Flavor ingredient regulatory record
trans-4-Octenoic acid
trans-4-Octenoic acid is an acid in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4357 (CAS 18776-92-6). Its odor is fruity, green, waxy, fatty.
- FEMA
- 4357
- CAS
- 18776-92-6
- JECFA
- 1629
- Formula
- C8H14O2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 23. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 18776-92-6.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 4-Octenoic acid, (4E)-, 4-Octenoic acid, (E)-, (4E)-4-Octenoic acid, 4-octenoic acid, (4e)-, 4-octenoic acid, (e)-, trans-4-octenoic acid [fhfi], 4-octenoic acid, trans-, (e)-4-octenoic acid, (e)-oct-4-enoic acid, 4-octenoic acid, (4e)-oct-4-enoic acid, (4e)-4-octenoic acid.
Can trans-4-Octenoic acid be labeled natural?
Nature makes trans-4-Octenoic acid, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial trans-4-Octenoic acid, same molecule. 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-4-Octenoic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4357. 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-4-Octenoic acid. 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 1629, evaluated at the 68th meeting in 2007. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
Odor and taste
Odor: Fruity, green, waxy, fatty.
Where it is used
trans-4-Octenoic acid is used in beverage, savory dishes and flavoring agents, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to trans-4-Octenoic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| cis-5-Octenoic acid | 4350 | 99% | In nature |
| 3-Octenoic acid | 4362 | 98% | In nature |
| (E)-2-Octenoic acid | 3957 | 96% | In nature |
| (E)-2-Decenoic acid | 3913 | 86% | In nature |
| Octanoic acid | 2799 | 85% | In nature |
More acids in this index
3-Phenylpropionic acid · 4-Ethyloctanoic acid · 2-Methylvaleric acid · 4-Methylpentanoic acid · cis- and trans-2-Heptylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid · 4-Methyloctanoic acid
trans-4-Octenoic acid FAQ
Does trans-4-Octenoic acid have FEMA GRAS status?
trans-4-Octenoic acid holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 4357. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite trans-4-Octenoic acid by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite trans-4-Octenoic acid as FEMA 4357 or CAS 18776-92-6; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is fruity.
What does trans-4-Octenoic acid smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of trans-4-Octenoic acid is fruity, green, waxy, fatty. Typical uses are beverage, savory dishes and flavoring agents.
What did JECFA conclude about trans-4-Octenoic acid?
JECFA evaluated trans-4-Octenoic acid at the 68th meeting in 2007 under JECFA number 1629. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is trans-4-Octenoic acid approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for trans-4-Octenoic acid. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 1629), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Can trans-4-Octenoic acid be labeled a natural flavor?
The process decides for trans-4-Octenoic acid. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic trans-4-Octenoic acid is artificial. 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 TRANS-4-OCTENOIC ACID under CAS 18776-92-6 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.