Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Methyl octanoate
Methyl octanoate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2728 (CAS 111-11-5). Its odor is sweet, fruity, coconut, tropical, estery.
- FEMA
- 2728
- CAS
- 111-11-5
- JECFA
- 173
- EU FL
- 09.117
- Formula
- C9H18O2
- EC
- 203-835-0
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 111-11-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Octanoic acid, methyl ester, Methyl caprylate, Uniphat A 20, Methyl n-octanoate, Caprylic acid methyl ester, Pastell M 08, Witconol 1095, Witconol 2309, Radia 7984, NSC 3710, Pastell M 8, Agnique ME 890.
Can Methyl octanoate be labeled natural?
Methyl octanoate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: methyl octanoate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized methyl octanoate 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
Methyl octanoate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2728. 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 09.117, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 173, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
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. Methyl octanoate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 111-11-5, where EPA names it Octanoic 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 regulatory flags
| Flag | EPA definition | What it obliges |
|---|---|---|
| TP | Indicates a substance that is the subject of a proposed TSCA section 4 test rule or order. | Nothing yet. Worth tracking, because a final rule carries testing obligations and a lower reporting threshold. |
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, fruity, coconut, tropical, estery.
Where it is used
Methyl octanoate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, ice cream and bakery, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Methyl octanoate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethyl Caprylate | 2449 | 92% | In nature |
| Octyl acetate | 2806 | 91% | In nature |
| Hexyl acetate | 2565 | 91% | In nature |
More esters in this index
2-Phenoxyethyl propionate · Methyl 3-(methylthio)propionate · Isoamyl benzoate · Ethyl 2-methyl-4-pentenoate · Butyl phenylacetate · Crotonic acid
Methyl octanoate FAQ
Does methyl octanoate have FEMA GRAS status?
Methyl octanoate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2728. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite methyl octanoate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite methyl octanoate as FEMA 2728 or CAS 111-11-5; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Can methyl octanoate be labeled a natural flavor?
Since methyl octanoate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when methyl octanoate is synthesized. 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.
Can methyl octanoate be used in the EU and UK?
Methyl octanoate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.117 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated methyl octanoate?
Yes. JECFA number 173, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does methyl octanoate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of methyl octanoate is sweet, fruity, coconut, tropical, estery. Typical uses are beverage, confection, fruit flavors, ice cream and bakery.
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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 OCTANOATE under CAS 111-11-5 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 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.