Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate
Isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2198 (CAS 105-01-1). Its odor is sweet, fruity, furan, floral, estery.
- FEMA
- 2198
- CAS
- 105-01-1
- JECFA
- 1514
- EU FL
- 13.024
- Formula
- C11H16O3
- EC
- 203-261-0
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 105-01-1.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Furanpropanoic acid, 2-methylpropyl ester, 2-Furanpropionic acid, isobutyl ester, 2-Methylpropyl 2-furanpropanoate, Isobutyl 2-furanpropionate, Isobutyl furylpropionate, isobutyl furfurylacetate, isobutyl 2-furanpropionate, 2-methylpropyl 3-(furan-2-yl)propanoate, 2-methylpropyl 2-furanpropanoate, isobutyl-2-furanpropionate, isobutyl 3-(2-furyl)propanoate, isobutyl furan-2-propionate.
Can Isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate be labeled natural?
Since isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate 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
Isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2198. 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 13.024, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1514, evaluated at the 65th meeting in 2006. 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. Isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 105-01-1, where EPA names it 2-Furanpropanoic acid, 2-methylpropyl 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, furan, floral, estery.
Where it is used
Isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and desserts, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isoamyl 3-(2-furan)propionate | 2071 | 79% | In nature |
| Furfuryl pentanoate | 3397 | 75% | In nature |
| Ethyl 3-(2-furyl)propanoate | 2435 | 69% | In nature |
| Furfuryl octanoate | 3396 | 67% | In nature |
| Benzyl levulinate | 4623 | 63% | Not determined |
More esters in this index
Propyleneglycol mono-2-methylbutyrate · Citronellyl anthranilate · cis-3-Hexenyl acetoacetate · Phenethyl isovalerate · p-Mentha-1,8-dien-7-yl acetate · Butyl anthranilate
Isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate FAQ
Is isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2198 covers isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate?
The FEMA number for isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate is 2198 and its CAS registry number is 105-01-1. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate natural or artificial?
Isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate 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 isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate approved in the EU?
Isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 13.024 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate?
Yes. JECFA number 1514, evaluated at the 65th meeting in 2006. Conclusion: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
What is isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate used for?
Isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate is described as sweet, fruity, furan, floral, estery. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and desserts.
Ingredient lookup
Check an ingredient
Start typing to search the ingredient corpus.
Or browse every ingredient page, A to Z.
Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check Isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate in a formula
Screened against FEMA GRAS, 21 CFR and EU rules as you build. Free to start.
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 ISOBUTYL 2-FURANPROPIONATE under CAS 105-01-1 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.