Flavor ingredient regulatory record
2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol
2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol is an alcohol in the mint family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4154 (CAS 38618-23-4). Its odor is minty, fresh, herbal, sweet.
- FEMA
- 4154
- CAS
- 38618-23-4
- JECFA
- 1853
- EU FL
- 02.247
- Formula
- C12H24O2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 22. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 38618-23-4.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Ethanol, 2-[[5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)cyclohexyl]oxy]-, 2-[[5-Methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)cyclohexyl]oxy]ethanol, 3-(2-Hydroxyethoxy)-p-menthane, 2-(Menthoxy)ethanol, 2-[[5-Methyl-2-(propan-2-yl)cyclohexyl]oxy]ethan-1-ol, 2-(5-Methyl-2-propan-2-ylcyclohexyl)oxyethanol, 2-(menthoxy)ethanol, 2-((2-isopropyl-5-methylcyclohexyl)oxy)ethanol, 2-{[5-methyl-2-(propan-2-yl)cyclohexyl]oxy}ethan-1-ol, 2-(5-methyl-2-propan-2-ylcyclohexyl)oxyethanol, as-57102, 2-(2-isopropyl-5-methyl-cyclohexoxy)ethanol.
Can 2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol be labeled natural?
Since 2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol is synthesized. 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-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4154. 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 02.247, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1853.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. 2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 38618-23-4, where EPA names it Ethanol, 2-[[5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)cyclohexyl]oxy]-.
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: Minty, fresh, herbal, sweet.
Where it is used
2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol is used in beverage, confection, oral care and flavoring, typically as a mint note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| d,l-Menthone-1,2-glycerol ketal | 3808 | 78% | In nature |
| Menthyl valerate | 4156 | 68% | In nature |
| Menthyl isovalerate | 2669 | 67% | In nature |
| Menthyl acetate | 2668 | 67% | In nature |
| l-Menthyl methyl ether | 4054 | 66% | In nature |
More alcohols in this index
8-p-Menthene-1,2-diol · p-Menth-8-en-1-ol · D,L-Menthol(+/-)-propylene glycol carbonate · p-Menthane-3,8-diol · (-)-Menthol 1- and 2-propylene glycol carbonate · 2-Pentanol
2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol FAQ
Is 2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 4154 covers 2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for 2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol?
The FEMA number for 2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol is 4154 and its CAS registry number is 38618-23-4. FEMA files it in the mint flavor category.
Is 2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol natural or artificial?
2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol 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.
Is 2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol approved in the EU?
2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 02.247 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol?
Yes. JECFA number 1853.
What is 2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol used for?
2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol is described as minty, fresh, herbal, sweet. It shows up in beverage, confection, oral care and flavoring.
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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-(L-MENTHOXY)ETHANOL under CAS 38618-23-4 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.