Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Myristic acid
Myristic acid is an acid in the nutty family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2764 (CAS 544-63-8). Its odor is fatty, waxy, nutty, creamy.
- FEMA
- 2764
- CAS
- 544-63-8
- JECFA
- 113
- EU FL
- 08.016
- Formula
- C14H28O2
- EC
- 208-875-2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 544-63-8.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Tetradecanoic acid, Neo-Fat 14, Univol U 316S, n-Tetradecoic acid, 1-Tridecanecarboxylic acid, n-Tetradecanoic acid, n-Tetradecan-1-oic acid, Prifac 2942, NAA 142, NAA 104, Emery 655, Hystrene 9014.
Can Myristic acid be labeled natural?
Myristic acid occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: myristic acid won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized myristic acid 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
Myristic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2764. 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 08.016, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
Purity. At least 94%; secondary components 2-4% hexadecanoic acid; 1-3% dodecanoic acid
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 113, 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.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Myristic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 544-63-8, where EPA names it Tetradecanoic acid.
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: Fatty, waxy, nutty, creamy.
Taste: Fatty, creamy, slightly sweet.
Where it is used
Myristic acid is used in dairy, confection, bakery and savory dishes, typically as a nutty note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Myristic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pentadecanoic acid | 4334 | 99% | In nature |
| Tridecanoic acid | 4336 | 99% | In nature |
| Palmitic acid | 2832 | 98% | In nature |
| Lauric acid | 2614 | 97% | In nature |
| Stearic acid | 3035 | 96% | In nature |
More acids in this index
Linoleic and linolenic acid · 4-Methyloctanoic acid · Cinnamic acid · Fumaric acid · Pyruvic acid · 4-Ethyloctanoic acid
Myristic acid FAQ
Does myristic acid have FEMA GRAS status?
Myristic acid holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2764. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite myristic acid by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite myristic acid as FEMA 2764 or CAS 544-63-8; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the nutty flavor category.
Can myristic acid be labeled a natural flavor?
Since myristic acid is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when myristic acid 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 myristic acid be used in the EU and UK?
Myristic acid is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 08.016 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated myristic acid?
Yes. JECFA number 113, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does myristic acid smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of myristic acid is fatty, waxy, nutty, creamy. On the palate it is fatty, creamy, slightly sweet. Typical uses are dairy, confection, bakery and savory dishes.
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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 MYRISTIC ACID under CAS 544-63-8 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 flavor enhancer, flavoring agent or adjuvant, lubricant or release agent, surface-active agent.
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.