Flavor ingredient regulatory record
L-Monomenthyl glutarate
L-Monomenthyl glutarate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4006 (CAS 220621-22-7). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, estery, green.
- FEMA
- 4006
- CAS
- 220621-22-7
- JECFA
- 1414
- EU FL
- 09.929
- Formula
- C15H26O4
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 20. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 220621-22-7.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Pentanedioic acid, 1-[(1R,2S,5R)-5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)cyclohexyl] ester, Pentanedioic acid, mono[(1R,2S,5R)-5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)cyclohexyl] ester, FEMA 4006, Ultracool 2, Fema Gras 4006, Monomenthyl glutamate, 5-(((1r,2s,5r)-2-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexyl)oxy)-5-oxopentanoic acid, monomenthyl glutarate, (-)-, (l)-monomenthane-3-yl carbonate, l-monomenthyl glutarate [fhfi], 5-[(1r,2s,5r)-5-methyl-2-propan-2-ylcyclohexyl]oxy-5-oxopentanoic acid, pentanedioic acid, 1-((1r,2s,5r)-5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)cyclohexyl) ester.
Can L-Monomenthyl glutarate be labeled natural?
Since L-Monomenthyl glutarate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when L-Monomenthyl glutarate is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic L-Monomenthyl glutarate 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
L-Monomenthyl glutarate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4006. 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 09.929, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1414, 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.
Odor and taste
Odor: Sweet, fruity, floral, estery, green.
Where it is used
L-Monomenthyl glutarate 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 L-Monomenthyl glutarate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| (-)-Menthol 1- and 2-propylene glycol carbonate | 3806 | 74% | Not determined |
| Vanillin 3-(l-menthoxy)propane-1,2-diol acetal | 3904 | 71% | In nature |
| (+/-) N,N-Dimethyl menthyl succinamide | 4230 | 71% | Not determined |
| Menthyl valerate | 4156 | 70% | In nature |
| Menthyl isovalerate | 2669 | 69% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Ethyl phenylacetate · Cinnamyl isobutyrate · l-Bornyl acetate · Propyl heptanoate · Ethyl 3-oxohexanoate · Allyl hexanoate
L-Monomenthyl glutarate FAQ
Does L-Monomenthyl glutarate have FEMA GRAS status?
L-Monomenthyl glutarate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 4006. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite L-Monomenthyl glutarate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite L-Monomenthyl glutarate as FEMA 4006 or CAS 220621-22-7; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Can L-Monomenthyl glutarate be labeled a natural flavor?
L-Monomenthyl glutarate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: L-Monomenthyl glutarate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized L-Monomenthyl glutarate 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 L-Monomenthyl glutarate be used in the EU and UK?
L-Monomenthyl glutarate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.929 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated L-Monomenthyl glutarate?
Yes. JECFA number 1414, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does L-Monomenthyl glutarate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of L-Monomenthyl glutarate is sweet, fruity, floral, estery, green. Typical uses are beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and desserts.
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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 MONOMENTHYL GLUTARATE, L- under CAS 220621-22-7 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.