Flavor ingredient regulatory record
l-Menthyl acetoacetate
l-Menthyl acetoacetate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4327 (CAS 59557-05-0). Its odor is sweet, fruity, minty, floral, tropical.
- FEMA
- 4327
- CAS
- 59557-05-0
- JECFA
- 1854
- Formula
- C14H24O3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 23. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 59557-05-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Butanoic acid, 3-oxo-, (1R,2S,5R)-5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)cyclohexyl ester, Butanoic acid, 3-oxo-, 5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)cyclohexyl ester, [1R-(1α,2β,5α)]-, (-)-Menthyl acetoacetate, FEMA 4327, (-)-menthyl acetoacetate, menthyl acetoacetate, (-)-, laevo-menthyl acetoacetate, menthyl acetoacetate, l-, butanoic acid, 3-oxo-, (1r,2s,5r)-5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)cyclohexyl ester, butanoic acid, 3-oxo-, 5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)cyclohexyl ester, (1r-(1.alpha.,2.beta.,5.alpha.))-, laevo-menthol acetoacetate, butanoic acid, 3-oxo-, 5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)cyclohexyl ester, (1r-(1alpha,2beta,5alpha))-.
Can l-Menthyl acetoacetate be labeled natural?
The process decides for l-Menthyl acetoacetate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic l-Menthyl acetoacetate 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
l-Menthyl acetoacetate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4327. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
No EU FL number is on file for l-Menthyl acetoacetate. That is not a finding either way. The Union List covers defined flavouring substances, so natural complex materials are handled as flavouring preparations under Parts B to F and never receive a number, and substances used as additives sit under Regulation 1333/2008 instead. Confirm the position before EU or UK use.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1854, 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.
Odor and taste
Odor: Sweet, fruity, minty, floral, tropical.
Where it is used
l-Menthyl acetoacetate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, ice cream and candies, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to l-Menthyl acetoacetate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menthyl isovalerate | 2669 | 85% | In nature |
| l-Menthyl butyrate | 4524 | 85% | Not determined |
| Menthyl propionate | 4510 | 80% | Not determined |
More esters in this index
Ethyl hexadecanoate · Ethylene brassylate · Heptyl heptanoate · cis-3-Hexenyl valerate · Hexyl acetate · 1-Octen-3-yl butyrate
l-Menthyl acetoacetate FAQ
Does l-Menthyl acetoacetate have FEMA GRAS status?
l-Menthyl acetoacetate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 4327. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite l-Menthyl acetoacetate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite l-Menthyl acetoacetate as FEMA 4327 or CAS 59557-05-0; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is fruity.
What does l-Menthyl acetoacetate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of l-Menthyl acetoacetate is sweet, fruity, minty, floral, tropical. Typical uses are beverage, confection, fruit flavors, ice cream and candies.
What did JECFA conclude about l-Menthyl acetoacetate?
JECFA evaluated l-Menthyl acetoacetate at the 69th meeting in 2008 under JECFA number 1854. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is l-Menthyl acetoacetate approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for l-Menthyl acetoacetate. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 1854), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Can l-Menthyl acetoacetate be labeled a natural flavor?
Nature makes l-Menthyl acetoacetate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial l-Menthyl acetoacetate, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic l-Menthyl acetoacetate identical-to-natural.
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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 L-MENTHYL ACETOACETATE under CAS 59557-05-0 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.