Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate
Methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate is an ester in the green family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3361 (CAS 2270-60-2). Its odor is green, fruity, apple, banana.
- FEMA
- 3361
- CAS
- 2270-60-2
- JECFA
- 354
- EU FL
- 09.517
- Formula
- C11H20O2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 6. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 2270-60-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 6-Octenoic acid, 3,7-dimethyl-, methyl ester, Citronellic acid, methyl ester, Methyl citronellate, Methyl (±)-citronellate, methyl citronellate, methyl 3,7-dimethyloct-6-enoate, methyl rhodinolate, 6-octenoic acid, 3,7-dimethyl-, methyl ester, citronellic acid, methyl ester, methyl citronellate [fhfi], formyl 3,7-dimethyl-6e-octenoate, methyl (+-)-citronellate.
Can Methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate be labeled natural?
Nature makes methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate, 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
Methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3361. 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 09.517, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 354, evaluated at the 51st meeting in 1998. no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 2270-60-2, where EPA names it 6-Octenoic acid, 3,7-dimethyl-, 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: Green, fruity, apple, banana.
Taste: Green, apple, fruity.
Where it is used
Methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate is used in apple, green and fruit, typically as a green note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citronellal | 2307 | 87% | In nature |
| Citronellyl formate | 2314 | 86% | In nature |
| Neryl isovalerate | 2778 | 79% | In nature |
| Geranyl acetate | 2509 | 75% | In nature |
| (E) & (Z)-4,8-Dimethyl-3,7-nonadien-2-one | 3969 | 73% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Methyl salicylate · Propyleneglycol dibutyrate · Ethyl 2-acetyloctanoate · Methyl anisate · 1-p-Menthen-9-yl acetate · alpha-Amylcinnamyl formate
Methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate FAQ
Does methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate have FEMA GRAS status?
Methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3361. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate as FEMA 3361 or CAS 2270-60-2; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is green.
What does methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate is green, fruity, apple, banana. On the palate it is green, apple, fruity. Typical uses are apple, green and fruit.
What did JECFA conclude about methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate?
JECFA evaluated methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate at the 51st meeting in 1998 under JECFA number 354. The panel concluded: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Can methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 09.517 is the Union List entry for methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate be labeled a natural flavor?
The process decides for methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic methyl 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoate 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 METHYL 3,7-DIMETHYL-6-OCTENOATE under CAS 2270-60-2 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number. The inventory is searchable at FDA. FDA records its technical effect as flavor enhancer, 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.