Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Pentadecanoic acid
Pentadecanoic acid is an acid in the dairy family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4334 (CAS 1002-84-2). Its odor is creamy, fatty, buttery, slightly sweet.
- FEMA
- 4334
- CAS
- 1002-84-2
- JECFA
- 2300
- Formula
- C15H30O2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 23. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 1002-84-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Pentadecylic acid, n-Pentadecanoic acid, 14FA, NSC 28486, pentadecylic acid, n-pentadecanoic acid, c15:0, fatty acid 15:0, pentadecyclic acid, n-pentadecylic acid, 2,2-dideuteropentadecanoic acid, pentadecanoic acid, 99%.
Can Pentadecanoic acid be labeled natural?
Since pentadecanoic acid is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when pentadecanoic acid is synthesized. 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
Pentadecanoic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4334. 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 Pentadecanoic 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)
JECFA number 2300, evaluated at the 97th meeting in 2023. no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Pentadecanoic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 1002-84-2, where EPA names it Pentadecanoic 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: Creamy, fatty, buttery, slightly sweet.
Taste: Rich, creamy, slightly tangy.
Where it is used
Pentadecanoic acid is used in dairy, confection, bakery and savory dishes, typically as a dairy note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Pentadecanoic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmitic acid | 2832 | 100% | In nature |
| Myristic acid | 2764 | 99% | In nature |
| Tridecanoic acid | 4336 | 98% | In nature |
| Stearic acid | 3035 | 97% | In nature |
| Lauric acid | 2614 | 94% | In nature |
More acids in this index
Decanoic acid · Tridecanoic acid · Isobutyric acid · Butyric acid · Cyclohexylacetic acid · Lauric acid
Pentadecanoic acid FAQ
Is pentadecanoic acid on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 4334 covers pentadecanoic acid. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for pentadecanoic acid?
The FEMA number for pentadecanoic acid is 4334 and its CAS registry number is 1002-84-2. FEMA files it in the dairy flavor category.
Is pentadecanoic acid natural or artificial?
Pentadecanoic acid occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: pentadecanoic acid won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized pentadecanoic acid is artificial. 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.
Is pentadecanoic acid approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for pentadecanoic acid. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 2300), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Has JECFA evaluated pentadecanoic acid?
Yes. JECFA number 2300, evaluated at the 97th meeting in 2023. Conclusion: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
What is pentadecanoic acid used for?
Pentadecanoic acid is described as creamy, fatty, buttery, slightly sweet. On the palate it is rich, creamy, slightly tangy. It shows up in dairy, confection, bakery and savory dishes.
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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 PENTADECANOIC ACID under CAS 1002-84-2 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.