Flavor ingredient regulatory record
trans-3-Hexenyl acetate
trans-3-Hexenyl acetate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4413 (CAS 3681-82-1). Its odor is sweet, fruity, green apple, grassy.
- FEMA
- 4413
- CAS
- 3681-82-1
- JECFA
- 2180
- EU FL
- 09.928
- Formula
- C8H14O2
- EC
- 222-962-2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 23. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 3681-82-1.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 3-Hexen-1-ol, 1-acetate, (3E)-, 3-Hexen-1-ol, acetate, (E)-, 3-Hexen-1-ol, acetate, (3E)-, Acetic acid trans-3-hexenyl ester, (E)-3-Hexenyl acetate, E-3-Hexen-1-yl acetate, (E)-3-Hexen-1-ol acetate, (E)-3-Hexen-1-yl acetate, trans-3-Hexen-1-yl acetate, trans-3-Hexen-1-ol acetate, (3E)-Hexenyl acetate, [(e)-hex-3-enyl] acetate.
Can trans-3-Hexenyl acetate be labeled natural?
Nature makes trans-3-Hexenyl acetate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial trans-3-Hexenyl acetate, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic trans-3-Hexenyl acetate 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-Hexenyl acetate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4413. 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 09.928, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 2180, evaluated at the 76th meeting in 2012. 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. trans-3-Hexenyl acetate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 3681-82-1, where EPA names it 3-Hexen-1-ol, 1-acetate, (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 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: Sweet, fruity, green apple, grassy.
Where it is used
trans-3-Hexenyl acetate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors and flavoring agents, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to trans-3-Hexenyl acetate 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-Hexenyl acetate | 3171 | 100% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Ethyl 3-(furfurylthio)propionate · Ethylene brassylate · Bornyl acetate · 3-n-Butylphthalide · Ethyl 3-(2-furyl)propanoate · Isoamyl nonanoate
trans-3-Hexenyl acetate FAQ
Is trans-3-Hexenyl acetate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists trans-3-Hexenyl acetate as GRAS under FEMA number 4413. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for trans-3-Hexenyl acetate?
trans-3-Hexenyl acetate is FEMA 4413, CAS 3681-82-1. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is trans-3-Hexenyl acetate described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe trans-3-Hexenyl acetate as sweet, fruity, green apple, grassy. It is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors and flavoring agents.
What did JECFA conclude about trans-3-Hexenyl acetate?
JECFA evaluated trans-3-Hexenyl acetate at the 76th meeting in 2012 under JECFA number 2180. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is trans-3-Hexenyl acetate on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 09.928 is the Union List entry for trans-3-Hexenyl acetate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does trans-3-Hexenyl acetate count as natural in the US and the EU?
The process decides for trans-3-Hexenyl acetate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic trans-3-Hexenyl acetate is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic trans-3-Hexenyl acetate identical-to-natural.
Ingredient lookup
Check an ingredient
Start typing to search the ingredient corpus.
Or browse every ingredient page, A to Z.
Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check trans-3-Hexenyl acetate in a formula
Screened against FEMA GRAS, 21 CFR and EU rules as you build. Free to start.
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-HEXENYL ACETATE under CAS 3681-82-1 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.