Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Nerol
Nerol is a terpene alcohol in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2770 (CAS 106-25-2). Its odor is rose, fresh, citrus, sweet, neroli.
- FEMA
- 2770
- CAS
- 106-25-2
- JECFA
- 1224
- EU FL
- 02.058
- Formula
- C10H18O
- EC
- 203-378-7
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 106-25-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (2Z)-, 2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (Z)-, (2Z)-3,7-Dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-ol, cis-3,7-Dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-ol, cis-Geraniol, Neryl alcohol, β-Nerol, (Z)-Geraniol, (Z)-3,7-Dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-ol, 3,7-Dimethyl-cis-2,6-octadien-1-ol, (Z)-Nerol, 2-cis-3,7-Dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-ol.
Can Nerol be labeled natural?
Since nerol is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when nerol is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic nerol 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
Nerol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2770. 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 02.058, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1224, 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. Nerol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 106-25-2, where EPA names it 2,6-Octadien-1-ol, 3,7-dimethyl-, (2Z)-.
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: Rose, fresh, citrus, sweet, neroli.
Taste: Floral, citrus, rose-like.
Where it is used
Nerol is used in rose, neroli, citrus and floral, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Nerol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geraniol | 2507 | 100% | In nature |
| (-)-3,7-Dimethyl-6-octen-1-ol | 2309 | 95% | In nature |
| Citral | 2303 | 90% | In nature |
| Citronellal | 2307 | 81% | In nature |
| (E,Z)-Geranic acid | 4121 | 80% | In nature |
More terpene alcohols in this index
Geraniol · Linalool · alpha-Terpineol · 4-(p-Hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone · l-Menthol
Nerol FAQ
Does nerol have FEMA GRAS status?
Nerol holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2770. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite nerol by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite nerol as FEMA 2770 or CAS 106-25-2; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the floral flavor category.
Can nerol be labeled a natural flavor?
Nerol occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: nerol won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized nerol 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 nerol be used in the EU and UK?
Nerol is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 02.058 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated nerol?
Yes. JECFA number 1224, evaluated at the 61st meeting in 2003. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does nerol smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of nerol is rose, fresh, citrus, sweet, neroli. On the palate it is floral, citrus, rose-like. Typical uses are rose, neroli, citrus and floral.
Ingredient lookup
Check an ingredient
Start typing to search the ingredient corpus.
Or browse every ingredient page, A to Z.
Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check Nerol in a formula
Screened against FEMA GRAS, 21 CFR and EU rules as you build. Free to start.
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 NEROL under CAS 106-25-2 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.