Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Methyl-beta- ionone
Methyl-beta- ionone is a ketone in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2712 (CAS 127-43-5). Its odor is floral, sweet, violet, powdery, fruity.
- FEMA
- 2712
- CAS
- 127-43-5
- JECFA
- 399
- EU FL
- 07.010
- Formula
- C14H22O
- EC
- 204-843-7
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 127-43-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 1-Penten-3-one, 1-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexen-1-yl)-, 1-(2,6,6-Trimethyl-1-cyclohexen-1-yl)-1-penten-3-one, β-Iraldeine, 5-(2,6,6-Trimethyl-1-cyclohexen-1-yl)-4-penten-3-one, NSC 163995, 1-(2,2,6-Trimethylcyclohex-1-en-1-yl)-1-penten-3-one, beta-methylionone, beta-iraldeine, beta methyl ionone, beta-methyl ionone, methyl-beta-ionone, .beta.-methylionone.
Can Methyl-beta- ionone be labeled natural?
Methyl-beta- ionone occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: methyl-beta- ionone won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized methyl-beta- ionone is artificial. 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-beta- ionone is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2712. 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 07.010, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA/ EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
Purity. At least 88%; secondary component 7-10% alpha- and beta-isomethylionone
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 399, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. 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-beta- ionone appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 127-43-5, where EPA names it 1-Penten-3-one, 1-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexen-1-yl)-.
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, sweet, violet, powdery, fruity.
Where it is used
Methyl-beta- ionone is used in beverage, confection, fragrance and cosmetics, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Methyl-beta- ionone by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methyl-alpha-ionone | 2711 | 97% | In nature |
| Methyl-delta-ionone | 2713 | 93% | In nature |
| alpha-Irone | 2597 | 86% | In nature |
| Dihydro-beta-ionone | 3626 | 85% | In nature |
| Allyl alpha-ionone | 2033 | 85% | In nature |
More ketones in this index
Methyl-delta-ionone · 2-Aminoacetophenone · delta-Damascone · Ionone · alpha-Ionone · Isojasmone
Methyl-beta- ionone FAQ
Is methyl-beta- ionone FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists methyl-beta- ionone as GRAS under FEMA number 2712. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for methyl-beta- ionone?
Methyl-beta- ionone is FEMA 2712, CAS 127-43-5. FEMA files it in the floral flavor category.
Does methyl-beta- ionone count as natural in the US and the EU?
Since methyl-beta- ionone is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when methyl-beta- ionone is synthesized. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Is methyl-beta- ionone on the EU Union List?
Methyl-beta- ionone is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 07.010 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated methyl-beta- ionone?
Yes. JECFA number 399, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake.
How is methyl-beta- ionone described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe methyl-beta- ionone as floral, sweet, violet, powdery, fruity. It is used in beverage, confection, fragrance and cosmetics.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
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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-BETA-IONONE under CAS 127-43-5 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 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.