Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Oct-2-enal
Oct-2-enal is an aldehyde in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3215 (CAS 2363-89-5). Its odor is green, fruity, citrus, fresh.
- FEMA
- 3215
- CAS
- 2363-89-5
- JECFA
- 1363
- EU FL
- 05.060
- Formula
- C8H14O
- EC
- 219-115-4
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 4. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 2363-89-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Octenal, 2-Octen-1-al, trans-2-octenal, (e)-2-octenal, (e)-oct-2-enal, (e)-2-octen-1-al, trans-2-octen-1-al, 2-octenal, (e)-, 2-octenal, (2e)-, 2-octenel, 2-octenal, 2-octen-1-al.
Can Oct-2-enal be labeled natural?
The process decides for oct-2-enal. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic oct-2-enal is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic oct-2-enal 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
Oct-2-enal is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3215. 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 05.060, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
Purity. At least 92%; secondary components 3-4% 2-octenoic acid and ethyl octanoate
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1363, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. 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. Oct-2-enal appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 2363-89-5, where EPA names it 2-Octenal.
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: Green, fruity, citrus, fresh.
Where it is used
Oct-2-enal is used in beverage, confection, flavoring agents and savory dishes, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Oct-2-enal by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| trans-Nonenal | 3213 | 98% | In nature |
| 2,4-Octadienal | 3721 | 97% | In nature |
| 2,4-Nonadienal | 3212 | 96% | In nature |
| 2-trans,6-trans Octadienal | 3466 | 93% | In nature |
| cis-5-Octenal | 3749 | 93% | In nature |
More aldehydes in this index
4-Decenal · Phenylacetaldehyde dimethyl acetal · 4,7-Decadienal · 2-Methylpentanal · p-Isopropylphenylacetaldehyde · 1-Methyl-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde
Oct-2-enal FAQ
Is oct-2-enal on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3215 covers oct-2-enal. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for oct-2-enal?
The FEMA number for oct-2-enal is 3215 and its CAS registry number is 2363-89-5. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is oct-2-enal used for?
Oct-2-enal is described as green, fruity, citrus, fresh. It shows up in beverage, confection, flavoring agents and savory dishes.
What did JECFA conclude about oct-2-enal?
JECFA evaluated oct-2-enal at the 63rd meeting in 2004 under JECFA number 1363. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is oct-2-enal approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 05.060 is the Union List entry for oct-2-enal, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is oct-2-enal natural or artificial?
Nature makes oct-2-enal, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial oct-2-enal, same molecule. 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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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 2-OCTENAL under CAS 2363-89-5 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.