Authorization for use of (3-Amino-3-carboxypropyl)dimethylsulfonuim Chloride, 
2-Ethyl-6-methylpyrazine, Trimethylamine,  and trans -2-Methyl-2-butenal as food 
additives  
 
The Government of Japan will designate 
(3-Amino-3-carboxypropyl)dimethylsulfonuim Chloride, 2-Ethyl-6-methylpyrazine, 
Trimethylamine, and trans -2-Methyl-2-butenal as authorized food additives. 
 
Purpose and background  
Under Article 10 of the Food Sanitation Law, food additives may not be used or 
marketed without the authorization of the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare. 
Where standards for use of additives and/or their compositional specifications are 
established based on Article 11 of the law, those additives may not be used or marketed 
when they do not meet these standards and/or specifications.  
 
In response to the request from the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, the 
Subcommittee on Food Additives under the Food Sanitation Committee established 
under the Pharmaceutical Affairs and Food Sanitation Council discussed the adequacy 
of designation of the four substances, i.e. (3-Amino-3-carboxypropyl)dimethylsulfonuim 
Chloride, 2-Ethyl-6-methylpyrazine, Trimethylamine, and trans -2-Methyl-2-butenal, as 
food additives and reached the conclusion as below. 
 
Outline of conclusion  
The Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, based on Article 10 of the Food Sanitation 
Law, should designate (3-Amino-3-carboxypropyl)dimethylsulfonuim Chloride, 
2-Ethyl-6-methylpyrazine, Trimethylamine, and trans -2-Methyl-2-butenal as food 
additives unlikely to harm human health, and establish compositional specifications 
and other necessary standards for these substances, based on Article 11 of the law (see 
Attachments 1, 2, 3 and 4).  Attachment 1 
 
(3-Amino-3-carboxypropyl)dimethylsulfonium Chloride 
 
 
Standard for use  
It shall not be used for purposes other than flavoring.  
 
Compositional specifications  
Substance name:   
(3-Amino-3-carboxypropyl)dimethylsulfonium Chloride 
Synonym: Methylmethioninesulfonium Chloride  
Structural formula 
 
COOH
NH2S+
H3CCH3
Cl-
  
 
Molecular formula:   C 6H14ClNO 2S  
Mol. Weight:   199.70 
Chemical name [CAS number]:    
(3-Amino-3-carboxypropyl)dimethylsulfonium Chloride  [3493-12-7] 
Content:  (3-Amino-3-carboxypropyl)dimethylsulfonium Chloride contains not less 
than 98.0% of (3-amino-3-carboxypropyl)dimethylsulfonium chloride (C 6H14ClNO 2S).  
Description:  (3-Amino-3-carboxypropyl)dimethylsulfonium Chloride occurs as white 
crystals or powder having a characteristic odor.    
Identification:  Allow (3-Amino-3-carboxypropyl)dimethylsulfonium Chloride to stand 
in a desiccator for 3 hours, and determine the infrared absorption spectrum as directed 
in the Paste Method under Infrared Spectrophotometry. Use optical plates  made from 
sodium chloride. Compare it with the Reference Spectrum. Both spectra exhibit 
absorptions having about the same intensity at the same wavenumbers.   
Purity:   Melting point   138–143°C (decomposition). 
Assay:  Weigh accurately about 0.3 g of (3-Amino-3-carboxypropyl)dimethylsulfonium 
Chloride, previously dried, dissolve by adding 70 ml of water and 1 ml of 0.1 mol/L 
hydrochloric acid, and titrate with 0.1 mol/L potassium hydroxide (potentiometric titration). Determine the content using the volume of 0.1 mol/L potassium hydroxide 
consumed between the first and second inflection points.   
Each ml of 0.1 mol/L potassium hydroxide = 19.970 mg of C 6H14ClNO 2S 
 
 
 Reference Spectrum  
 
(3-Amino-3-carboxypropyl)dimethylsulfonium Chloride 
 Attachment 2 
 
2-Ethyl-6-methylpyrazine 
 
 
Standard for use  
It shall not be used for purposes other than flavoring.  
 
Compositional specifications  
Substance name:   2-Ethyl-6-methylpyrazine 
Structural formula: 
 NNCH3
H3C
NNCH3
H3C 
                      
Molecular formula:  C7H10N2  
Mol. Weight:  122.17 
Chemical name [CAS number]:    
Mixture of 2-ethyl-6-methylpyrazine and 2-ethyl-5-methylpyrazine [36731-41-6] 
Definition:  2-Ethyl-6-methylpyrazine occurs as the mixture of 
2-ethyl-6-methylpyrazine and 2-ethyl-5-methylpyrazine.  
Content:  2-Ethyl-6-methylpyrazine contains not less than 95.0% of the sum of 
2-ethyl-6-methylpyrazine and 2-ethyl-5-methylpyrazine  (C7H10N2).   
Description:   2-Ethyl-6-methylpyrazine occurs as a colorless to pale yellow, transparent 
liquid having a characteristic odor.    
Identification: Determine the infrared absorption spectrum of 
2-Ethyl-6-methylpyrazine as directed in the Liquid Film Method under Infrared 
Spectrophotometry, and compare it with the Reference Spectrum. Both spectra exhibit 
absorptions having about the same intensity at the same wavenumbers.   
Purity:   (1) Refractive index   n20
D: 1.492–1.502. 
(2) Specific gravity   d25
25: 0.960–0.973. 
Assay:  Proceed as directed in the Peak Area Percentage Method in the Gas 
Chromatographic Assay under the Flavor Substance Tests. Use operating conditions (1). 
 Reference Spectrum  
 
 
2-Ethyl-6-methylpyrazine  
 
 
 
 Attachment 3 
 
Trimethylamine 
 
 
Standard for use  
It shall not be used for purposes other than flavoring.  
 
Compositional specifications  
Substance name:  Trimethylamine 
Structural formula: 
H3C CH 3NCH3
  
Molecular formula:   C 3H9N 
Mol. Weight:   59.11 
Chemical name [CAS number]:   Trimethylamine [75-50-3] 
Content:  Trimethylamine contains not less than 98.0% of trimethylamine (C 3H9N).   
Description:   Trimethylamine occurs as a colorless gas having a characteristic odor.    
Identification:  Carry out the test as directed in the Assay . The mass spectrum of the 
main peak include a molecular ion peak (m/z 59), a standard peak (m/z 58), and 
fragment peaks (m/z 15, m/z 30, m/z 42).   
Assay:   To 1 ml of water cooled to 0–4ºC, add 0.1 g of Trimethylamine, previously cooled 
to −20ºC, and dissolve it. Analyze the resulting solution by gas chromatography using 
operating conditions given below. Determine the peak area percentage of the component 
to be determined by normalizing the sum of the areas of all peaks, excluding those from 
water, that appear within 40 minutes after injection as 100.    
Detector: Mass spectrometer (electron impact ionization method) 
Mass scanning range: m/z 10.00–300.00  
Column: Use a silicate-glass capillary tube (0.25–0.53 mm internal diameter and 
50–60 m length) coated with a 0.25–1 mm thick layer of dimethylpolysiloxane or 
polyethylene glycol for gas chromatography.   
Column temperature: Maintain the temperature for 5 minutes at 50 °C, and raise to 
230°C at a rate of 5 °C/minute.  
Inlet temperature: 125–175 °C. Interface temperature: Highest column temperature (230 °C)–highest applicable 
temperature. 
Injection: Sprit (30:1–250:1). Adjust so that any component does not exceed the 
acceptable level of the column used.   
Carrier gas: Helium. 
Flow rate: Adjust so that the peak of the component to be determined appears 
between 3–20 minutes after injection.     
 
 
 
 
 
 Attachment 4 
 
trans -2-Methyl-2-butenal 
(E)-2-Methyl-2-butenal 
 
 
Standard for use  
It shall not be used for purposes other than flavoring.  
 
Compositional specifications  
Substance name:  trans -2-Methyl-2-butenal 
Synonym: ( E)-2-Methyl-2-butenal 
 Structural formula: 
 H3CCHO
CH3  
Molecular formula:   C 5H8O 
Mol. Weight:   84.12 
Chemical name [CAS number]:   (2E)-2-Methylbut-2-enal [497-03-0] 
Content:  trans -2-Methyl-2-butenal  contains not less than 97.0% of 
trans -2-methyl-2-butenal (C 5H8O).   
Description:   trans -2-Methyl-2-butenal occurs as a colorless, transparent liquid having 
a characteristic odor.    
Identification: Determine the infrared absorption spectrum of trans -2-Methyl-2-butenal 
as directed in the Liquid Film Method under Infrared Spectrophotometry, and compare 
it with the Reference Spectrum. Both spectra exhibit absorptions having about the same 
intensity at the same wavenumbers.   
Purity   (1) Refractive index   n20
D: 1.445–1.450. 
(2) Specific gravity   d20
20: 0.866–0.873. 
(3) Acid value   Not more than 3.0 (Flavor Substance Tests).  
Assay:   With a solution of trans -2-Methyl-2-butenal in acetone (1 in 10), proceed as 
directed in the Peak Area Percentage Method in the Gas Chromatographic Assay under 
the Flavor Substance Tests. Use operating conditions (2). Use the following operating 
conditions. Determine the peak area percentage of the component to be determined by normalizing the sum of the peak areas of all components that appear within 60 minutes 
after injection as 100.   
Column: Use a silicate-glass capillary tube (0.25–0.53 mm in internal diameter and 
50–60 m in length) coated with a 0.5–1 mm thick layer of polyethylene glycol for gas 
chromatography.   
Column temperature: Maintain the temperature for 15 minutes at 50 °C, raise to 230 °C 
at a rate of 10 °C/minute, and maintain for 27 minutes.  
Flow rate: Adjust so that the peak of the component to be determined appears between 
10–30 minutes after injection.     
 
 
 Reference Spectrum  
 
 
trans -2-Methyl-2-butenal