Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Methyl propyl disulfide
Methyl propyl disulfide is a disulfide in the savory family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3201 (CAS 2179-60-4). Its odor is onion, garlic, sulfurous, meaty.
- FEMA
- 3201
- CAS
- 2179-60-4
- JECFA
- 565
- EU FL
- 12.019
- Formula
- C4H10S2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 4. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 2179-60-4.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Disulfide, methyl propyl, 2,3-Dithiahexane, 1-(Methyldisulfanyl)propane, Methyl n-propyl disulfide, 1-(methyldisulfanyl)propane, disulfide, methyl propyl, methyldithiopropane, 2,3-dithiahexane, methyl propyl disulphide, propyl methyl disulfide, methyl n-propyl disulfide, methyl propyl disulfide [fhfi].
Can Methyl propyl disulfide be labeled natural?
Nature makes methyl propyl disulfide, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial methyl propyl disulfide, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic methyl propyl disulfide 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 propyl disulfide is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3201. 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 12.019, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 565, evaluated at the 53rd meeting in 1999. 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 propyl disulfide appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 2179-60-4, where EPA names it Disulfide, methyl propyl.
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: Onion, garlic, sulfurous, meaty.
Taste: Onion, savory, sulfurous.
Where it is used
Methyl propyl disulfide is used in onion, garlic, savory and meat, typically as a savory note.
Methyl propyl disulfide FAQ
Is methyl propyl disulfide FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists methyl propyl disulfide as GRAS under FEMA number 3201. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for methyl propyl disulfide?
Methyl propyl disulfide is FEMA 3201, CAS 2179-60-4. Its flavor category is savory.
How is methyl propyl disulfide described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe methyl propyl disulfide as onion, garlic, sulfurous, meaty. On the palate it is onion, savory, sulfurous. It is used in onion, garlic, savory and meat.
What did JECFA conclude about methyl propyl disulfide?
JECFA evaluated methyl propyl disulfide at the 53rd meeting in 1999 under JECFA number 565. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is methyl propyl disulfide on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 12.019 is the Union List entry for methyl propyl disulfide, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does methyl propyl disulfide count as natural in the US and the EU?
The process decides for methyl propyl disulfide. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic methyl propyl disulfide is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic methyl propyl disulfide 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 PROPYL DISULFIDE under CAS 2179-60-4 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number. 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.