Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Methylcoumarin
Methylcoumarin is a lactone in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2699 (CAS 92-48-8). Its odor is sweet, creamy, floral, coconut.
- FEMA
- 2699
- CAS
- 92-48-8
- JECFA
- 1172
- EU FL
- 13.012
- Formula
- C10H8O2
- EC
- 202-158-8
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 92-48-8.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2H-1-Benzopyran-2-one, 6-methyl-, Coumarin, 6-methyl-, 6-Methyl-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one, 6-MC, 6-Methylbenzopyrone, 6-Methylcoumarin, 6-Methylcoumarinic anhydride, Toncarine, NSC 5870, 6-Methyl-2H-chromen-2-one, 6-methylcoumarin, 6-methyl-2h-chromen-2-one.
Can Methylcoumarin 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
Methylcoumarin is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2699. 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 13.012, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1172, evaluated at the 61st meeting in 2003. 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. Methylcoumarin appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 92-48-8, where EPA names it 2H-1-Benzopyran-2-one, 6-methyl-.
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: Sweet, creamy, floral, coconut.
Where it is used
Methylcoumarin is used in beverage, confection, bakery and dairy, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Methylcoumarin by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-Propenylphenol | 4062 | 75% | In nature |
| Methyl beta-naphthyl ketone | 2723 | 63% | Not determined |
| p-Tolylacetaldehyde | 3071 | 62% | In nature |
| 6-Methoxyquinoline | 4640 | 62% | Not determined |
| 3-(5-Methyl-2-furyl) butanal | 3307 | 62% | In nature |
More lactones in this index
Tuberose lactone · 4-Hydroxy-3-methyloctanoic acid gamma-lactone · 2-(4-Methyl-2-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid-gamma-lactone · gamma-Valerolactone · 5-Hydroxy-2,4-decadienoic acid delta-lactone · 5-Hydroxy-8-undecenoic acid delta-lactone
Methylcoumarin FAQ
Is methylcoumarin on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2699 covers methylcoumarin. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for methylcoumarin?
The FEMA number for methylcoumarin is 2699 and its CAS registry number is 92-48-8. Its flavor category is floral.
What is methylcoumarin used for?
Methylcoumarin is described as sweet, creamy, floral, coconut. It shows up in beverage, confection, bakery and dairy.
What did JECFA conclude about methylcoumarin?
JECFA evaluated methylcoumarin at the 61st meeting in 2003 under JECFA number 1172. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is methylcoumarin approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 13.012 is the Union List entry for methylcoumarin, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
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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 6-METHYLCOUMARIN under CAS 92-48-8 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.