Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Isopropyl myristate
Isopropyl myristate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3556 (CAS 110-27-0). Its odor is sweet, fruity, tropical, creamy, nutty.
- FEMA
- 3556
- CAS
- 110-27-0
- JECFA
- 311
- EU FL
- 09.105
- Formula
- C17H34O2
- EC
- 203-751-4
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 11. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 110-27-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Tetradecanoic acid, 1-methylethyl ester, Myristic acid, isopropyl ester, Bisomel, Emcol IM, Kesscomir, Promyr, Deltyl Extra, Isopropyl tetradecanoate, Sinnoester MIP, Kessco IPM, Wickenol 101, Crodamol IPM.
Can Isopropyl myristate be labeled natural?
Isopropyl myristate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: isopropyl myristate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized isopropyl myristate 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.
- 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
Isopropyl myristate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3556. 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 09.105, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 311, evaluated at the 23rd meeting in 1998. 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. Isopropyl myristate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 110-27-0, where EPA names it Tetradecanoic acid, 1-methylethyl 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, tropical, creamy, nutty.
Taste: Sweet, smooth, rich.
Where it is used
Isopropyl myristate is used in beverage, confection, cosmetics and topical formulations, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Isopropyl myristate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isoamyl laurate | 2077 | 97% | In nature |
| Ethyl hexadecanoate | 2451 | 97% | In nature |
| Butyl laurate | 2206 | 97% | In nature |
| Dodecyl butyrate | 4340 | 97% | In nature |
| Octyl octanoate | 2811 | 97% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Ethyl formate · Ethyl anthranilate · Glucose pentaacetate · Benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal · Cyclohexyl cinnamate · Ethyl decanoate
Isopropyl myristate FAQ
Does isopropyl myristate have FEMA GRAS status?
Isopropyl myristate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3556. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite isopropyl myristate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite isopropyl myristate as FEMA 3556 or CAS 110-27-0; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Can isopropyl myristate be labeled a natural flavor?
Since isopropyl myristate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when isopropyl myristate is synthesized. 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.
Can isopropyl myristate be used in the EU and UK?
Isopropyl myristate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.105 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated isopropyl myristate?
Yes. JECFA number 311, evaluated at the 23rd meeting in 1998. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does isopropyl myristate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of isopropyl myristate is sweet, fruity, tropical, creamy, nutty. On the palate it is sweet, smooth, rich. Typical uses are beverage, confection, cosmetics and topical formulations.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check Isopropyl myristate in a formula
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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 ISOPROPYL MYRISTATE under CAS 110-27-0 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number. The inventory is searchable at FDA.
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.