Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Propyl alcohol
Propyl alcohol is an alcohol in the alcoholic family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2928 (CAS 71-23-8). Its odor is alcoholic, pungent, winey.
- FEMA
- 2928
- CAS
- 71-23-8
- JECFA
- 82
- EU FL
- 02.002
- Formula
- C3H8O
- EC
- 200-746-9
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 71-23-8.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 1-Propanol, Ethylcarbinol, Optal, Osmosol extra, Propanol, n-Propanol, n-Propyl alcohol, 1-Hydroxypropane, NSC 30300, MeSH ID: D000433, 1-propanol, propanol.
Can Propyl alcohol be labeled natural?
Propyl alcohol occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: propyl alcohol won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized propyl alcohol 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
Propyl alcohol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2928. 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 02.002, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 82, 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. Propyl alcohol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 71-23-8, where EPA names it 1-Propanol.
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: Alcoholic, pungent, winey.
Taste: Alcoholic, slightly sweet.
Where it is used
Propyl alcohol is used in alcoholic, rum and whiskey, typically as a alcoholic note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Propyl alcohol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Propylamine | 4237 | 96% | In nature |
| Propylene Glycol | 2940 | 96% | In nature |
| 1-Amino-2-propanol | 3965 | 93% | In nature |
| Butyl alcohol | 2178 | 89% | In nature |
| 2-Butanone | 2170 | 89% | In nature |
More alcohols in this index
Butyl alcohol · Amyl alcohol · Isopropyl alcohol · Ethanol · 4-Hexen-1-ol · (Z,Z)-3,6-Nonadien-1-ol
Propyl alcohol FAQ
Is propyl alcohol FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists propyl alcohol as GRAS under FEMA number 2928. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for propyl alcohol?
Propyl alcohol is FEMA 2928, CAS 71-23-8. FEMA files it in the alcoholic flavor category.
Does propyl alcohol count as natural in the US and the EU?
Since propyl alcohol is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when propyl alcohol is synthesized. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Is propyl alcohol on the EU Union List?
Propyl alcohol is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 02.002 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated propyl alcohol?
Yes. JECFA number 82, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
How is propyl alcohol described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe propyl alcohol as alcoholic, pungent, winey. On the palate it is alcoholic, slightly sweet. It is used in alcoholic, rum and whiskey.
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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 PROPYL ALCOHOL under CAS 71-23-8 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, solvent or vehicle.
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.