Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Thujyl alcohol
Thujyl alcohol is a terpene in the woody family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4079 (CAS 21653-20-3). Its odor is earthy, woody, herbal, resinous.
- FEMA
- 4079
- CAS
- 21653-20-3
- JECFA
- 1865
- EU FL
- 02.207
- Formula
- C10H18O
- EC
- 244-504-0
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 22. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 21653-20-3.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Bicyclo[3.1.0]hexan-3-ol, 4-methyl-1-(1-methylethyl)-, (1S,3S,4R,5R)-, 3-Thujanol, (1S,3S,4R,5R)-(-)-, Bicyclo[3.1.0]hexan-3-ol, 4-methyl-1-(1-methylethyl)-, [1S-(1α,3α,4α,5α)]-, (1S,3S,4R,5R)-4-Methyl-1-(1-methylethyl)bicyclo[3.1.0]hexan-3-ol, (-)-Thujol, Thujol, (-)-, 3-Neoisothujanol, (-)-, (-)-3-Neoisothujanol, (1S,3S,4R,5R)-1-Isopropyl-4-methylbicyclo[3.1.0]hexan-3-ol, (-)-thujol, 3-thujol, bicyclo(3.1.0)hexan-3-ol, 4-methyl-1-(1-methylethyl)-, (1s,3s,4r,5r)-.
Can Thujyl alcohol be labeled natural?
The process decides for thujyl alcohol. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic thujyl alcohol is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic thujyl alcohol 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
Thujyl alcohol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4079. 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 02.207, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1865, evaluated at the 69th meeting in 2008. 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. Thujyl alcohol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 21653-20-3, where EPA names it Bicyclo[3.1.0]hexan-3-ol, 4-methyl-1-(1-methylethyl)-, (1S,3S,4R,5R)-.
Inactive in US commerce
EPA designates this substance inactive, so a Notice of Activity Form B is required before anyone manufactures or processes it again. Being FEMA GRAS does not change that. 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: Earthy, woody, herbal, resinous.
Where it is used
Thujyl alcohol is used in beverage, flavoring and aromatic products, typically as a woody note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Thujyl alcohol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-Thujanol | 3239 | 98% | In nature |
| d-3-Carene | 3821 | 83% | In nature |
| Cubebol | 4497 | 78% | In nature |
| 3-Pinanone | 4198 | 60% | Not determined |
| Fenchyl alcohol | 2480 | 59% | In nature |
More terpenes in this index
Isoborneol · Santalol · Terpinolene · beta-Pinene · Camphene · (+)-Cedrol
Thujyl alcohol FAQ
Is thujyl alcohol on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 4079 covers thujyl alcohol. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for thujyl alcohol?
The FEMA number for thujyl alcohol is 4079 and its CAS registry number is 21653-20-3. Its flavor category is woody.
What is thujyl alcohol used for?
Thujyl alcohol is described as earthy, woody, herbal, resinous. It shows up in beverage, flavoring and aromatic products.
What did JECFA conclude about thujyl alcohol?
JECFA evaluated thujyl alcohol at the 69th meeting in 2008 under JECFA number 1865. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is thujyl alcohol approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 02.207 is the Union List entry for thujyl alcohol, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is thujyl alcohol natural or artificial?
Nature makes thujyl alcohol, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial thujyl alcohol, 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 THUJYL ALCOHOL under CAS 21653-20-3 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.