Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Valeric acid
Valeric acid is an acid in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3101 (CAS 109-52-4). Its odor is fruity, pungent, cheesy, sour, musty.
- FEMA
- 3101
- CAS
- 109-52-4
- JECFA
- 90
- EU FL
- 08.007
- Formula
- C5H10O2
- EC
- 203-677-2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 109-52-4.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Pentanoic acid, 1-Butanecarboxylic acid, Propylacetic acid, n-Valeric acid, n-Pentanoic acid, NSC 406833, pentanoic acid, n-valeric acid, n-pentanoic acid, valerianic acid, 1-butanecarboxylic acid, propylacetic acid.
Can Valeric acid be labeled natural?
Nature makes valeric acid, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial valeric 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
Valeric acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3101. 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 08.007, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 90, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. 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. Valeric acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 109-52-4, where EPA names it Pentanoic 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: Fruity, pungent, cheesy, sour, musty.
Where it is used
Valeric acid is used in beverage, confection, savory dishes and seasonings, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Valeric acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| (E)-2-Pentenoic acid | 4193 | 96% | In nature |
| 3-Methylpentanoic acid | 3437 | 95% | In nature |
| 4-Methylpentanoic acid | 3463 | 93% | In nature |
| 2-Methylvaleric acid | 2754 | 93% | In nature |
| (E,Z)-4-Methylpent-2-enoic acid | 4180 | 86% | In nature |
More acids in this index
cis- and trans-2-Heptylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid · Hexanoic acid · cis-4-(2,2,3-Trimethylcyclopentyl)butanoic acid · 2-Oxopentanedioic acid · trans-2-Methyl-2-butenoic acid · 2-Methylvaleric acid
Valeric acid FAQ
Is valeric acid on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3101 covers valeric acid. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for valeric acid?
The FEMA number for valeric acid is 3101 and its CAS registry number is 109-52-4. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is valeric acid used for?
Valeric acid is described as fruity, pungent, cheesy, sour, musty. It shows up in beverage, confection, savory dishes and seasonings.
What did JECFA conclude about valeric acid?
JECFA evaluated valeric acid at the 49th meeting in 1997 under JECFA number 90. The panel concluded: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Is valeric acid approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 08.007 is the Union List entry for valeric acid, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is valeric acid natural or artificial?
The process decides for valeric acid. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic valeric 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.
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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 VALERIC ACID under CAS 109-52-4 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number and its 21 CFR citations. 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.