Food Safety Substance
Theanine
Theanine is a food additive with Not novel food (present in tea) in the EU, FDA has no questions in the US, and data from 3 regulatory sources.
Substance Identity
Resolved identifiers used to render this food-safety record.
Multi-Jurisdiction Comparison
Side-by-side status rows for the same resolved substance across public food regulators.
| Jurisdiction | Authority | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | EU Commission | Not novel food (present in tea) | - |
| United States | FDA | FDA has no questions | GRAS notice |
FDA GRAS Status
US FDA GRAS notice evidence from enriched and notice tables.
| Jurisdiction | GRN | Substance | FDA response | Intended use | Basis | Notifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 209 | L-theanine | FDA has no questions | Ingredient in several food categories up to 250 milligrams per serving | Scientific procedures | Taiyo International, Inc. |
| United States | 338 | L-theanine extracted from tea leaves (Camellia sinensis) | FDA has no questions | Ingredient in fruit juices and drinks, non-herbal teas, sports beverages, bottled waters, chocolate bars and chews, hard candies, breath mints, and chewing gum at levels up to 250... | Scientific procedures | Blue California |
| United States | 501 | L-theanine (chemically synthesized) | FDA has no questions | As an ingredient in foods | Scientific Procedures | Zhejiang Tianrui Chemical Co., Ltd. |
| United States | 209 | L-theanine | FDA has no questions | Ingredient in several food categories up to 250 milligrams per serving | Scientific procedures | Taiyo International, Inc. |
| United States | 338 | L-theanine extracted from tea leaves (<i>Camellia sinensis</i>) | FDA has no questions | Ingredient in fruit juices and drinks, non-herbal teas, sports beverages, bottled waters, chocolate bars and chews, hard candies, breath mints, and chewing gum at levels up to 250... | Scientific procedures | Blue California |
| United States | 501 | L-theanine (chemically synthesized) | FDA has no questions | As an ingredient in foods | Scientific Procedures | Zhejiang Tianrui Chemical Co., Ltd. |
Cross-Reference to Cosmetics / Chemicals / Pharma
Same-CAS public rows from adjacent Roots verticals where available.
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
This substance has different regulatory treatment across food, cosmetics, and industrial use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Food-use, safety, ADI, and cross-vertical answers mirrored into FAQPage JSON-LD.
What is Theanine used for in food?
Theanine appears in food-use rows as: amino_acid.
Is Theanine safe?
This page does not assign a standalone safety verdict; it renders public regulatory evidence. EU status evidence: Not novel food (present in tea). US/FDA evidence: FDA has no questions.
What is the ADI for Theanine?
No ADI row was found for Theanine in the rendered EFSA, food_substances, food_additives, or JECFA tables.
Is Theanine also used in cosmetics?
Theanine has a same-CAS cosmetics cross-reference: Theanine, EU status permitted.