Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Lauryl alcohol
Lauryl alcohol is an alcohol in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2617 (CAS 112-53-8). Its odor is sweet, floral, creamy, coconut, waxy.
- FEMA
- 2617
- CAS
- 112-53-8
- JECFA
- 109
- EU FL
- 02.008
- Formula
- C12H26O
- EC
- 203-982-0
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 112-53-8.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 1-Dodecanol, Dodecyl alcohol, n-Dodecyl alcohol, Lauric alcohol, Laurinic alcohol, Lauryl 24, Sipol L 12, Pisol, Siponol L 2, Siponol L 5, Siponol 25, n-Dodecan-1-ol.
Can Lauryl alcohol be labeled natural?
Nature makes lauryl alcohol, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial lauryl alcohol, same molecule. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material 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
Lauryl alcohol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2617. 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 02.008, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 109, evaluated at the 13th meeting in 1973. 0-12.5 mg/kg bw. ADI 0 to 12.5 mg/kg body weight.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Lauryl alcohol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 112-53-8, where EPA names it 1-Dodecanol.
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, floral, creamy, coconut, waxy.
Where it is used
Lauryl alcohol is used in cosmetics, fragrance, food flavoring and personal care products, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Lauryl alcohol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undecyl alcohol | 3097 | 98% | In nature |
| 1-Decanol | 2365 | 97% | In nature |
| 2-Undecanol | 3246 | 93% | In nature |
| 1-Hexadecanol | 2554 | 93% | In nature |
| Lauric aldehyde | 2615 | 90% | In nature |
More alcohols in this index
Anisyl alcohol · Rhodinol · Phenethyl alcohol · Hydroxycitronellol · 4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol · Fenchyl alcohol
Lauryl alcohol FAQ
Does lauryl alcohol have FEMA GRAS status?
Lauryl alcohol holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2617. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite lauryl alcohol by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite lauryl alcohol as FEMA 2617 or CAS 112-53-8; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is floral.
What does lauryl alcohol smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of lauryl alcohol is sweet, floral, creamy, coconut, waxy. Typical uses are cosmetics, fragrance, food flavoring and personal care products.
What did JECFA conclude about lauryl alcohol?
JECFA evaluated lauryl alcohol at the 13th meeting in 1973 under JECFA number 109. The panel concluded: 0-12.5 mg/kg bw.
Can lauryl alcohol be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 02.008 is the Union List entry for lauryl alcohol, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can lauryl alcohol be labeled a natural flavor?
The process decides for lauryl alcohol. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic lauryl alcohol is artificial. 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 LAURYL ALCOHOL under CAS 112-53-8 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.