Flavor ingredient regulatory record

Methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate

Methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3790 (CAS 827024-53-3). Its odor is sweet, fruity, tropical, estery, apple.

FEMA
3790
CAS
827024-53-3
JECFA
493
EU FL
12.227

GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 16. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 977161-96-8.

Structure

Under review

The structure for Methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate is still under identity review, so no drawing is shown until the record is confirmed.

Identity

CAS number 827024-53-3
FEMA number 3790
FDA UNII 0VG9JPO6J5
Chemical class Ester
Boiling point 76 °C
Flash point 21 °C

Also known as: methylthio 2-(propionyloxy) propionate, propionyllactic acid thiomethyl ester, methyl thiopropionyl oxypropionate, s-methyl 2-(propionyloxy)propanethioate, propanethioic acid, 2-(1-oxopropoxy)-, s-methyl ester, methylthio 2-(propionyloxy) propionate [fhfi], methylthio 2-(propanoyloxy)propanoate, s-methyl-2-(propionyloxy)propanethioate, (1-methylsulanyl-1-oxopropan-2-yl) propanoate, 1-(methylsulfanyl)-1-oxopropan-2-yl propanoate.

Can Methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate be labeled natural?

Since methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate 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

Methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3790. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.

21 CFR 172.515

European Union and United Kingdom

Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 12.227, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.

JECFA (WHO / FAO)

JECFA number 493, evaluated at the 53rd meeting in 1999. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.

JECFA monograph

Other US flags

Not on the California Proposition 65 list.

Odor and taste

Odor: Sweet, fruity, tropical, estery, apple.

Where it is used

Methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and desserts, typically as a fruity note.

Structurally similar flavor ingredients

Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.

MaterialFEMASimilarityOccurrence
Butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate333281%In nature

More esters in this index

1-Octen-3-yl acetate · 3-Hexenyl 3-methylbutanoate · 3-Oxododecanoic acid glyceride · Butan-3-one-2-yl butanoate · 1-Isobutoxy-1-ethoxyethane · Methyl thiobutyrate

Methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate FAQ

Does methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate have FEMA GRAS status?

Methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3790. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.

How do I cite methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate by FEMA or CAS number?

Cite methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate as FEMA 3790 or CAS 827024-53-3; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.

Can methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate be labeled a natural flavor?

Methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.

Can methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate be used in the EU and UK?

Methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 12.227 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.

Has JECFA evaluated methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate?

Yes. JECFA number 493, evaluated at the 53rd meeting in 1999. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.

What does methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate smell and taste like, and where is it used?

The odor of methylthio 2-(propionyloxy)propionate is sweet, fruity, tropical, estery, apple. Typical uses are beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and desserts.

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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 METHYLTHIO 2-(PROPIONYLOXY)PROPIONATE under CAS 977161-96-8 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.