Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Methyl 2-nonynoate
Methyl 2-nonynoate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2726 (CAS 111-80-8). Its odor is fruity, sweet, floral, tropical.
- FEMA
- 2726
- CAS
- 111-80-8
- JECFA
- 1356
- EU FL
- 09.156
- Formula
- C10H16O2
- EC
- 203-909-2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 111-80-8.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Nonynoic acid, methyl ester, NSC 72102, Methyl octine carbonate, methyl non-2-ynoate, methyl octine carbonate, 2-nonynoic acid methyl ester, 2-nonynoic acid, methyl ester, methyl octyne carbonate, methyloctyne carboxylate, methyloctyne carbonate, octynecarboxylic acid, methyl ester, methyl octin carbonate.
Can Methyl 2-nonynoate be labeled natural?
Since methyl 2-nonynoate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when methyl 2-nonynoate is synthesized. 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
Methyl 2-nonynoate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2726. 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 09.156, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1356, 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.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Methyl 2-nonynoate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 111-80-8, where EPA names it 2-Nonynoic acid, methyl ester.
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: Fruity, sweet, floral, tropical.
Where it is used
Methyl 2-nonynoate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, desserts and bakery, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Methyl 2-nonynoate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methyl 2-octynoate | 2729 | 98% | In nature |
| Propyl heptanoate | 2948 | 28% | In nature |
| N-p-Benzene acetonitrile-menthane-carboxamide | 4496 | 23% | Not determined |
| Methyl octanoate | 2728 | 21% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Dodecyl lactate · Allyl cinnamate · Benzyl hexanoate · alpha-Amylcinnamyl formate · Isobutyl cinnamate · Sodium 2-(4-methoxyphenoxy)propanoate
Methyl 2-nonynoate FAQ
Is methyl 2-nonynoate on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2726 covers methyl 2-nonynoate. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for methyl 2-nonynoate?
The FEMA number for methyl 2-nonynoate is 2726 and its CAS registry number is 111-80-8. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is methyl 2-nonynoate natural or artificial?
Methyl 2-nonynoate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: methyl 2-nonynoate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized methyl 2-nonynoate 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.
Is methyl 2-nonynoate approved in the EU?
Methyl 2-nonynoate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.156 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated methyl 2-nonynoate?
Yes. JECFA number 1356, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What is methyl 2-nonynoate used for?
Methyl 2-nonynoate is described as fruity, sweet, floral, tropical. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, desserts and bakery.
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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 METHYL 2-NONYNOATE under CAS 111-80-8 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.