Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Octanoic acid
Octanoic acid is an acid in the fatty family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2799 (CAS 124-07-2). Its odor is fatty, waxy, coconut, creamy.
- FEMA
- 2799
- CAS
- 124-07-2
- JECFA
- 99
- EU FL
- 08.010
- Formula
- C8H16O2
- EC
- 204-677-5
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 124-07-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Caprylic acid, n-Caprylic acid, Neo-Fat 8, 1-Heptanecarboxylic acid, n-Octoic acid, Octylic acid, n-Octylic acid, n-Octanoic acid, Lunac 8-95, NAA 82, Prifac 2901, Lunac 8-98.
Can Octanoic acid be labeled natural?
The process decides for octanoic acid. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic octanoic 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
Octanoic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2799. 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 08.010, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 99, evaluated at the 82nd meeting in 2016. 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. Octanoic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 124-07-2, where EPA names it Octanoic 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, coconut, creamy.
Taste: Slightly sour, fatty, creamy.
Where it is used
Octanoic acid is used in dairy, bakery, confectionery and savory dishes, typically as a fatty note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Octanoic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonanoic acid | 2784 | 98% | In nature |
| Decanoic acid | 2364 | 94% | In nature |
| 4-Methyloctanoic acid | 3575 | 93% | In nature |
| trans-4-Octenoic acid | 4357 | 93% | In nature |
| 4-Ethyloctanoic acid | 3800 | 92% | In nature |
More acids in this index
Palmitic acid · Stearic acid · Mixture of Ricinoleic acid, Linoleic acid, and Oleic acid · Myristic acid · N-Benzoylanthranilic acid · Hexanoic acid
Octanoic acid FAQ
Is octanoic acid FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists octanoic acid as GRAS under FEMA number 2799. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for octanoic acid?
Octanoic acid is FEMA 2799, CAS 124-07-2. Its flavor category is fatty.
How is octanoic acid described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe octanoic acid as fatty, waxy, coconut, creamy. On the palate it is slightly sour, fatty, creamy. It is used in dairy, bakery, confectionery and savory dishes.
What did JECFA conclude about octanoic acid?
JECFA evaluated octanoic acid at the 82nd meeting in 2016 under JECFA number 99. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is octanoic acid on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 08.010 is the Union List entry for octanoic acid, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does octanoic acid count as natural in the US and the EU?
Nature makes octanoic acid, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial octanoic acid, 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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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 OCTANOIC ACID under CAS 124-07-2 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.