Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Vetiverol
Vetiverol is an alcohol in the earthy family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4217 (CAS 89-88-3). Its odor is woody, earthy, sweet, herbaceous.
- FEMA
- 4217
- CAS
- 89-88-3
- JECFA
- 1866
- Formula
- C15H24O
- EC
- 201-949-5
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 22. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 68129-81-7.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 6-Azulenol, 1,2,3,3a,4,5,6,8a-octahydro-4,8-dimethyl-2-(1-methylethylidene)-, 6-Azulenol, 1,2,3,3a,4,5,6,8a-octahydro-2-isopropylidene-4,8-dimethyl-, 1,2,3,3a,4,5,6,8a-Octahydro-4,8-dimethyl-2-(1-methylethylidene)-6-azulenol, 1,2,3,3a,4,5,6,8a-Octahydro-2-isopropylidene-4,8-dimethyl-6-azulenol, 4,8-Dimethyl-2-(propan-2-ylidene)-1,2,3,3a,4,5,6,8a-octahydroazulen-6-ol, vetyvenol, lignolia, vetivol, 4,8-dimethyl-2-propan-2-ylidene-3,3a,4,5,6,8a-hexahydro-1h-azulen-6-ol, 6-azulenol, 1,2,3,3a,4,5,6,8a-octahydro-4,8-dimethyl-2-(1-methylethylidene)-, 4,8-dimethyl-2-(propan-2-ylidene)-1,2,3,3a,4,5,6,8a-octahydroazulen-6-ol, vetiverol (natural).
Can Vetiverol be labeled natural?
Nature makes vetiverol, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial vetiverol, 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
Vetiverol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4217. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
Vetiverol was on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 02.214 when Regulation (EU) 872/2012 adopted the list, and the entry has since been withdrawn. It does not appear in the current consolidated text of Regulation (EC) 1334/2008. Check the amending regulations for the conditions that applied to existing stock, and treat EU or UK use as closed unless another route covers it.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1866, 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.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Vetiverol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 89-88-3, where EPA names it 6-Azulenol, 1,2,3,3a,4,5,6,8a-octahydro-4,8-dimethyl-2-(1-methylethylidene)-.
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: Woody, earthy, sweet, herbaceous.
Taste: Earthy, woody, slightly sweet.
Where it is used
Vetiverol is used in fragrance, cosmetics, food flavoring and aromatherapy, typically as a earthy note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Vetiverol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vetiveryl acetate | 4218 | 82% | In nature |
| Nootkatone | 3166 | 63% | In nature |
| Dihydronootkatone | 3776 | 63% | In nature |
| Dehydronootkatone | 4091 | 61% | In nature |
| beta-Ionol | 3625 | 60% | In nature |
More alcohols in this index
1-Octen-3-ol · 2-Thienylmethanol · cis-3-Nonen-1-ol · 4-Phenyl-2-butanol · 2-Octen-4-ol · 1-Decen-3-ol
Vetiverol FAQ
Is vetiverol on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 4217 covers vetiverol. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for vetiverol?
The FEMA number for vetiverol is 4217 and its CAS registry number is 89-88-3. Its flavor category is earthy.
What is vetiverol used for?
Vetiverol is described as woody, earthy, sweet, herbaceous. On the palate it is earthy, woody, slightly sweet. It shows up in fragrance, cosmetics, food flavoring and aromatherapy.
What did JECFA conclude about vetiverol?
JECFA evaluated vetiverol at the 69th meeting in 2008 under JECFA number 1866. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is vetiverol approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for vetiverol. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 1866), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Is vetiverol natural or artificial?
The process decides for vetiverol. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic vetiverol 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 VETIVEROL under CAS 68129-81-7 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number. The inventory is searchable at FDA.
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.