Flavor ingredient regulatory record
n-Amyl heptanoate
n-Amyl heptanoate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2073 (CAS 7493-82-5). Its odor is sweet, fruity, apple, pear, tropical.
- FEMA
- 2073
- CAS
- 7493-82-5
- JECFA
- 170
- EU FL
- 09.098
- Formula
- C12H24O2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 7493-82-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Heptanoic acid, pentyl ester, Amyl heptanoate, Pentyl heptanoate, NSC 46129, pentyl heptanoate, amyl heptanoate, heptanoic acid, pentyl ester, amyl heptylate, amyl heptoate, amyl oenanthate, amyl heptanoate [fcc], ai3-33582.
Can n-Amyl heptanoate be labeled natural?
Nature makes n-Amyl heptanoate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial n-Amyl heptanoate, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic n-Amyl heptanoate 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-Amyl heptanoate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2073. 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 09.098, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
Purity. At least 93%; secondary component 4-7% n-amyl 2-methylhexanoate
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 170, 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. n-Amyl heptanoate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 7493-82-5, where EPA names it Heptanoic acid, pentyl ester.
Inactive in US commerce
EPA designates this substance inactive, so a Notice of Activity Form B is required before anyone manufactures or processes it again. Being FEMA GRAS does not change that. 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, fruity, apple, pear, tropical.
Where it is used
n-Amyl heptanoate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, ice cream and bakery, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to n-Amyl heptanoate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| n-Amyl octanoate | 2079 | 96% | In nature |
| Heptyl heptanoate | 4341 | 91% | In nature |
| Ethyl decanoate | 2432 | 89% | In nature |
| Heptyl octanoate | 2553 | 81% | In nature |
| Butyl hexanoate | 2201 | 81% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Ethyl 3-oxohexanoate · Isobutyl N-methylanthranilate · Ethyl phenylacetate · Benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal · Rhodinyl isovalerate · Ethyl 2-methyl-4-pentenoate
n-Amyl heptanoate FAQ
Is n-Amyl heptanoate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists n-Amyl heptanoate as GRAS under FEMA number 2073. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for n-Amyl heptanoate?
n-Amyl heptanoate is FEMA 2073, CAS 7493-82-5. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is n-Amyl heptanoate described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe n-Amyl heptanoate as sweet, fruity, apple, pear, tropical. It is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, ice cream and bakery.
What did JECFA conclude about n-Amyl heptanoate?
JECFA evaluated n-Amyl heptanoate at the 61st meeting in 2003 under JECFA number 170. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is n-Amyl heptanoate on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 09.098 is the Union List entry for n-Amyl heptanoate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does n-Amyl heptanoate count as natural in the US and the EU?
The process decides for n-Amyl heptanoate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic n-Amyl heptanoate is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic n-Amyl heptanoate identical-to-natural.
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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 AMYL HEPTANOATE under CAS 7493-82-5 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 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.