Flavor ingredient regulatory record
(Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate
(Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate is an ester in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4750 (CAS 65405-77-8). Its odor is floral, sweet, fruity, green, herbaceous.
- FEMA
- 4750
- CAS
- 65405-77-8
- JECFA
- 2275
- EU FL
- 09.570
- Formula
- C13H16O3
- EC
- 265-745-8
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS. Source: FEMA Flavor Ingredient Library.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, (3Z)-3-hexen-1-yl ester, Benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, 3-hexenyl ester, (Z)-, Benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, (3Z)-3-hexenyl ester, cis-3-Hexenyl salicylate, (3Z)-Hexenyl salicylate, cis-3-Hexen-1-yl salicylate, (Z)-3-Hexen-1-yl salicylate, 3-hexenyl salicylate, 2-hydroxybenzoic acid, (z)-3-hexenyl ester, 3-hexenyl salicylate, cis-, 3z-hexenyl 2-hydroxybenzoate, 2-hydroxybenzoic acid 3z-hexenyl ester.
Can (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate be labeled natural?
Since (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate 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
(Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4750. 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 09.570, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 2275.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 65405-77-8, where EPA names it Benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, (3Z)-3-hexen-1-yl ester.
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: Floral, sweet, fruity, green, herbaceous.
Where it is used
(Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate is used in beverage, fragrance, confection, bakery and personal care, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butyl salicylate | 3650 | 84% | In nature |
| Phenethyl salicylate | 2868 | 83% | In nature |
| cis-3-Hexenyl benzoate | 3688 | 79% | In nature |
| cis-3-Hexenyl anthranilate | 3925 | 76% | In nature |
| 3-Hexenyl phenylacetate | 3633 | 75% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Linalyl anthranilate · Benzyl acetate · Geranyl acetate · Phenethyl acetate · Benzyl salicylate · Eugenyl benzoate
(Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate FAQ
Does (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate have FEMA GRAS status?
(Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 4750. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate as FEMA 4750 or CAS 65405-77-8; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the floral flavor category.
Can (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate be labeled a natural flavor?
(Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Can (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate be used in the EU and UK?
(Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.570 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate?
Yes. JECFA number 2275.
What does (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate is floral, sweet, fruity, green, herbaceous. Typical uses are beverage, fragrance, confection, bakery and personal care.
Ingredient lookup
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate in a formula
Screened against FEMA GRAS, 21 CFR and EU rules as you build. Free to start.
Sources and attribution. The FEMA number and GRAS status on this page name a conclusion reached by the Expert Panel of the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association of the United States. FDA does not list this substance by FEMA number in its Substances Added to Food inventory. Its identity is attested by EU Union List of flavouring substances, EPA TSCA Chemical Substance Inventory, matched on CAS 65405-77-8.
FEMA publishes its own entry for this substance in the FEMA Flavor Library, which is the authoritative record 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.