Flavor ingredient regulatory record
2-Aminoacetophenone
2-Aminoacetophenone is a ketone in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3906 (CAS 551-93-9). Its odor is sweet, floral, almond, vanilla, fruity.
- FEMA
- 3906
- CAS
- 551-93-9
- JECFA
- 2043
- Formula
- C8H9NO
- EC
- 209-002-8
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 19. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 551-93-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Ethanone, 1-(2-aminophenyl)-, Acetophenone, 2′-amino-, Acetophenone, o-amino-, 1-(2-Aminophenyl)ethanone, o-Aminoacetophenone, 2′-Aminoacetophenone, o-Aminoacetylbenzene, 2-Acetylaniline, o-Aminophenyl methyl ketone, 1-Acetyl-2-aminobenzene, o-Acetylaniline, 2-Aminophenyl methyl ketone.
Can 2-Aminoacetophenone be labeled natural?
Since 2-Aminoacetophenone is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 2-Aminoacetophenone is synthesized. 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-Aminoacetophenone is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3906. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
2-Aminoacetophenone was on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 11.008 when Regulation (EU) 872/2012 adopted the list, and the entry has since been withdrawn. It does not appear in the current consolidated text of Regulation (EC) 1334/2008. Check the amending regulations for the conditions that applied to existing stock, and treat EU or UK use as closed unless another route covers it.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. 2-Aminoacetophenone appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 551-93-9, where EPA names it Ethanone, 1-(2-aminophenyl)-.
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, almond, vanilla, fruity.
Taste: Sweet, slightly bitter, floral.
Where it is used
2-Aminoacetophenone is used in beverage, confection, bakery, flavoring and candy, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2-Aminoacetophenone by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Hydroxyacetophenone | 3548 | 90% | In nature |
| 2-Methylacetophenone | 4316 | 86% | In nature |
| Methyl anthranilate | 2682 | 75% | In nature |
| Ethyl anthranilate | 2421 | 69% | In nature |
| 2-Hydroxybenzoic acid | 3985 | 66% | In nature |
More ketones in this index
alpha-Ionone · Ionone · delta-Damascone · beta-Isomethylionone · Methyl-delta-ionone · alpha-iso-Methylionone
2-Aminoacetophenone FAQ
Is 2-Aminoacetophenone FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists 2-Aminoacetophenone as GRAS under FEMA number 3906. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for 2-Aminoacetophenone?
2-Aminoacetophenone is FEMA 3906, CAS 551-93-9. FEMA files it in the floral flavor category.
Does 2-Aminoacetophenone count as natural in the US and the EU?
2-Aminoacetophenone occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 2-Aminoacetophenone won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 2-Aminoacetophenone is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 2-Aminoacetophenone identical-to-natural.
Is 2-Aminoacetophenone approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for 2-Aminoacetophenone. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 2043), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Has JECFA evaluated 2-Aminoacetophenone?
Yes. JECFA number 2043.
How is 2-Aminoacetophenone described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe 2-Aminoacetophenone as sweet, floral, almond, vanilla, fruity. On the palate it is sweet, slightly bitter, floral. It is used in beverage, confection, bakery, flavoring and candy.
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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 2'-AMINOACETOPHENONE under CAS 551-93-9 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor 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.