Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Isopentylidene isopentylamine
Isopentylidene isopentylamine is an amine in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3990 (CAS 35448-31-8).
- FEMA
- 3990
- CAS
- 35448-31-8
- JECFA
- 1606
- EU FL
- 11.017
- Formula
- C10H21N
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 20. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 35448-31-8.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 1-Butanamine, 3-methyl-N-(3-methylbutylidene)-, 3-Methyl-N-(3-methylbutylidene)-1-butanamine, N-Isopentylideneisopentylamine, N-Isoamylidene-isoamylamine, 3-Methyl-N-(3-methylbutyl)butan-1-imine, 1-butanamine, 3-methyl-n-(3-methylbutylidene)-, isopentylideneisopentylamine, n-isoamylidene-isoamylamine, n-isopentylideneisopentylamine, n-(3-methylbutylidene)-3-methyl-1-butylamine, isopentylidene isopentylamine [fhfi], 3-methyl-n-(3-methylbutyl)butan-1-imine.
Can Isopentylidene isopentylamine be labeled natural?
Nature occurrence: Not yet found in nature (provisional).
Nature occurrence has not been settled for this substance, so the natural or artificial class is not stated here. The FEMA GRAS status does not depend on it.
Regulatory status, with citations
United States
Isopentylidene isopentylamine is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3990. 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 11.017, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1606, evaluated at the 69th meeting in 2008. 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. Isopentylidene isopentylamine appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 35448-31-8, where EPA names it 1-Butanamine, 3-methyl-N-(3-methylbutylidene)-.
Inactive in US commerce
EPA designates this substance inactive, so a Notice of Activity Form B is required before anyone manufactures or processes it again. Being FEMA GRAS does not change that. 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
Taste: Sweet, umami, slightly bitter.
Where it is used
Isopentylidene isopentylamine is used in beverage, confection, savory dishes and snacks, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Isopentylidene isopentylamine by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isoamyl isovalerate | 2085 | 74% | In nature |
| Butyl isovalerate | 2218 | 71% | In nature |
| cis- and trans-5-Ethyl-4-methyl-2-(2-methylpropyl)-thiazoline | 4319 | 60% | Not determined |
| 4,5-Dimethyl-2-isobutyl-3-thiazoline | 3621 | 55% | In nature |
| cis- and trans-5-Ethyl-4-methyl-2-(1-methylpropyl)-thiazoline | 4318 | 48% | Not determined |
More amines in this index
Phenethylamine · Hexylamine · Isopentylamine · Pentylamine · 2-Methylbutylamine · Triethylamine
Isopentylidene isopentylamine FAQ
Is isopentylidene isopentylamine FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists isopentylidene isopentylamine as GRAS under FEMA number 3990. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for isopentylidene isopentylamine?
Isopentylidene isopentylamine is FEMA 3990, CAS 35448-31-8. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is isopentylidene isopentylamine on the EU Union List?
Isopentylidene isopentylamine is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 11.017 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated isopentylidene isopentylamine?
Yes. JECFA number 1606, evaluated at the 69th meeting in 2008. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
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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 ISOPENTYLIDENEISOPENTYLAMINE under CAS 35448-31-8 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number. 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.