Catching Up: FEMA's Interim GRAS 32 and Interim GRAS 33 Flavoring Substance Lists

Jul 1st, 2026

FEMA# 5044 sakura flower extract (Prunus serrulata flower extract; Cerasus serrulata flower extract) is among the materials included in FEMA's Interim GRAS 32 list.

Stanislava at Adobe Stock

The Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) has published its Interim GRAS 32 and Interim GRAS 33 lists, providing the latest updates to its evaluation of flavoring substances that are considered "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) for their intended use in food flavorings.

The interim lists include flavor ingredients reviewed by the FEMA Expert Panel under the GRAS program established in accordance with the 1958 Food Additives Amendment to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. The substances will be incorporated into the association's 32nd and 33rd GRAS publications, which document the panel's ongoing scientific assessments of flavoring ingredients used by the food industry.

Interim GRAS 32 (dated June 2026) also includes several revisions to previous GRAS publications. The FEMA Expert Panel removed propyl paraben (FEMA 2951) and 2-phenylphenol (FEMA 3959) from the FEMA GRAS list after determining there was little evidence that either substance is used for the technical effect of flavoring. In addition, the publication updates botanical identities and nomenclature for several existing FEMA GRAS ingredients. The scope of FEMA 2046 (Almonds Bitter Oil) was expanded to include Prunus armeniaca and Prunus persica in addition to Prunus amygdalus var. amara. FEMA 3089 was renamed from Turpentine steam distilled to Pine resin oil, while the botanical scope of FEMA 3105 (Vanilla extract) and FEMA 3106 (Vanilla oleoresin) was expanded to include Vanilla pompona alongside V. planifolia and V. tahitensis.

Additional nomenclature and identity updates include renaming FEMA 4878 from Cordyceps sinensis fermentation product to mushroom mycelia fermentation product and changing FEMA 4949 from Corynebacterium ammoniagenes fermentation product to Corynebacterium stationis cell free fermentation broth, accompanied by an updated compositional description. FEMA 4964 also received a revised identity description for its Corynebacterium glutamicum cell free fermentation product. Together, the updates reflect FEMA's ongoing efforts to maintain accurate ingredient identities and ensure the GRAS inventory remains aligned with current scientific understanding and commercial use.

The interim lists include flavor ingredients that have been reviewed by the FEMA Expert Panel under the GRAS program established in accordance with the 1958 Food Additives Amendment to the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. The substances included will be incorporated into the association's 32nd and 33rd GRAS publications, which document the panel's ongoing scientific assessments of flavoring ingredients used by the food industry.

The FEMA GRAS program serves as an important scientific resource for flavor manufacturers, food companies and regulators by providing independent expert evaluations of flavoring substances based on publicly available safety data. The release of the interim lists reflects the program's continuing efforts to update the industry's inventory of flavor ingredients recognized as safe under their intended conditions of use.