Flavor ingredient regulatory record
o-trans-Coumaric acid
o-trans-Coumaric acid is an acid in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4700 (CAS 614-60-8). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, herbaceous, green.
- FEMA
- 4700
- CAS
- 614-60-8
- Formula
- C9H8O3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 25. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 614-60-8.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Propenoic acid, 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-, (2E)-, Cinnamic acid, o-hydroxy-, (E)-, 2-Propenoic acid, 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-, (E)-, (2E)-3-(2-Hydroxyphenyl)-2-propenoic acid, trans-o-Coumaric acid, trans-o-Hydroxycinnamic acid, trans-2-Hydroxycinnamic acid, o-Hydroxy-trans-cinnamic acid, (E)-o-Hydroxycinnamic acid, (E)-2-Hydroxycinnamic acid, NSC 32952, (E)-3-(2-Hydroxyphenyl)acrylic acid.
Can o-trans-Coumaric acid be labeled natural?
o-trans-Coumaric acid occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: o-trans-Coumaric acid won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized o-trans-Coumaric acid is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic o-trans-Coumaric acid 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
o-trans-Coumaric acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4700. 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 o-trans-Coumaric acid. 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)
o-trans-Coumaric acid has not been evaluated by JECFA as a flavouring agent, or no evaluation is on file.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. o-trans-Coumaric acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 614-60-8, where EPA names it 2-Propenoic acid, 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-, (2E)-.
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: Sweet, fruity, floral, herbaceous, green.
Where it is used
o-trans-Coumaric acid is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, sauces and dressings, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to o-trans-Coumaric acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinnamic acid | 2288 | 84% | In nature |
| 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid | 3986 | 72% | In nature |
| 4-Hydroxybenzaldehyde | 3984 | 71% | In nature |
| 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid | 4430 | 70% | In nature |
| Vanillin | 3107 | 69% | In nature |
More acids in this index
(E)-2-Pentenoic acid · Valeric acid · Cyclohexylacetic acid · 4-Methyloctanoic acid · 4-Decenoic Acid · 2-Oxobutyric acid
o-trans-Coumaric acid FAQ
Is o-trans-Coumaric acid on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 4700 covers o-trans-Coumaric acid. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for o-trans-Coumaric acid?
The FEMA number for o-trans-Coumaric acid is 4700 and its CAS registry number is 614-60-8. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is o-trans-Coumaric acid natural or artificial?
Since o-trans-Coumaric acid is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when o-trans-Coumaric acid is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic o-trans-Coumaric acid identical-to-natural.
What is o-trans-Coumaric acid used for?
o-trans-Coumaric acid is described as sweet, fruity, floral, herbaceous, green. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, sauces and dressings.
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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 O-TRANS-COUMARIC ACID under CAS 614-60-8 and carries its FEMA 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.