Flavor ingredient regulatory record
N-Acetyl glutamate
N-Acetyl glutamate is an acid in the savory family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4752 (CAS 1188-37-0). Its odor is umami, savory, slightly sweet, meaty.
- FEMA
- 4752
- CAS
- 1188-37-0
- JECFA
- 2269
- Formula
- C7H11NO5
- EC
- 214-708-4
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS. Source: FEMA Flavor Ingredient Library.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: L-Glutamic acid, N-acetyl-, Glutamic acid, N-acetyl-, L-, N-Acetyl-L-glutamic acid, N-Acetylglutamic acid, N-Acetyl-S-glutamic acid, Acetylglutamic acid, L-N-Acetylglutamic acid, α-(N-Acetyl)-L-glutamic acid, N-Acetyl-L-glutaminic acid, (2S)-2-Acetamidopentanedioic acid, n-acetyl-l-glutamic acid, acetylglutamic acid.
Can N-Acetyl glutamate be labeled natural?
N-Acetyl glutamate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: N-Acetyl glutamate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized N-Acetyl glutamate is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material 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
N-Acetyl glutamate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4752. 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 N-Acetyl glutamate. 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)
JECFA number 2269, evaluated at the 89th meeting in 2020. 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. N-Acetyl glutamate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 1188-37-0, where EPA names it L-Glutamic acid, N-acetyl-.
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: Umami, savory, slightly sweet, meaty.
Where it is used
N-Acetyl glutamate is used in sauces, seasonings, snack foods and meat products, typically as a savory note.
More acids in this index
L-Aspartic acid · Sodium diacetate · l-Glutamic acid · 4-Aminobutyric acid · Disodium succinate · 4-Methyloctanoic acid
N-Acetyl glutamate FAQ
Is N-Acetyl glutamate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists N-Acetyl glutamate as GRAS under FEMA number 4752. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for N-Acetyl glutamate?
N-Acetyl glutamate is FEMA 4752, CAS 1188-37-0. FEMA files it in the savory flavor category.
Does N-Acetyl glutamate count as natural in the US and the EU?
Since N-Acetyl glutamate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when N-Acetyl glutamate is synthesized. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Is N-Acetyl glutamate approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for N-Acetyl glutamate. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 2269), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Has JECFA evaluated N-Acetyl glutamate?
Yes. JECFA number 2269, evaluated at the 89th meeting in 2020. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
How is N-Acetyl glutamate described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe N-Acetyl glutamate as umami, savory, slightly sweet, meaty. It is used in sauces, seasonings, snack foods and meat products.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check N-Acetyl glutamate in a formula
Screened against FEMA GRAS, 21 CFR and EU rules as you build. Free to start.
Sources and attribution. The FEMA number and GRAS status on this page name a conclusion reached by the Expert Panel of the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association of the United States. FDA does not list this substance by FEMA number in its Substances Added to Food inventory. Its identity is attested by EPA TSCA Chemical Substance Inventory, matched on CAS 1188-37-0.
FEMA publishes its own entry for this substance in the FEMA Flavor Library, which is the authoritative record 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.