Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Octadec-9-enal
Octadec-9-enal is an aldehyde in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4059 (CAS 5090-41-5). Its odor is fruity, green, nutty, fresh.
- FEMA
- 4059
- CAS
- 5090-41-5
- JECFA
- 1641
- EU FL
- 05.203
- Formula
- C18H34O
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 21. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 5090-41-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 9-Octadecenal, Octadecenyl aldehyde, 9-octadecenal, octadecenyl aldehyde, elialdehyde, 9-octadecenal [fhfi], (e)-octadec-9-enal, e-9-octadecenal, 9-octadecenal, (9e)-, 9-octadecenal, (e)-, (9e)-9-octadecenal, (9e)-9-octadecenal #.
Can Octadec-9-enal be labeled natural?
The process decides for octadec-9-enal. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic octadec-9-enal 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
Octadec-9-enal is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4059. 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 05.203, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1641, evaluated at the 68th meeting in 2007. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
Odor and taste
Odor: Fruity, green, nutty, fresh.
Where it is used
Octadec-9-enal is used in beverage, confection, flavoring and snacks, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Octadec-9-enal by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| (E)-Tetradec-2-enal | 4209 | 93% | In nature |
| Ethyl hexadecanoate | 2451 | 93% | In nature |
| Oleic acid | 2815 | 92% | In nature |
| Myristaldehyde | 2763 | 92% | In nature |
More aldehydes in this index
Undec-2(trans)-enal · Perillaldehyde propyleneglycol acetal · (E,E)-2,4-Hexadienal · 4-Pentenal · 1-Ethyl-2-pyrrolecarboxaldehyde · 2-Methyl-3-(p-tolyl)propionaldehyde
Octadec-9-enal FAQ
Is octadec-9-enal FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists octadec-9-enal as GRAS under FEMA number 4059. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for octadec-9-enal?
Octadec-9-enal is FEMA 4059, CAS 5090-41-5. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is octadec-9-enal described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe octadec-9-enal as fruity, green, nutty, fresh. It is used in beverage, confection, flavoring and snacks.
What did JECFA conclude about octadec-9-enal?
JECFA evaluated octadec-9-enal at the 68th meeting in 2007 under JECFA number 1641. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is octadec-9-enal on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 05.203 is the Union List entry for octadec-9-enal, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does octadec-9-enal count as natural in the US and the EU?
Nature makes octadec-9-enal, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial octadec-9-enal, same molecule. In the EU and UK the natural claim likewise needs the natural route, while Mercosur and Mexico keep a third class, identical-to-natural, for the synthetic material.
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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 9-OCTADECENAL under CAS 5090-41-5 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.