21 CFR 172.510 - Natural flavoring substances and natural substances used in conjunction with flavors.

Regulations last checked for updates: Dec 19, 2025

Title 21 - Food and Drugs last revised: Dec 17, 2025

View all text of Subpart F [§ 172.510 - § 172.590]

§ 172.510 - Natural flavoring substances and natural substances used in conjunction with flavors.

Natural flavoring substances and natural adjuvants may be safely used in food in accordance with the following conditions.

(a) They are used in the minimum quantity required to produce their intended physical or technical effect and in accordance with all the principles of good manufacturing practice.

(b) In the appropriate forms (plant parts, fluid and solid extracts, concentrates, absolutes, oils, gums, balsams, resins, oleoresins, waxes, and distillates) they consist of one or more of the following, used alone or in combination with flavoring substances and adjuvants generally recognized as safe in food, previously sanctioned for such use, or regulated in any section of this part.

Common name	Scientific name	Limitations
Aloe	Aloe perryi Baker, A. barbadensis Mill., A. ferox Mill., and hybrids of this sp. with A. africana Mill. and A. spicata Baker
Althea root and flowers	Althea officinalis L
Amyris (West Indian sandalwood)	Amyris balsamifera L
Angola weed	Roccella fuciformis Ach	In alcoholic beverages only
Arnica flowers	Arnica montana L., A. fulgens Pursh, A. sororia Greene, or A. cordifolia Hooker	Do.
Artemisia (wormwood)	Artemisia spp	Finished food thujone free ¹
Artichoke leaves	Cynara scolymus L	In alcoholic beverages only
Benzoin resin	Styrax benzoin Dryander, S. paralleloneurus Perkins, S. tonkinensis (Pierre) Craib ex Hartwich, or other spp. of the Section Anthostyrax of the genus Styrax
Blackberry bark	Rubus, Section Eubatus
Boldus (boldo) leaves	Peumus boldus Mol	Do.
Boronia flowers	Boronia megastigma Nees
Bryonia root	Bryonia alba L., or B. diocia Jacq	Do.
Buchu leaves	Barosma betulina Bartl. et Wendl., B. crenulata (L.) Hook. or B. serratifolia Willd
Buckbean leaves	Menyanthes trifoliata L	Do.
Cajeput	Melaleuca leucadendron L. and other Melaleuca spp
Calumba root	Jateorhiza palmata (Lam.) Miers	Do.
Camphor tree	Cinnamomum camphora (L.) Nees et Eberm	Safrole free
Cascara sagrada	Rhamnus purshiana DC
Cassie flowers	Acacia farnesiana (L.) Willd
Castor oil	Ricinus communis L
Catechu, black	Acacia catechu Willd
Cedar, white (aborvitae), leaves and twigs	Thuja occidentalis L	Finished food thujone free ¹
Centuary	Centaurium umbellatum Gilib	In alcoholic beverages only
Cherry pits	Prunus avium L. or P. cerasus L	Not to exceed 25 p.p.m. prussic acid
Cherry-laurel leaves	Prunus laurocerasus L	Do.
Chestnut leaves	Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh
Chirata	Swertia chirata Buch.-Ham	In alcoholic beverages only
Cinchona, red, bark	Cinchona succirubra Pav. or its hybrids	In beverages only; not more than 83 p.p.m. total cinchona alkaloids in finished beverage
Cinchona, yellow, bark	Cinchona ledgeriana Moens, C. calisaya Wedd., or hybrids of these with other spp. of Cinchona.	Do.
Copaiba	South American spp. of Copaifera L
Cork, oak	Quercus suber L., or Q. occidentalis F. Gay	In alcoholic beverages only
Costmary	Chrysanthemum balsamita L	Do.
Costus root	Saussurea lappa Clarke
Cubeb	Piper cubeba L. f
Currant, black, buds and leaves	Ribes nigrum L
Damiana leaves	Turnera diffusa Willd
Davana	Artemisia pallens Wall
Dill, Indian	Anethum sowa Roxb. (Peucedanum graveolens Benth et Hook., Anethum graveolens L.)
Dittany (fraxinella) roots	Dictamnus albus L	Do.
Dittany of Crete	Origanum dictamnus L
Dragon's blood (dracorubin)	Daemonorops spp
Elder tree leaves	Sambucus nigra L	In alcoholic beverages only; not to exceed 25 p.p.m. prussic acid in the flavor
Elecampane rhizome and roots	Inula helenium L	In alcoholic beverages only
Elemi	Canarium commune L. or C. luzonicum Miq
Erigeron	Erigeron canadensis L
Eucalyptus globulus leaves	Eucalyptus globulus Labill
Fir (“pine”) needles and twigs	Abies sibirica Ledeb., A. alba Mill., A. sachalinesis Masters or A. mayriana Miyabe et Kudo
Fir, balsam, needles and twigs	Abies balsamea (L.) Mill
Galanga, greater	Alpinia galanga Willd	Do.
Galbanum	Ferula galbaniflua Boiss. et Buhse and other Ferula spp
Gambir (catechu, pale)	Uncaria gambir Roxb
Genet flowers	Spartium junceum L
Gentian rhizome and roots	Gentiana lutea L
Gentian, stemless	Gentiana acaulis L	Do.
Germander, chamaedrys	Teucrium chamaedrys L	Do.
Germander, golden	Teucrium polium L	Do.
Guaiac	Guaiacum officinale L., G. santum L., Bulnesia sarmienti Lor
Guarana	Paullinia cupana HBK
Haw, black, bark	Viburnum prunifolium L
Hemlock needles and twigs	Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr. or T. heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg
Hyacinth flowers	Hyacinthus orientalis L
Iceland moss	Cetraria islandica Ach	Do.
Imperatoria	Peucedanum ostruthium (L.). Koch (Imperatoria ostruthium L.)
Iva	Achillea moschata Jacq	Do.
Labdanum	Cistus spp
Lemon-verbena	Lippia citriodora HBK	Do.
Linaloe wood	Bursera delpechiana Poiss. and other Bursera spp
Linden leaves	Tillia spp	Do.
Lovage	Levisticum officinale Koch
Lungmoss (lungwort)	Sticta pulmonacea Ach
Maidenhair fern	Adiantum capillus-veneris L	Do.
Maple, mountain	Acer spicatum Lam
Mimosa (black wattle) flowers	Acacia decurrens Willd. var. dealbata
Mullein flowers	Verbascum phlomoides L. or V. thapsiforme Schrad	Do.
Myrrh	Commiphora molmol Engl., C. abyssinica (Berg) Engl., or other Commiphora spp
Myrtle leaves	Myrtus communis L	Do.
Oak, English, wood	Quercus robur L	Do.
Oak, white, chips	Quercus alba L
Oak moss	Evernia prunastri (L.) Ach., E. furfuracea (L.) Mann, and other lichens	Finished food thujone free ¹
Olibanum	Boswellia carteri Birdw. and other Boswellia spp
Opopanax (bisabolmyrrh)	Opopanax chironium Koch (true opopanax) of Commiphora erythraea Engl. var. Llabrescens
Orris root	Iris germanica L. (including its variety florentina Dykes) and I. pallida Lam
Pansy	Viola tricolor L	In alcoholic beverages only
Passion flower	Passiflora incarnata L
Patchouly	Pogostemon cablin Benth. and P. heyneanus Benth
Peach leaves	Prunus persica (L.) Batsch	In alcoholic beverages only; not to exceed 25 p.p.m. prussic acid in the flavor
Pennyroyal, American	Hedeoma pulegioides (L.) Pers
Pennyroyal, European	Mentha pulegium L
Pine, dwarf, needles and twigs	Pinus mugo Turra var. pumilio (Haenke) Zenari
Pine, Scotch, needles and twigs	Pinus sylvestris L
Pine, white, bark	Pinus strobus L	In alcoholic beverages only
Pine, white oil	Pinus palustris Mill., and other Pinus spp
Poplar buds	Populus balsamifera L. (P. tacamahacca Mill.), P. candicans Ait., or P. nigra L	Do.
Quassia	Picrasma excelsa (Sw.) Planch, or Quassia amara L
Quebracho bark	Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco Schlecht, or (Quebrachia lorentzii (Griseb))	Schinopsis lorentzii (Griseb.) Engl.
Quillaia (soapbark)	Quillaja saponaria Mol
Red saunders (red sandalwood)	Pterocarpus san alinus L	In alcoholic beverages only
Rhatany root	Krameria triandra Ruiz et Pav. or K. argentea Mart
Rhubarb, garden root	Rheum rhaponticum L	Do.
Rhubarb root	Rheum officinale Baill., R. palmatum L., or other spp. (excepting R. rhaponticum L.) or hybrids of Rheum grown in China
Roselle	Hibiscus sabdariffa L	Do.
Rosin (colophony)	Pinus palustris Mill., and other Pinus spp	Do.
St. Johnswort leaves, flowers, and caulis	Hypericum perforatum L	Hypericin-free alcohol distillate form only; in alcoholic beverages only
Sandalwood, white (yellow, or East Indian)	Santalum album L
Sandarac	Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl.), Mast	In alcoholic beverages only
Sarsaparilla	Smilax aristolochiaefolia Mill., (Mexican sarsaparilla), S. regelii Killip et Morton (Honduras sarsaparilla), S. febrifuga Kunth (Ecuadorean sarsaparilla), or undetermined Smilax spp. (Ecuadorean or Central American sarsaparilla)
Sassafras leaves	Sassafras albidum (Nutt.) Nees	Safrole free
Senna, Alexandria	Cassia acutifolia Delile
Serpentaria (Virginia snakeroot)	Aristolochia serpentaria L	In alcoholic beverages only
Simaruba bark	Simaruba amara Aubl	Do.
Snakeroot, Canadian (wild ginger)	Asarum canadense L
Spruce needles and twigs	Picea glauca (Moench) Voss or P. mariana (Mill.) BSP
Storax (styrax)	Liquidambar orientalis Mill. or L. styraciflua L
Tagetes (marigold)	Tagetes patula L., T. erecta L., or T. minuta L. (T. glandulifera Schrank)	As oil only
Tansy	Tanacetum vulgare L	In alcoholic beverages only; finished alcoholic beverage thujone free ¹
Thistle, blessed (holy thistle)	Onicus benedictus L	In alcoholic beverages only
Thymus capitatus (Spanish “origanum”)	Thymus capitatus Hoffmg. et Link
Tolu	Myroxylon balsamum (L.) Harms
Turpentine	Pinus palustris Mill. and other Pinus spp. which yield terpene oils exclusively
Valerian rhizome and roots	Valeriana officinalis L
Veronica	Veronica officinalis L	Do.
Vervain, European	Verbena officinalis L	Do.
Vetiver	Vetiveria zizanioides Stapf	Do.
Violet, Swiss	Viola calcarata L
Walnut husks (hulls), leaves, and green nuts	Juglans nigra L. or J. regia L
Woodruff, sweet	Asperula odorata L	In alcoholic beverages only
Yarrow	Achillea millefolium L	In beverages only; finished beverage thujone free ¹
Yerba santa	Eriodictyon californicum (Hook, et Arn.) Torr
Yucca, Joshua-tree	Yucca brevifolia Engelm
Yucca, Mohave	Yucca schidigera Roezl ex Ortgies (Y. mohavensis Sarg.)

¹ As determined by using the method (or, in other than alcoholic beverages, a suitable adaptation thereof) in section 9.129 of the “Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists,” 13th Ed. (1980), which is incorporated by reference. Copies may be obtained from the AOAC INTERNATIONAL, 481 North Frederick Ave., suite 500, Gaithersburg, MD 20877, or may be examined at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html.

[42 FR 14491, Mar. 15, 1977, as amended at 43 FR 14644, Apr. 7, 1978; 49 FR 10104, Mar. 19, 1984; 54 FR 24897, June 12, 1989; 69 FR 24511, May 4, 2004; 72 FR 10357, Mar. 8, 2007]

authority: 21 U.S.C. 321,341,342,348,371,379e

source: 42 FR 14491, Mar. 15, 1977, unless otherwise noted.

cite as: 21 CFR 172.510