Flavor ingredient regulatory record
trans-2-Decenal
trans-2-Decenal is an aldehyde in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2366 (CAS 3913-81-3). Its odor is fruity, green, waxy, floral, citrus.
- FEMA
- 2366
- CAS
- 3913-81-3
- JECFA
- 1349
- EU FL
- 05.191
- Formula
- C10H18O
- EC
- 223-474-2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 3913-71-1.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Decenal, (2E)-, 2-Decenal, (E)-, (2E)-2-Decenal, 2(E)-Decenal, trans-2-Decen-1-al, (E)-2-Decenal, (2e)-decenal, (e)-dec-2-enal, 2-decenal, decenal, (e)-2-decenal, (2e)-2-decenal.
Can trans-2-Decenal be labeled natural?
Since trans-2-Decenal is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when trans-2-Decenal is synthesized. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material 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
trans-2-Decenal is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2366. 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 05.191, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
Purity. At least 92%; secondary component 3-4% 2-decenoic acid
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1349, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. 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. trans-2-Decenal appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 3913-81-3, where EPA names it 2-Decenal, (2E)-.
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 regulatory flags
| Flag | EPA definition | What it obliges |
|---|---|---|
| PMN | Indicates a commenced PMN substance. | Nothing new. The substance already went through premanufacture review and someone filed a notice of commencement, which is why it is on the Inventory. It is an existing chemical and needs no new premanufacture notice. Read more |
PMN does not establish: The flag records how the substance arrived, not what may be done with it. Check the flags beside it.
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: Fruity, green, waxy, floral, citrus.
Where it is used
trans-2-Decenal is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, savory dishes and snacks, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to trans-2-Decenal by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| cis-8-Decenal | 4945 | 98% | Not determined |
| 4-Decenal | 3264 | 98% | In nature |
| trans-Nonenal | 3213 | 98% | In nature |
| Undec-2(trans)-enal | 3423 | 98% | In nature |
| 2-trans,4-trans-Decadienal | 3135 | 94% | In nature |
More aldehydes in this index
Undec-2(trans)-enal · 2,4-Nonadienal · cis-4-Heptenal · 3-(5-Methyl-2-furyl) butanal · p-Methoxy-alpha-methyl-cinnamaldehyde · 2-(p-Tolyl)propionaldehyde
trans-2-Decenal FAQ
Is trans-2-Decenal on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2366 covers trans-2-Decenal. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for trans-2-Decenal?
The FEMA number for trans-2-Decenal is 2366 and its CAS registry number is 3913-81-3. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is trans-2-Decenal natural or artificial?
trans-2-Decenal occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: trans-2-Decenal won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized trans-2-Decenal 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.
Is trans-2-Decenal approved in the EU?
trans-2-Decenal is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 05.191 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated trans-2-Decenal?
Yes. JECFA number 1349, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. Conclusion: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
What is trans-2-Decenal used for?
trans-2-Decenal is described as fruity, green, waxy, floral, citrus. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, savory dishes and snacks.
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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 2-DECENAL under CAS 3913-71-1 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.