Flavor ingredient regulatory record
(2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene
(2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene is an ether in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4625 (CAS 6314-97-2). Its odor is sweet, floral, fruity, aromatic.
- FEMA
- 4625
- CAS
- 6314-97-2
- Formula
- C12H18O2
- EC
- 228-642-9
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 24. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 6314-97-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzene, (2,2-diethoxyethyl)-, Acetaldehyde, phenyl-, diethyl acetal, Benzeneacetaldehyde, diethyl acetal, Phenylacetaldehyde diethyl acetal, 1,1-Diethoxy-2-phenylethane, Phenylethanal diethyl acetal, NSC 20031, phenylacetaldehyde diethyl acetal, benzeneacetaldehyde, diethyl acetal, benzene, (2,2-diethoxyethyl)-, acetaldehyde, phenyl-, diethyl acetal, phenylacetaldehyde diethylacetal.
Can (2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene be labeled natural?
Nature makes (2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial (2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene, same molecule. 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
(2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4625. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
No EU FL number is on file for (2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene. That is not a finding either way. The Union List covers defined flavouring substances, so natural complex materials are handled as flavouring preparations under Parts B to F and never receive a number, and substances used as additives sit under Regulation 1333/2008 instead. Confirm the position before EU or UK use.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
(2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene has not been evaluated by JECFA as a flavouring agent, or no evaluation is on file.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. (2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 6314-97-2, where EPA names it Benzene, (2,2-diethoxyethyl)-.
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, aromatic.
Where it is used
(2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, desserts and flavoring agents, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to (2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal | 3125 | 87% | In nature |
| Benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal | 2148 | 78% | In nature |
| Phenylacetaldehyde 2,3-butylene glycol acetal | 2875 | 70% | In nature |
| Phenylacetaldehyde dimethyl acetal | 2876 | 68% | In nature |
| Isoamyl phenethyl ether | 4635 | 67% | In nature |
More ethers in this index
Isoamyl phenethyl ether · Digeranyl ether · beta-Naphthyl methyl ether · 2,4-Dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane · 1,1-Dimethoxyethane · Difurfuryl ether
(2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene FAQ
Is (2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 4625 covers (2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for (2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene?
The FEMA number for (2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene is 4625 and its CAS registry number is 6314-97-2. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is (2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene used for?
(2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene is described as sweet, floral, fruity, aromatic. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, desserts and flavoring agents.
Is (2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene natural or artificial?
The process decides for (2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic (2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene 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.
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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 PHENYLACETALDEHYDE DIETHYL ACETAL under CAS 6314-97-2 and carries its FEMA number. The inventory is searchable at FDA. FDA records its technical effect as 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.