Flavor ingredient regulatory record
2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde
2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde is an aldehyde in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4435 (CAS 673-22-3). Its odor is sweet, floral, almond, cherry, nutty.
- FEMA
- 4435
- CAS
- 673-22-3
- JECFA
- 2277
- EU FL
- 05.229
- Formula
- C8H8O3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 24. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 673-22-3.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzaldehyde, 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-, p-Anisaldehyde, 2-hydroxy-, 2-Hydroxy-p-anisaldehyde, 4-Methoxysalicylaldehyde, o-Hydroxy-p-methoxybenzaldehyde, 2-Formyl-5-methoxyphenol, NSC 155334, 4-Methoxy-6-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenazldehyde, 4-Methoxy-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-methoxysalicylaldehyde, benzaldehyde, 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-.
Can 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde be labeled natural?
The process decides for 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde 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
2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4435. 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 05.229, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list. The entry carries use restrictions.
Use restrictions. Isolated from Periploca sepium
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 2277, evaluated at the 64th meeting in 2005. 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. 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 673-22-3, where EPA names it Benzaldehyde, 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-.
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, cherry, nutty.
Where it is used
2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde is used in beverage, confection, bakery, flavoring and desserts, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| p-Methoxybenzaldehyde | 2670 | 85% | In nature |
| Veratraldehyde | 3109 | 79% | In nature |
| Ethyl vanillin | 2464 | 79% | In nature |
| Salicylaldehyde | 3004 | 72% | In nature |
| 2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde | 3697 | 72% | In nature |
More aldehydes in this index
Hydroxycitronellal · Salicylaldehyde · 4-Hydroxybenzaldehyde · 4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde · Phenylacetaldehyde · o-Anisaldehyde
2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde FAQ
Does 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde have FEMA GRAS status?
2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 4435. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde as FEMA 4435 or CAS 673-22-3; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is floral.
What does 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde is sweet, floral, almond, cherry, nutty. Typical uses are beverage, confection, bakery, flavoring and desserts.
What did JECFA conclude about 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde?
JECFA evaluated 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde at the 64th meeting in 2005 under JECFA number 2277. The panel concluded: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Can 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 05.229 is the Union List entry for 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list. Its entry carries use restrictions, listed on this page.
Can 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde be labeled a natural flavor?
Nature makes 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde identical-to-natural.
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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-HYDROXY-4-METHOXYBENZALDEHYDE under CAS 673-22-3 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.