Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Nonanoic acid
Nonanoic acid is an acid in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2784 (CAS 112-05-0). Its odor is fatty, waxy, fruity, slightly floral.
- FEMA
- 2784
- CAS
- 112-05-0
- JECFA
- 102
- EU FL
- 08.029
- Formula
- C9H18O2
- EC
- 203-931-2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 112-05-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Nonoic acid, n-Nonoic acid, Nonylic acid, 1-Octanecarboxylic acid, Pelargonic acid, n-Nonylic acid, n-Nonanoic acid, n-Pelargonic acid, Grantrico, NSC 62787, NSC 65450, NSC 65455.
Can Nonanoic acid be labeled natural?
Nonanoic acid occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: nonanoic acid won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized nonanoic acid 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
Nonanoic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2784. 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 08.029, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 102, 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. Nonanoic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 112-05-0, where EPA names it Nonanoic 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, fruity, slightly floral.
Where it is used
Nonanoic acid is used in flavoring agent, food additive, fragrance and cosmetics, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Nonanoic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decanoic acid | 2364 | 98% | In nature |
| Octanoic acid | 2799 | 98% | In nature |
| Undecanoic acid | 3245 | 95% | In nature |
| 4-Methylnonanoic acid | 3574 | 94% | In nature |
| (E)-2-Decenoic acid | 3913 | 90% | In nature |
More acids in this index
2-Oxo-3-phenylpropionic acid sodium salt · Decanedioic acid · 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxy benzoic acid · 4-Methyl-2-oxopentanoic acid · 3-Isopropenylpentanedioic acid · 4-Methylpentanoic acid
Nonanoic acid FAQ
Is nonanoic acid FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists nonanoic acid as GRAS under FEMA number 2784. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for nonanoic acid?
Nonanoic acid is FEMA 2784, CAS 112-05-0. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Does nonanoic acid count as natural in the US and the EU?
Since nonanoic acid is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when nonanoic acid 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 nonanoic acid on the EU Union List?
Nonanoic acid is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 08.029 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated nonanoic acid?
Yes. JECFA number 102, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
How is nonanoic acid described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe nonanoic acid as fatty, waxy, fruity, slightly floral. It is used in flavoring agent, food additive, fragrance and cosmetics.
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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 NONANOIC ACID under CAS 112-05-0 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.