2
- EC
- 228-626-1
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 6309-51-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Dodecanoic acid, 3-methylbutyl ester, Lauric acid, isopentyl ester, Isopentyl alcohol, laurate, Isopentyl laurate, 3-Methylbutyl dodecanoate, NSC 42577, Isoamyl dodecanoate, Dermofeel sensolv, Radiosolve 7529, Mackaderm LIA-MB, Dermofeel Sensolv MB, 3-methylbutyl dodecanoate.
Can Isoamyl laurate be labeled natural?
Nature makes isoamyl laurate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial isoamyl laurate, 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
Isoamyl laurate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2077. 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 09.103, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 182, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Isoamyl laurate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 6309-51-9, where EPA names it Dodecanoic acid, 3-methylbutyl ester.
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, fruity, banana, pear, floral.
Where it is used
Isoamyl laurate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and ice cream, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Isoamyl laurate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dodecyl butyrate | 4340 | 97% | In nature |
| Isoamyl nonanoate | 2078 | 97% | In nature |
| Ethyl hexadecanoate | 2451 | 97% | In nature |
| Isopropyl myristate | 3556 | 96% | In nature |
| Butyl laurate | 2206 | 96% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Phenyl butyrate · Propyl cinnamate · Ethyl N-methylanthranilate · alpha-Terpinyl acetate · Tributyl acetylcitrate · Cinnamyl benzoate
Isoamyl laurate FAQ
Does isoamyl laurate have FEMA GRAS status?
Isoamyl laurate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2077. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite isoamyl laurate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite isoamyl laurate as FEMA 2077 or CAS 6309-51-9; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is fruity.
What does isoamyl laurate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of isoamyl laurate is sweet, fruity, banana, pear, floral. Typical uses are beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and ice cream.
What did JECFA conclude about isoamyl laurate?
JECFA evaluated isoamyl laurate at the 49th meeting in 1997 under JECFA number 182. The panel concluded: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Can isoamyl laurate be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 09.103 is the Union List entry for isoamyl laurate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can isoamyl laurate be labeled a natural flavor?
The process decides for isoamyl laurate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic isoamyl laurate 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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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
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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 ISOAMYL LAURATE under CAS 6309-51-9 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.