Flavor ingredient regulatory record
2-Ethylhexyl benzoate
2-Ethylhexyl benzoate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4630 (CAS 5444-75-7). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, estery, slightly woody.
- FEMA
- 4630
- CAS
- 5444-75-7
- JECFA
- 2068
- Formula
- C15H22O2
- EC
- 226-641-8
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 24. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 5444-75-7.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzoic acid, 2-ethylhexyl ester, 1-Hexanol, 2-ethyl-, benzoate, Ethylhexyl benzoate, 2-Ethyl-1-hexanol benzoate, Velate 368, NSC 19155, Hi-Ester B 508, Finsolv EB, SDX 3652, Benzoflex 181, ethylhexyl benzoate, benzoic acid, 2-ethylhexyl ester.
Can 2-Ethylhexyl benzoate be labeled natural?
Nature occurrence: Not yet found in nature (provisional).
Nature occurrence has not been settled for this substance, so the natural or artificial class is not stated here. The FEMA GRAS status does not depend on it.
Regulatory status, with citations
United States
2-Ethylhexyl benzoate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4630. 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-Ethylhexyl benzoate. 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)
JECFA number 2068, evaluated at the 73rd meeting in 2010. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. 2-Ethylhexyl benzoate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 5444-75-7, where EPA names it Benzoic acid, 2-ethylhexyl ester.
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, fruity, floral, estery, slightly woody.
Where it is used
2-Ethylhexyl benzoate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, cosmetics and fragrance, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2-Ethylhexyl benzoate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benzyl hexanoate | 4026 | 87% | In nature |
| Phenethyl octanoate | 3222 | 86% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Butyl beta-(methylthio)acrylate · Butyl butyryllactate · Allyl tiglate · Benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal · 3-Hexenyl 3-methylbutanoate · 6-Hydroxydihydrotheaspirane
2-Ethylhexyl benzoate FAQ
Does 2-Ethylhexyl benzoate have FEMA GRAS status?
2-Ethylhexyl benzoate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 4630. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite 2-Ethylhexyl benzoate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite 2-Ethylhexyl benzoate as FEMA 4630 or CAS 5444-75-7; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is 2-Ethylhexyl benzoate approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for 2-Ethylhexyl benzoate. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 2068), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Has JECFA evaluated 2-Ethylhexyl benzoate?
Yes. JECFA number 2068, evaluated at the 73rd meeting in 2010. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does 2-Ethylhexyl benzoate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of 2-Ethylhexyl benzoate is sweet, fruity, floral, estery, slightly woody. Typical uses are beverage, confection, fruit flavors, cosmetics and fragrance.
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 2-Ethylhexyl benzoate 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-ETHYLHEXYL BENZOATE under CAS 5444-75-7 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.