Flavor ingredient regulatory record
trans-3-Hexenol
trans-3-Hexenol is an alcohol in the green family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4356 (CAS 928-97-2). Its odor is grassy, green, fresh, herbaceous.
- FEMA
- 4356
- CAS
- 928-97-2
- JECFA
- 1621
- Formula
- C6H12O
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 23. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 928-97-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 3-Hexen-1-ol, (3E)-, 3-Hexen-1-ol, (E)-, 3-Hexen-1-ol, trans-, (3E)-3-Hexen-1-ol, trans-3-Hexen-1-ol, (E)-3-Hexen-1-ol, (E)-3-Hexenol, (3E)-Hexenol, (3E)-Hex-3-en-1-ol, trans-1-Hydroxy-3-hexene, trans-3-hexen-1-ol, (e)-hex-3-en-1-ol.
Can trans-3-Hexenol be labeled natural?
trans-3-Hexenol occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: trans-3-Hexenol won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized trans-3-Hexenol is artificial. 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-3-Hexenol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4356. 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 trans-3-Hexenol. 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 1621, evaluated at the 68th meeting in 2007. 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-3-Hexenol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 928-97-2, where EPA names it 3-Hexen-1-ol, (3E)-.
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: Grassy, green, fresh, herbaceous.
Where it is used
trans-3-Hexenol is used in beverage, flavoring, confection and savory dishes, typically as a green note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to trans-3-Hexenol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| cis-3-Hexen-1-ol | 2563 | 100% | In nature |
| 4-Hexen-1-ol | 3430 | 99% | In nature |
| 2-Hexen-1-ol | 2562 | 98% | In nature |
| 2,4-Hexadien-1-ol | 3922 | 97% | In nature |
| Hexyl alcohol | 2567 | 95% | In nature |
More alcohols in this index
cis-3-Hexen-1-ol · Hexyl alcohol · (E,E)-2,4-Octadien-1-ol · Anisyl alcohol · Benzyl alcohol · p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol
trans-3-Hexenol FAQ
Is trans-3-Hexenol FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists trans-3-Hexenol as GRAS under FEMA number 4356. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for trans-3-Hexenol?
trans-3-Hexenol is FEMA 4356, CAS 928-97-2. FEMA files it in the green flavor category.
Does trans-3-Hexenol count as natural in the US and the EU?
Since trans-3-Hexenol is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when trans-3-Hexenol is synthesized. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Is trans-3-Hexenol approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for trans-3-Hexenol. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 1621), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Has JECFA evaluated trans-3-Hexenol?
Yes. JECFA number 1621, evaluated at the 68th meeting in 2007. Conclusion: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
How is trans-3-Hexenol described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe trans-3-Hexenol as grassy, green, fresh, herbaceous. It is used in beverage, flavoring, confection and savory dishes.
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Check trans-3-Hexenol in a formula
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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 TRANS-3-HEXENOL under CAS 928-97-2 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.