Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Terpinolene
Terpinolene is a terpene in the woody family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3046 (CAS 586-62-9). Its odor is pine, woody, floral, herbaceous.
- FEMA
- 3046
- CAS
- 586-62-9
- JECFA
- 1331
- EU FL
- 01.005
- Formula
- C10H16
- EC
- 209-578-0
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 586-62-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Cyclohexene, 1-methyl-4-(1-methylethylidene)-, p-Mentha-1,4(8)-diene, 1-Methyl-4-(1-methylethylidene)cyclohexene, α-Terpinolene, Terpinolen, 4-Isopropylidene-1-methylcyclohexene, Isoterpinene, Nofmer TP, δ-Terpinene, Terpinolene 95PF, 1-Methyl-4-propan-2-ylidene-cyclohexene, 1-Methyl-4-(propan-2-ylidene)cyclohex-1-ene.
Can Terpinolene be labeled natural?
Since terpinolene is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when terpinolene is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic terpinolene 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
Terpinolene is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3046. 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 01.005, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1331, 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. Terpinolene appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 586-62-9, where EPA names it Cyclohexene, 1-methyl-4-(1-methylethylidene)-.
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: Pine, woody, floral, herbaceous.
Taste: Woody, pine, herbal.
Where it is used
Terpinolene is used in pine, woody and herbal, typically as a woody note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Terpinolene by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| p-Mentha-1,4-diene | 3559 | 97% | In nature |
| p-Mentha-1,3-diene | 3558 | 96% | In nature |
| alpha-Phellandrene | 2856 | 93% | In nature |
| 3,7-Dimethyl-1,3,6-octatriene | 3539 | 74% | In nature |
| p,alpha-Dimethylstyrene | 3144 | 73% | In nature |
More terpenes in this index
Camphene · Isoborneol · Santalol · (+)-Cedrol · Thujyl alcohol · 2(10)-Pinen-3-ol
Terpinolene FAQ
Does terpinolene have FEMA GRAS status?
Terpinolene holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3046. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite terpinolene by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite terpinolene as FEMA 3046 or CAS 586-62-9; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the woody flavor category.
Can terpinolene be labeled a natural flavor?
Terpinolene occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: terpinolene won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized terpinolene is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Can terpinolene be used in the EU and UK?
Terpinolene is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 01.005 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated terpinolene?
Yes. JECFA number 1331, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does terpinolene smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of terpinolene is pine, woody, floral, herbaceous. On the palate it is woody, pine, herbal. Typical uses are pine, woody and herbal.
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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 TERPINOLENE under CAS 586-62-9 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.