Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Pyruvaldehyde
Pyruvaldehyde is an aldehyde in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2969 (CAS 78-98-8). Its odor is sweet, fruity, apple, nutty, fresh.
- FEMA
- 2969
- CAS
- 78-98-8
- JECFA
- 937
- EU FL
- 07.001
- Formula
- C3H4O2
- EC
- 201-164-8
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 78-98-8.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Propanal, 2-oxo-, 2-Oxopropanal, Acetylformaldehyde, Acetylformyl, α-Ketopropionaldehyde, Methylglyoxal, Pyroracemic aldehyde, Pyruvic aldehyde, 2-Ketopropionaldehyde, 2-Oxopropionaldehyde, NSC 626580, NSC 79019.
Can Pyruvaldehyde be labeled natural?
Nature makes pyruvaldehyde, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial pyruvaldehyde, 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.
- 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
Pyruvaldehyde is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2969. 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 07.001, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 937, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. 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. Pyruvaldehyde appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 78-98-8, where EPA names it Propanal, 2-oxo-.
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, apple, nutty, fresh.
Where it is used
Pyruvaldehyde is used in beverage, confection, flavoring and baked goods, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Pyruvaldehyde by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydroxyacetone | 4462 | 82% | In nature |
| Pyruvic acid | 2970 | 77% | In nature |
| Ethanol | 2419 | 77% | In nature |
| Acetic acid | 2006 | 77% | In nature |
| Propionic acid | 2924 | 76% | In nature |
More aldehydes in this index
Acetaldehyde · 10-Undecenal · 3,7,11-Trimethyl-2,6,10-dodecatrienal · trans-2-Hexenal propylene glycol acetal · 4-Decenal · 2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde
Pyruvaldehyde FAQ
Is pyruvaldehyde on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2969 covers pyruvaldehyde. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for pyruvaldehyde?
The FEMA number for pyruvaldehyde is 2969 and its CAS registry number is 78-98-8. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is pyruvaldehyde used for?
Pyruvaldehyde is described as sweet, fruity, apple, nutty, fresh. It shows up in beverage, confection, flavoring and baked goods.
What did JECFA conclude about pyruvaldehyde?
JECFA evaluated pyruvaldehyde at the 57th meeting in 2001 under JECFA number 937. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is pyruvaldehyde approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 07.001 is the Union List entry for pyruvaldehyde, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is pyruvaldehyde natural or artificial?
The process decides for pyruvaldehyde. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic pyruvaldehyde 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.
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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 PYRUVALDEHYDE under CAS 78-98-8 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.
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.