Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Verbenone
Verbenone is a ketone in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4216 (CAS 80-57-9). Its odor is sweet, herbal, citrus, woody, floral.
- FEMA
- 4216
- CAS
- 80-57-9
- JECFA
- 1870
- EU FL
- 07.196
- Formula
- C10H14O
- EC
- 201-292-4
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 22. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 80-57-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Bicyclo[3.1.1]hept-3-en-2-one, 4,6,6-trimethyl-, 2-Pinen-4-one, 4,6,6-Trimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]hept-3-en-2-one, (±)-Verbenone, (RS)-Verbenone, NSC 6832, 2,6,6-Trimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]hept-2-en-4-one, (-)-verbenone, levoverbenone, (1s)-(-)-verbenone, l-verbenone, pin-2-en-4-one.
Can Verbenone be labeled natural?
Verbenone occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: verbenone won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized verbenone 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.
- 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
Verbenone is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4216. 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 07.196, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1870, evaluated at the 69th meeting in 2008. 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: Sweet, herbal, citrus, woody, floral.
Where it is used
Verbenone is used in beverage, confection, flavoring agents and perfumes, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Verbenone by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbenol | 3594 | 96% | In nature |
| Myrtenol | 3439 | 83% | In nature |
| 2(10)-Pinen-3-ol | 3587 | 82% | In nature |
| 10-Hydroxymethylene-2-pinene | 3938 | 76% | In nature |
| Myrtenyl acetate | 3765 | 73% | In nature |
More ketones in this index
Epoxy oxophorone · 3-Oxobutanal dimethyl acetal · 3,5-Undecadien-2-one · 2-Nonanone · Dihydroxyacetophenone · 2,3-Hexanedione
Verbenone FAQ
Does verbenone have FEMA GRAS status?
Verbenone holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 4216. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite verbenone by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite verbenone as FEMA 4216 or CAS 80-57-9; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Can verbenone be labeled a natural flavor?
Since verbenone is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when verbenone is synthesized. 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.
Can verbenone be used in the EU and UK?
Verbenone is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 07.196 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated verbenone?
Yes. JECFA number 1870, evaluated at the 69th meeting in 2008. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does verbenone smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of verbenone is sweet, herbal, citrus, woody, floral. Typical uses are beverage, confection, flavoring agents and perfumes.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check Verbenone 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 VERBENONE under CAS 80-57-9 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.