Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Undec-2(trans)-enal
Undec-2(trans)-enal is an aldehyde in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3423 (CAS 53448-07-0). Its odor is fruity, green, fresh, citrus, floral.
- FEMA
- 3423
- CAS
- 53448-07-0
- JECFA
- 1366
- EU FL
- 05.184
- Formula
- C11H20O
- EC
- 258-559-3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 7. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 2463-77-6.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Undecenal, (2E)-, 2-Undecenal, (E)-, (2E)-2-Undecenal, trans-2-Undecenal, (E)-2-Undecenal, (2E)-Undecenal, trans-2-Undecen-1-al, (2E)-Undec-2-enal, trans-2-undecenal, (e)-2-undecenal, 2-undecenal, (2e)-, (2e)-undec-2-enal.
Can Undec-2(trans)-enal be labeled natural?
The process decides for undec-2(trans)-enal. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic undec-2(trans)-enal 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
Undec-2(trans)-enal is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3423. 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 05.184, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1366, 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.
Odor and taste
Odor: Fruity, green, fresh, citrus, floral.
Where it is used
Undec-2(trans)-enal is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, savory dishes and flavoring agents, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Undec-2(trans)-enal by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9-Undecenal | 3094 | 98% | In nature |
| (E)-4-Undecenal | 4672 | 98% | Not determined |
| Dodec-2-(trans)-enal | 2402 | 98% | In nature |
| trans-2-Decenal | 2366 | 98% | In nature |
| (2E, 4E)-undeca-2,4-dienal | 3422 | 92% | In nature |
More aldehydes in this index
(E)-4-Nonenal · cis-4-Hexenal · 2-Benzofurancarboxaldehyde · Paraldehyde · Heptanal · (2E, 4E)-undeca-2,4-dienal
Undec-2(trans)-enal FAQ
Is undec-2(trans)-enal FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists undec-2(trans)-enal as GRAS under FEMA number 3423. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for undec-2(trans)-enal?
Undec-2(trans)-enal is FEMA 3423, CAS 53448-07-0. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is undec-2(trans)-enal described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe undec-2(trans)-enal as fruity, green, fresh, citrus, floral. It is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, savory dishes and flavoring agents.
What did JECFA conclude about undec-2(trans)-enal?
JECFA evaluated undec-2(trans)-enal at the 76th meeting in 2012 under JECFA number 1366. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is undec-2(trans)-enal on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 05.184 is the Union List entry for undec-2(trans)-enal, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does undec-2(trans)-enal count as natural in the US and the EU?
Nature makes undec-2(trans)-enal, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial undec-2(trans)-enal, same molecule. 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.
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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-UNDECENAL under CAS 2463-77-6 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.