Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Lauric acid
Lauric acid is an acid in the sweet family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2614 (CAS 143-07-7). Its odor is coconut, creamy, fatty, sweet.
- FEMA
- 2614
- CAS
- 143-07-7
- JECFA
- 111
- EU FL
- 08.012
- Formula
- C12H24O2
- EC
- 205-582-1
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 143-07-7.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Dodecanoic acid, Laurostearic acid, 1-Undecanecarboxylic acid, ABL (dodecanoic acid), Aliphat No. 4, Univol U 314, Dodecylic acid, Vulvic acid, Neo-Fat 12-43, n-Dodecanoic acid, Neo-Fat 12, Lunac L 70.
Can Lauric acid be labeled natural?
Since lauric acid is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when lauric acid is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic lauric acid 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
Lauric acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2614. 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 08.012, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
Purity. At least 90%; secondary components 3-6% tetradecanoic acid; 2-5% decanoic acid; 1-2% hexadecanoic acid
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 111, evaluated at the 49th 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. Lauric acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 143-07-7, where EPA names it Dodecanoic acid.
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: Coconut, creamy, fatty, sweet.
Taste: Fatty, creamy, slightly sweet.
Where it is used
Lauric acid is used in dairy, confection, baked goods and snacks, typically as a sweet note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Lauric acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tridecanoic acid | 4336 | 99% | In nature |
| Undecanoic acid | 3245 | 99% | In nature |
| Myristic acid | 2764 | 97% | In nature |
| Decanoic acid | 2364 | 96% | In nature |
| Pentadecanoic acid | 4334 | 94% | In nature |
More acids in this index
Sodium Gluconate · Glycyrrhizic acid, ammoniated · Hexanoic acid · Methyl-3-pentenoic acid · l-Glutamic acid · 2-Methoxybenzoic acid
Lauric acid FAQ
Does lauric acid have FEMA GRAS status?
Lauric acid holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2614. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite lauric acid by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite lauric acid as FEMA 2614 or CAS 143-07-7; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the sweet flavor category.
Can lauric acid be labeled a natural flavor?
Lauric acid occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: lauric acid won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized lauric acid 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 lauric acid be used in the EU and UK?
Lauric acid is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 08.012 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated lauric acid?
Yes. JECFA number 111, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1998. Conclusion: no safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does lauric acid smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of lauric acid is coconut, creamy, fatty, sweet. On the palate it is fatty, creamy, slightly sweet. Typical uses are dairy, confection, baked goods and snacks.
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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 LAURIC ACID under CAS 143-07-7 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 flavor enhancer, flavoring agent or adjuvant, lubricant or release agent, surface-active agent.
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.