Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Lauric aldehyde
Lauric aldehyde is an aldehyde in the citrus family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2615 (CAS 112-54-9). Its odor is waxy, citrus, soapy, aldehydic.
- FEMA
- 2615
- CAS
- 112-54-9
- JECFA
- 110
- EU FL
- 05.011
- Formula
- C12H24O
- EC
- 203-983-6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 112-54-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Dodecanal, Lauraldehyde, Dodecyl aldehyde, Lauryl aldehyde, n-Lauraldehyde, n-Dodecyl aldehyde, n-Dodecanal, 1-Dodecanal, Dodecanaldehyde, Laurinaldehyde, NSC 46128, NSC 52196.
Can Lauric aldehyde be labeled natural?
The process decides for lauric aldehyde. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic lauric aldehyde is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic lauric aldehyde 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 aldehyde is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2615. 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 05.011, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
Purity. At least 92%; secondary components 3-6% tetradecanal; 2-5% decanal; 1-2% hexadecanal
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 110, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. 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 aldehyde appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 112-54-9, where EPA names it Dodecanal.
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: Waxy, citrus, soapy, aldehydic.
Taste: Waxy, citrus, fatty.
Where it is used
Lauric aldehyde is used in citrus and fatty notes, typically as a citrus note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Lauric aldehyde by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tridecanal | 4335 | 99% | In nature |
| Undecanal | 3092 | 98% | In nature |
| Myristaldehyde | 2763 | 98% | In nature |
| Decanal | 2362 | 97% | In nature |
| trans-Tridecenal | 3082 | 95% | In nature |
More aldehydes in this index
Citral glyceryl acetal · Octanal · Decanal · Citronellal · Citral · (+/-)-4-Ethyloctanal
Lauric aldehyde FAQ
Is lauric aldehyde on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2615 covers lauric aldehyde. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for lauric aldehyde?
The FEMA number for lauric aldehyde is 2615 and its CAS registry number is 112-54-9. Its flavor category is citrus.
What is lauric aldehyde used for?
Lauric aldehyde is described as waxy, citrus, soapy, aldehydic. On the palate it is waxy, citrus, fatty. It shows up in citrus and fatty notes.
What did JECFA conclude about lauric aldehyde?
JECFA evaluated lauric aldehyde at the 49th meeting in 1997 under JECFA number 110. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is lauric aldehyde approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 05.011 is the Union List entry for lauric aldehyde, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is lauric aldehyde natural or artificial?
Nature makes lauric aldehyde, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial lauric aldehyde, same molecule. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
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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 ALDEHYDE under CAS 112-54-9 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 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.