Flavor ingredient regulatory record
1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene
1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene is a phenol in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3595 (CAS 95-87-4). Its odor is sweet, floral, fruity, woody, balsamic.
- FEMA
- 3595
- CAS
- 95-87-4
- JECFA
- 706
- EU FL
- 04.019
- Formula
- C8H10O
- EC
- 202-461-5
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 11. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 95-87-4.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Phenol, 2,5-dimethyl-, 2,5-Xylenol, 2,5-Dimethylphenol, p-Xylenol, 1,2,5-Xylenol, 3,6-Dimethylphenol, NSC 2599, 2-Hydroxy-p-xylene, 2,5-dimethylphenol, 2,5-xylenol, p-xylenol, phenol, 2,5-dimethyl-.
Can 1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene be labeled natural?
The process decides for 1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic 1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene is artificial. In the EU and UK the natural claim likewise needs the natural route, while Mercosur and Mexico keep a third class, identical-to-natural, for the synthetic material.
- 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
1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3595. 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 04.019, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 706, evaluated at the 55th meeting in 2000. no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. 1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 95-87-4, where EPA names it Phenol, 2,5-dimethyl-.
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: Sweet, floral, fruity, woody, balsamic.
Where it is used
1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene is used in beverage, confection, flavoring and baked goods, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Methoxy-4-methylphenol | 2671 | 90% | In nature |
| 2,3,6-Trimethylphenol | 3963 | 89% | In nature |
| 3,4-Xylenol | 3596 | 83% | Not determined |
| alpha-Methylbenzyl alcohol | 2685 | 76% | In nature |
| 4-Methylbenzyl alcohol | 4624 | 75% | In nature |
More phenols in this index
1-Methoxy-4-methylbenzene · 2,4-Dimethylanisole · 4-Ethyl-2,6-dimethoxyphenol · p-Propylanisole · 4-Methyl-2,6-dimethoxyphenol · 1-Methyl-3-methoxy-4-isopropylbenzene
1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene FAQ
Does 1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene have FEMA GRAS status?
1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3595. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite 1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite 1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene as FEMA 3595 or CAS 95-87-4; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is fruity.
What does 1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of 1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene is sweet, floral, fruity, woody, balsamic. Typical uses are beverage, confection, flavoring and baked goods.
What did JECFA conclude about 1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene?
JECFA evaluated 1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene at the 55th meeting in 2000 under JECFA number 706. The panel concluded: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Can 1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 04.019 is the Union List entry for 1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can 1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene be labeled a natural flavor?
Nature makes 1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial 1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene identical-to-natural.
Ingredient lookup
Check an ingredient
Start typing to search the ingredient corpus.
Or browse every ingredient page, A to Z.
Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check 1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene in a formula
Screened against FEMA GRAS, 21 CFR and EU rules as you build. Free to start.
Sources and attribution. The identity and regulatory facts on this page are taken from the FDA Substances Added to Food inventory, a US government record, which lists this substance as 2,5-XYLENOL under CAS 95-87-4 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number. The inventory is searchable at FDA. FDA records its technical effect as flavor enhancer, flavoring agent or adjuvant.
A FEMA GRAS conclusion is reached by the Expert Panel of the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association of the United States, and the FEMA number names that conclusion. FEMA publishes its own entry for this substance in the FEMA Flavor Library, which is the authoritative record of what the Panel decided 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.