Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Linalool
Linalool is a terpene alcohol in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2635 (CAS 78-70-6). Its odor is floral, lavender, woody, citrus, fresh.
- FEMA
- 2635
- CAS
- 78-70-6
- JECFA
- 356
- EU FL
- 02.013
- Formula
- C10H18O
- EC
- 204-810-7
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 78-70-6.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 1,6-Octadien-3-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, 3,7-Dimethyl-1,6-octadien-3-ol, 2,6-Dimethyl-2,7-octadien-6-ol, Linalol, Linalyl alcohol, β-Linalool, 3,7-Dimethyl-1,6-octadiene-3-ol, Linanool, dl-Linalool, (±)-Linalool, NSC 3789, L 260-2.
Can Linalool be labeled natural?
The process decides for linalool. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic linalool 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
Linalool is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2635. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 182.60.
European Union and United Kingdom
Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 02.013, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 356, evaluated at the 51st meeting in 1998. ADI 0 to 0.5 mg/kg body weight.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list. Listed on the EPA TSCA inventory.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Linalool appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 78-70-6, where EPA names it 1,6-Octadien-3-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-.
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: Floral, lavender, woody, citrus, fresh. Detectable at about 0.006 ppm.
Taste: Floral, slightly citrus, lavender-like. Taste threshold about 0.038 ppm.
Where it is used
Linalool is used in floral flavors, citrus flavors, lavender and bergamot, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Linalool by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| (E,R)-3,7-Dimethyl-1,5,7-octatrien-3-ol | 3830 | 95% | In nature |
| p-Menth-8-en-1-ol | 3564 | 84% | In nature |
| 3,7-Dimethyl-1,3,6-octatriene | 3539 | 82% | In nature |
| alpha-Terpineol | 3045 | 74% | In nature |
| p-Menth-3-en-1-ol | 3563 | 73% | In nature |
More terpene alcohols in this index
alpha-Terpineol · Geraniol · 4-(p-Hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone · Nerol · l-Menthol
Linalool FAQ
Does linalool have FEMA GRAS status?
Linalool holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2635. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 182.60.
How do I cite linalool by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite linalool as FEMA 2635 or CAS 78-70-6; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is floral.
What does linalool smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of linalool is floral, lavender, woody, citrus, fresh. On the palate it is floral, slightly citrus, lavender-like. Its odor threshold is about 0.0061 ppm. Typical uses are floral flavors, citrus flavors, lavender and bergamot.
What did JECFA conclude about linalool?
JECFA evaluated linalool at the 51st meeting in 1998 under JECFA number 356.
Can linalool be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 02.013 is the Union List entry for linalool, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can linalool be labeled a natural flavor?
Nature makes linalool, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial linalool, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic linalool 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 LINALOOL under CAS 78-70-6 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.