Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Pyrrole
Pyrrole is a heterocyclic compound in the earthy family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3386 (CAS 109-97-7). Its odor is nutty, earthy, roasted, green, slightly sweet.
- FEMA
- 3386
- CAS
- 109-97-7
- JECFA
- 1314
- EU FL
- 14.041
- Formula
- C4H5N
- EC
- 203-724-7
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 6. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 109-97-7.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 1H-Pyrrole, 1-Aza-2,4-cyclopentadiene, Azole, Divinylenimine, Imidole, Monopyrrole, NSC 62777, 1h-pyrrole, azole, divinylenimine, imidole, pyrrol.
Can Pyrrole be labeled natural?
Since pyrrole is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when pyrrole 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
Pyrrole is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3386. 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 14.041, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA/EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1314, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. 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. Pyrrole appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 109-97-7, where EPA names it 1H-Pyrrole.
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: Nutty, earthy, roasted, green, slightly sweet.
Where it is used
Pyrrole is used in beverage, savory dishes, snacks and seasonings, typically as a earthy note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Pyrrole by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methyl 2-pyrrolyl ketone | 3202 | 76% | In nature |
| 1-Pyrroline | 3898 | 74% | In nature |
| Pyrrolidine | 3523 | 72% | In nature |
| 2-Propionylpyrrole | 3614 | 69% | Not determined |
| Indole | 2593 | 67% | In nature |
More heterocyclic compounds in this index
4-Amino-5,6-dimethylthieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-2(1H)-one · 2-Pyridine · 6-Methylquinoline · Trimethyloxazole
Pyrrole FAQ
Is pyrrole on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3386 covers pyrrole. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for pyrrole?
The FEMA number for pyrrole is 3386 and its CAS registry number is 109-97-7. FEMA files it in the earthy flavor category.
Is pyrrole natural or artificial?
Pyrrole occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: pyrrole won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized pyrrole 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 pyrrole approved in the EU?
Pyrrole is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 14.041 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated pyrrole?
Yes. JECFA number 1314, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What is pyrrole used for?
Pyrrole is described as nutty, earthy, roasted, green, slightly sweet. It shows up in beverage, savory dishes, snacks and seasonings.
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 Pyrrole 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 PYRROLE under CAS 109-97-7 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.