Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Undecanoic acid
Undecanoic acid is an acid in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3245 (CAS 112-37-8). Its odor is fatty, waxy, slightly sweet, fruity.
- FEMA
- 3245
- CAS
- 112-37-8
- JECFA
- 108
- EU FL
- 08.042
- Formula
- C11H22O2
- EC
- 203-964-2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 4. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 112-37-8.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 1-Decanecarboxylic acid, Hendecanoic acid, n-Undecoic acid, Undecylic acid, n-Undecylic acid, n-Undecanoic acid, NSC 7885, 1n-Undecoic acid, hendecanoic acid, undecylic acid, n-undecoic acid, n-undecanoic acid.
Can Undecanoic acid be labeled natural?
Nature makes undecanoic acid, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial undecanoic acid, 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.
- 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
Undecanoic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3245. 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 08.042, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 108, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1998. 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. Undecanoic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 112-37-8, where EPA names it Undecanoic acid.
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: Fatty, waxy, slightly sweet, fruity.
Taste: Slightly sour, fatty, creamy.
Where it is used
Undecanoic acid is used in dairy, confection, bakery, flavoring and cosmetics, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Undecanoic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lauric acid | 2614 | 99% | In nature |
| Decanoic acid | 2364 | 98% | In nature |
| Tridecanoic acid | 4336 | 96% | In nature |
| Nonanoic acid | 2784 | 95% | In nature |
| 1-Decanol | 2365 | 91% | In nature |
More acids in this index
o-trans-Coumaric acid · 4-Methyl-2-oxopentanoic acid · Levulinic acid · 5-Oxooctanoic acid · trans-2-Methyl-2-butenoic acid · Cyclohexylacetic acid
Undecanoic acid FAQ
Is undecanoic acid on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3245 covers undecanoic acid. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for undecanoic acid?
The FEMA number for undecanoic acid is 3245 and its CAS registry number is 112-37-8. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is undecanoic acid used for?
Undecanoic acid is described as fatty, waxy, slightly sweet, fruity. On the palate it is slightly sour, fatty, creamy. It shows up in dairy, confection, bakery, flavoring and cosmetics.
What did JECFA conclude about undecanoic acid?
JECFA evaluated undecanoic acid at the 49th meeting in 1998 under JECFA number 108. The panel concluded: no safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is undecanoic acid approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 08.042 is the Union List entry for undecanoic acid, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is undecanoic acid natural or artificial?
The process decides for undecanoic acid. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic undecanoic acid 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.
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 Undecanoic acid 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 UNDECANOIC ACID under CAS 112-37-8 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.