Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Nerol oxide
Nerol oxide is a terpene in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3661 (CAS 1786-08-9). Its odor is floral, sweet, citrus, green, fresh.
- FEMA
- 3661
- CAS
- 1786-08-9
- JECFA
- 1235
- EU FL
- 13.088
- Formula
- C10H16O
- EC
- 217-241-4
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 13. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 1786-08-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2H-Pyran, 3,6-dihydro-4-methyl-2-(2-methyl-1-propen-1-yl)-, 2H-Pyran, 3,6-dihydro-4-methyl-2-(2-methyl-1-propenyl)-, 2H-Pyran, 3,6-dihydro-4-methyl-2-(2-methylpropenyl)-, 3,6-Dihydro-4-methyl-2-(2-methyl-1-propen-1-yl)-2H-pyran, (±)-Nerol oxide, 3,6-Dihydro-4-methyl-2-(2-methyl-1-propenyl)-2H-pyran, Isoneroloxide, 4-methyl-2-(2-methylprop-1-enyl)-3,6-dihydro-2h-pyran, 4-methyl-2-(2-methylprop-1-en-1-yl)-3,6-dihydro-2h-pyran, 2h-pyran, 3,6-dihydro-4-methyl-2-(2-methyl-1-propenyl)-, 3,6-dihydro-4-methyl-2-(2-methylpropenyl)-2h-pyran, 2h-pyran, 3,6-dihydro-4-methyl-2-(2-methylpropenyl)-.
Can Nerol oxide be labeled natural?
Nature makes nerol oxide, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial nerol oxide, same molecule. 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
Nerol oxide is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3661. 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 13.088, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1235, 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 oxide appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 1786-08-9, where EPA names it 2H-Pyran, 3,6-dihydro-4-methyl-2-(2-methyl-1-propen-1-yl)-.
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: Floral, sweet, citrus, green, fresh.
Taste: Sweet, floral, citrus.
Where it is used
Nerol oxide is used in beverage, confection, fragrance and cosmetics, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Nerol oxide by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-Methylidene-2-(2-methylprop-1-enyl)oxane | 4929 | 90% | Not determined |
| p-Mentha-1,4-diene | 3559 | 79% | In nature |
| Terpinolene | 3046 | 73% | In nature |
| p-Mentha-1,3-diene | 3558 | 72% | In nature |
| alpha-Phellandrene | 2856 | 65% | In nature |
More terpenes in this index
beta-Ionol · Linalool oxide pyranoid · Farnesol · alpha -Bisabolene · Bisabolene · (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol
Nerol oxide FAQ
Does nerol oxide have FEMA GRAS status?
Nerol oxide holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3661. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite nerol oxide by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite nerol oxide as FEMA 3661 or CAS 1786-08-9; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is floral.
What does nerol oxide smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of nerol oxide is floral, sweet, citrus, green, fresh. On the palate it is sweet, floral, citrus. Typical uses are beverage, confection, fragrance and cosmetics.
What did JECFA conclude about nerol oxide?
JECFA evaluated nerol oxide at the 61st meeting in 2003 under JECFA number 1235. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Can nerol oxide be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 13.088 is the Union List entry for nerol oxide, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can nerol oxide be labeled a natural flavor?
The process decides for nerol oxide. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic nerol oxide is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material 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 3,6-DIHYDRO-4-METHYL-2(2-METHYLPROPEN-1-YL)-2H-PYRAN under CAS 1786-08-9 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.