Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Isoamyl nonanoate
Isoamyl nonanoate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2078 (CAS 7779-70-6). Its odor is sweet, fruity, banana, pear, floral.
- FEMA
- 2078
- CAS
- 7779-70-6
- JECFA
- 48
- EU FL
- 09.110
- Formula
- C14H28O2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 7779-70-6.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Nonanoic acid, 3-methylbutyl ester, Nonanoic acid, isopentyl ester, Isopentyl alcohol, nonanoate, 3-methylbutyl nonanoate, isoamyl nonoate, isoamyl pelargonate, isopentyl nonanoate, isoamyl nonylate, nonanoic acid, 3-methylbutyl ester, isopentyl nonylate, isopentyl pelargonate, 3-methylbutyl pelargonate.
Can Isoamyl nonanoate be labeled natural?
Since isoamyl nonanoate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when isoamyl nonanoate is synthesized. 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 nonanoate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2078. 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 09.110, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 48, evaluated at the 46th meeting in 1996. 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. Isoamyl nonanoate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 7779-70-6, where EPA names it Nonanoic 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 nonanoate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, ice cream and baked goods, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Isoamyl nonanoate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isoamyl octanoate | 2080 | 98% | In nature |
| Butyl laurate | 2206 | 95% | In nature |
| Isoamyl laurate | 2077 | 94% | In nature |
| Dodecyl butyrate | 4340 | 93% | In nature |
| Octyl octanoate | 2811 | 91% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Phenethyl octanoate · cis-3-Hexenyl acetoacetate · Ethyl methyl-p-tolylglycidate · Ethyl 2-acetyloctanoate · Benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal · Rhodinyl butyrate
Isoamyl nonanoate FAQ
Is isoamyl nonanoate on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2078 covers isoamyl nonanoate. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for isoamyl nonanoate?
The FEMA number for isoamyl nonanoate is 2078 and its CAS registry number is 7779-70-6. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is isoamyl nonanoate natural or artificial?
Isoamyl nonanoate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: isoamyl nonanoate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized isoamyl nonanoate 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.
Is isoamyl nonanoate approved in the EU?
Isoamyl nonanoate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.110 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated isoamyl nonanoate?
Yes. JECFA number 48, evaluated at the 46th meeting in 1996. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What is isoamyl nonanoate used for?
Isoamyl nonanoate is described as sweet, fruity, banana, pear, floral. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, ice cream and baked goods.
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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 NONANOATE under CAS 7779-70-6 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.