Flavor ingredient regulatory record
S-Furfuryl thiopropionate
S-Furfuryl thiopropionate is a thiol in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3347 (CAS 59020-85-8). Its odor is sweet, fruity, tropical, sulfurous, earthy.
- FEMA
- 3347
- CAS
- 59020-85-8
- JECFA
- 1075
- EU FL
- 13.063
- Formula
- C8H10O2S
- EC
- 261-562-2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 6. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 59020-85-8.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Propanethioic acid, S-(2-furanylmethyl) ester, S-(2-Furanylmethyl) propanethioate, Furfurylthiol propionate, 1-[[(Furan-2-yl)methyl]sulfanyl]propan-1-one, furfuryl thiopropionate, propanethioic acid, s-(2-furanylmethyl) ester, s-furfuryl propanethioate, furfurylthiol propionate, s-(2-furanylmethyl) propanethioate, s-(2-furylmethyl) propanethioate, furfuryl thiopropionate [fhfi], 1-[(furan-2-ylmethyl)sulfanyl]propan-1-one.
Can S-Furfuryl thiopropionate be labeled natural?
The process decides for S-Furfuryl thiopropionate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic S-Furfuryl thiopropionate is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic S-Furfuryl thiopropionate 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
S-Furfuryl thiopropionate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3347. 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 13.063, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1075, evaluated at the 51st meeting in 1998. 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. S-Furfuryl thiopropionate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 59020-85-8, where EPA names it Propanethioic acid, S-(2-furanylmethyl) 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, sulfurous, earthy.
Where it is used
S-Furfuryl thiopropionate is used in beverage, savory dishes, seasoning, snacks and confection, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to S-Furfuryl thiopropionate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| O-Ethyl-S-(2-furylmethyl) thiocarbonate | 4043 | 84% | In nature |
| Ethyl 3-(2-furyl)propanoate | 2435 | 81% | In nature |
| S-Furfuryl thioacetate | 3162 | 78% | In nature |
| 2,5-Dimethyl-3-thiofuroylfuran | 3481 | 68% | Not determined |
| 3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-2-butanone | 4056 | 67% | Not determined |
More thiols in this index
3-Mercaptohexanal · 3-Mercapto-2-methylpentanal · p-Mentha-8-thiol-3-one · (S)-1-Methoxy-3-heptanthiol · S-Methyl 3-methylbutanethioate · 2-Methyl-3-tetrahydrofuranthiol
S-Furfuryl thiopropionate FAQ
Is S-Furfuryl thiopropionate on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3347 covers S-Furfuryl thiopropionate. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for S-Furfuryl thiopropionate?
The FEMA number for S-Furfuryl thiopropionate is 3347 and its CAS registry number is 59020-85-8. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is S-Furfuryl thiopropionate used for?
S-Furfuryl thiopropionate is described as sweet, fruity, tropical, sulfurous, earthy. It shows up in beverage, savory dishes, seasoning, snacks and confection.
What did JECFA conclude about S-Furfuryl thiopropionate?
JECFA evaluated S-Furfuryl thiopropionate at the 51st meeting in 1998 under JECFA number 1075. The panel concluded: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Is S-Furfuryl thiopropionate approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 13.063 is the Union List entry for S-Furfuryl thiopropionate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is S-Furfuryl thiopropionate natural or artificial?
Nature makes S-Furfuryl thiopropionate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial S-Furfuryl thiopropionate, same molecule. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
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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 FURFURYL THIOPROPIONATE under CAS 59020-85-8 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.