Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Octyl octanoate
Octyl octanoate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2811 (CAS 2306-88-9). Its odor is sweet, fruity, tropical, peach, coconut.
- FEMA
- 2811
- CAS
- 2306-88-9
- JECFA
- 177
- EU FL
- 09.114
- Formula
- C16H32O2
- EC
- 218-980-5
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 2306-88-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Octanoic acid, octyl ester, Caprylic acid, octyl ester, Octyl caprylate, n-Octyl caprylate, 1-Octyl octanoate, 1-Octanol octanoate, n-Octyl n-octanoate, Estol 1540EHC, NSC 23957, Octyl octanathioate, Cetiol 88, Caprylyl caprylate.
Can Octyl octanoate be labeled natural?
The process decides for octyl octanoate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic octyl octanoate 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
Octyl octanoate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2811. 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 09.114, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 177, 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. Octyl octanoate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 2306-88-9, where EPA names it Octanoic acid, octyl ester.
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, tropical, peach, coconut.
Where it is used
Octyl octanoate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, ice cream and bakery, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Octyl octanoate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heptyl octanoate | 2553 | 99% | In nature |
| Butyl laurate | 2206 | 98% | In nature |
| Ethyl hexadecanoate | 2451 | 98% | In nature |
| Dodecyl butyrate | 4340 | 98% | In nature |
| Methyl myristate | 2722 | 97% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Methyl octanoate · Ethyl (E)-2-methyl-2-pentenoate · Ethyl Hexanoate · Carvyl propionate · Phenethyl octanoate · l-Menthyl butyrate
Octyl octanoate FAQ
Is octyl octanoate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists octyl octanoate as GRAS under FEMA number 2811. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for octyl octanoate?
Octyl octanoate is FEMA 2811, CAS 2306-88-9. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is octyl octanoate described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe octyl octanoate as sweet, fruity, tropical, peach, coconut. It is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, ice cream and bakery.
What did JECFA conclude about octyl octanoate?
JECFA evaluated octyl octanoate at the 49th meeting in 1997 under JECFA number 177. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is octyl octanoate on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 09.114 is the Union List entry for octyl octanoate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does octyl octanoate count as natural in the US and the EU?
Nature makes octyl octanoate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial octyl octanoate, 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.
Ingredient lookup
Check an ingredient
Start typing to search the ingredient corpus.
Or browse every ingredient page, A to Z.
Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check Octyl octanoate in a formula
Screened against FEMA GRAS, 21 CFR and EU rules as you build. Free to start.
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 OCTYL OCTANOATE under CAS 2306-88-9 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.