Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Santalol
Santalol is a terpene in the woody family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3006 (CAS 11031-45-1). Its odor is sweet, woody, creamy, balsamic, earthy.
- FEMA
- 3006
- CAS
- 11031-45-1
- JECFA
- 984
- EC
- 234-262-4
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 77-42-9.
Structure
Under review
The structure for Santalol is still under identity review, so no drawing is shown until the record is confirmed.
Identity
Also known as: Santalol, rel-(2e)-2-methyl-5-[(1r,2r,4s)-2-methyl-3-methylenebicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-yl]-2-penten-1-ol, rel-(2e)-2-methyl-5-((1r,2r,4s)-2-methyl-3-methylenebicyclo(2.2.1)hept-2-yl)-2-penten-1-ol, santalol, 2-methyl-5-((1s,2s,4r)-2-methyl-3-methylenebicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-yl)pent-2-en-1-ol, (e)-2-methyl-5-[(1s,2s,4r)-2-methyl-3-methylidene-2-bicyclo[2.2.1]heptanyl]pent-2-en-1-ol, (2e)-2-methyl-5-[(1s,2s,4r)-2-methyl-3-methylidenebicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-yl]pent-2-en-1-ol, santalol, alpha and beta isomers, (e)-2-methyl-5-[(1s,2s,4r)-2-methyl-3-methylene-norbornan-2-yl]pent-2-en-1-ol, (e)-2-methyl-5-((1s,2s,4r)-2-methyl-3-methylenebicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-yl)pent-2-en-1-ol.
Can Santalol be labeled natural?
Since santalol is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when santalol is synthesized. 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
Santalol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3006. 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 Santalol. 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 984, evaluated at the 59th meeting in 2002. 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. Santalol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 11031-45-1, where EPA names it Santalol.
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, woody, creamy, balsamic, earthy.
Where it is used
Santalol is used in fragrance, beverage, confection, personal care and aromatic oils, typically as a woody note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Santalol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santalyl acetate | 3007 | 85% | In nature |
More terpenes in this index
Terpinolene · 2(10)-Pinen-3-ol · (+)-Cedrol · Camphene · Thujyl alcohol · Isoborneol
Santalol FAQ
Is santalol FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists santalol as GRAS under FEMA number 3006. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for santalol?
Santalol is FEMA 3006, CAS 11031-45-1. FEMA files it in the woody flavor category.
Does santalol count as natural in the US and the EU?
Santalol occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: santalol won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized santalol is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic santalol identical-to-natural.
Is santalol approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for santalol. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 984), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Has JECFA evaluated santalol?
Yes. JECFA number 984, evaluated at the 59th meeting in 2002. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
How is santalol described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe santalol as sweet, woody, creamy, balsamic, earthy. It is used in fragrance, beverage, confection, personal care and aromatic oils.
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 Santalol 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 SANTALOL, BETA under CAS 77-42-9 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.