Flavor ingredient regulatory record
sec-Butylamine
sec-Butylamine is an amine in the earthy family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4240 (CAS 13952-84-6). Its odor is amine, earthy, pungent, slightly sweet.
- FEMA
- 4240
- CAS
- 13952-84-6
- JECFA
- 1584
- EU FL
- 11.005
- Formula
- C4H11N
- EC
- 237-732-7
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 22. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 13952-84-6.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Butanamine, 2-Aminobutane, Tutane, 2-AB, 1-Methylpropylamine, 2-Butylamine, 1-Methylpropanamine, Butafume, dl-2-Butylamine, DL-sec-Butylamine, (±)-2-Butylamine, (±)-2-Aminobutane.
Can sec-Butylamine be labeled natural?
sec-Butylamine occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: sec-Butylamine won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized sec-Butylamine 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.
- 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
sec-Butylamine is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4240. 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 11.005, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1584, evaluated at the 65th meeting in 2005. 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. sec-Butylamine appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 13952-84-6, where EPA names it 2-Butanamine.
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: Amine, earthy, pungent, slightly sweet.
Where it is used
sec-Butylamine is used in savory dishes, seasoning, snack foods and meat products, typically as a earthy note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to sec-Butylamine by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isobutylamine | 4239 | 97% | In nature |
| Propylamine | 4237 | 96% | In nature |
| 1-Amino-2-propanol | 3965 | 96% | In nature |
| 3-Methyl-2-butanol | 3703 | 92% | In nature |
| Butylamine | 3130 | 88% | In nature |
More amines in this index
Butylamine · Pyrrolidine · Propylamine · Isobutylamine · Isopropylamine · Triethylamine
sec-Butylamine FAQ
Does sec-Butylamine have FEMA GRAS status?
sec-Butylamine holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 4240. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite sec-Butylamine by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite sec-Butylamine as FEMA 4240 or CAS 13952-84-6; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the earthy flavor category.
Can sec-Butylamine be labeled a natural flavor?
Since sec-Butylamine is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when sec-Butylamine 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.
Can sec-Butylamine be used in the EU and UK?
sec-Butylamine is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 11.005 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated sec-Butylamine?
Yes. JECFA number 1584, evaluated at the 65th meeting in 2005. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does sec-Butylamine smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of sec-Butylamine is amine, earthy, pungent, slightly sweet. Typical uses are savory dishes, seasoning, snack foods and meat products.
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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 SEC-BUTYLAMINE under CAS 13952-84-6 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.