Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Methylated Silica
Methylated Silica is a flavoring substance, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3185 (CAS 681-84-5). Its odor is 0428.
- FEMA
- 3185
- CAS
- 681-84-5
- Formula
- C4H12O4Si
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 4. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 977047-20-3.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Silicic acid (H4SiO4), tetramethyl ester, Methyl silicate ((MeO)4Si), Tetramethoxysilane, Silane, tetramethoxy-, Tetramethyl silicate, Tetramethyl orthosilicate, Methyl orthosilicate, Methyl silicate ((CH3)4SiO4), Methyl silicate, Silicon tetramethoxide, Silicon methoxide (Si(OMe)4), TMOS.
Can Methylated Silica be labeled natural?
Nature occurrence: Not yet found in nature (provisional).
Nature occurrence has not been settled for this substance, so the natural or artificial class is not stated here. The FEMA GRAS status does not depend on it.
Regulatory status, with citations
United States
Methylated Silica is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3185. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
No EU FL number is on file for Methylated Silica. That is not a finding either way. The Union List covers defined flavouring substances, so natural complex materials are handled as flavouring preparations under Parts B to F and never receive a number, and substances used as additives sit under Regulation 1333/2008 instead. Confirm the position before EU or UK use.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
Methylated Silica has not been evaluated by JECFA as a flavouring agent, or no evaluation is on file.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Methylated Silica appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 681-84-5, where EPA names it Silicic acid (H4SiO4), tetramethyl 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: 0428.
Where it is used
Typical applications for Methylated Silica are not on file yet.
Methylated Silica FAQ
Is Methylated Silica on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3185 covers Methylated Silica. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for Methylated Silica?
The FEMA number for Methylated Silica is 3185 and its CAS registry number is 681-84-5.
What is Methylated Silica used for?
Methylated Silica is described as 0428.
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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 METHYLATED SILICA under CAS 977047-20-3 and carries its FEMA 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.