Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Isoborneol
Isoborneol is a terpene in the woody family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2158 (CAS 124-76-5). Its odor is earthy, woody, camphoraceous, pine-like.
- FEMA
- 2158
- CAS
- 124-76-5
- JECFA
- 1386
- EU FL
- 02.059
- Formula
- C10H18O
- EC
- 204-712-4
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 124-76-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Bicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ol, 1,7,7-trimethyl-, (1R,2R,4R)-rel-, Bicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ol, 1,7,7-trimethyl-, exo-, rel-(1R,2R,4R)-1,7,7-Trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ol, Isobornyl alcohol, exo-2-Hydroxy-1,7,7-trimethylnorbornane, 2-exo-Bornyl alcohol, (±)-Isoborneol, dl-Isoborneol, DL-Isoborneol, NSC 26350, isocamphol, bicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ol, 1,7,7-trimethyl-, (1r,2r,4r)-rel-.
Can Isoborneol be labeled natural?
Since isoborneol is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when isoborneol is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic isoborneol 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
Isoborneol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2158. 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 02.059, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
Purity. At least 92%; secondary component 3-5% borneol
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1386, 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. Isoborneol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 124-76-5, where EPA names it Bicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-ol, 1,7,7-trimethyl-, (1R,2R,4R)-rel-.
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: Earthy, woody, camphoraceous, pine-like.
Where it is used
Isoborneol is used in beverage, confection, flavoring and cosmetics, typically as a woody note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Isoborneol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Borneol | 2157 | 100% | In nature |
| d-Camphor | 2230 | 89% | In nature |
| Fenchyl alcohol | 2480 | 84% | In nature |
| Bornyl formate | 2161 | 81% | In nature |
| Isobornyl acetate | 2160 | 80% | In nature |
More terpenes in this index
(+)-Cedrol · beta-Pinene · Camphene · Santalol · Thujyl alcohol · 2(10)-Pinen-3-ol
Isoborneol FAQ
Does isoborneol have FEMA GRAS status?
Isoborneol holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2158. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite isoborneol by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite isoborneol as FEMA 2158 or CAS 124-76-5; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the woody flavor category.
Can isoborneol be labeled a natural flavor?
Isoborneol occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: isoborneol won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized isoborneol is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Can isoborneol be used in the EU and UK?
Isoborneol is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 02.059 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated isoborneol?
Yes. JECFA number 1386, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does isoborneol smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of isoborneol is earthy, woody, camphoraceous, pine-like. Typical uses are beverage, confection, flavoring and cosmetics.
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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 ISOBORNEOL under CAS 124-76-5 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.