Flavor ingredient regulatory record
2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde
2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde is an aldehyde in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3697 (CAS 698-27-1). Its odor is sweet, fruity, almond, cherry, floral.
- FEMA
- 3697
- CAS
- 698-27-1
- JECFA
- 898
- EU FL
- 05.091
- Formula
- C8H8O2
- EC
- 211-813-7
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 13. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 698-27-1.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzaldehyde, 2-hydroxy-4-methyl-, 2,4-Cresotaldehyde, m-Homosalicylaldehyde, 4-Methylsalicylaldehyde, 2-Formyl-5-methylphenol, 4-Methyl-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-methylsalicylaldehyde, benzaldehyde, 2-hydroxy-4-methyl-, 2,4-cresotaldehyde, 2-hydroxy-4-methyl-benzaldehyde, 2-formyl-5-methylphenol, 4-methyl-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde.
Can 2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde be labeled natural?
Nature makes 2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial 2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde, same molecule. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
- 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-methylbenzaldehyde is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3697. 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 05.091, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 898, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. 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-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 698-27-1, where EPA names it Benzaldehyde, 2-hydroxy-4-methyl-.
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 regulatory flags
| Flag | EPA definition | What it obliges |
|---|---|---|
| PMN | Indicates a commenced PMN substance. | Nothing new. The substance already went through premanufacture review and someone filed a notice of commencement, which is why it is on the Inventory. It is an existing chemical and needs no new premanufacture notice. Read more |
PMN does not establish: The flag records how the substance arrived, not what may be done with it. Check the flags beside it.
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, almond, cherry, floral.
Taste: Sweet, nutty, fruity.
Where it is used
2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde is used in beverage, confection, baked goods, flavoring and desserts, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benzaldehyde | 2127 | 84% | In nature |
| Vanillin | 3107 | 79% | In nature |
| Salicylaldehyde | 3004 | 77% | In nature |
| 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde | 4435 | 72% | In nature |
| 4-Hydroxybenzaldehyde | 3984 | 71% | In nature |
More aldehydes in this index
Benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal · 4-Decenal · Tolualdehyde glyceryl acetal · (+/-)-4-Ethyloctanal · Undecanal · Nonanal
2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde FAQ
Does 2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde have FEMA GRAS status?
2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3697. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite 2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite 2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde as FEMA 3697 or CAS 698-27-1; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is fruity.
What does 2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of 2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde is sweet, fruity, almond, cherry, floral. On the palate it is sweet, nutty, fruity. Typical uses are beverage, confection, baked goods, flavoring and desserts.
What did JECFA conclude about 2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde?
JECFA evaluated 2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde at the 57th meeting in 2001 under JECFA number 898. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Can 2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 05.091 is the Union List entry for 2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can 2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde be labeled a natural flavor?
The process decides for 2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic 2-Hydroxy-4-methylbenzaldehyde is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material 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-METHYLBENZALDEHYDE under CAS 698-27-1 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.