Flavor ingredient regulatory record
2-Methoxybenzoic acid
2-Methoxybenzoic acid is an acid in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3943 (CAS 579-75-9). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, herbal.
- FEMA
- 3943
- CAS
- 579-75-9
- JECFA
- 881
- Formula
- C8H8O3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 19. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 579-75-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzoic acid, 2-methoxy-, o-Anisic acid, o-Methoxybenzoic acid, Salicylic acid methyl ether, O-Methylsalicylic acid, NSC 3778, o-anisic acid, o-methylsalicylic acid, o-methoxybenzoic acid, benzoic acid, 2-methoxy-, 2-anisic acid, salicylic acid methyl ether.
Can 2-Methoxybenzoic acid be labeled natural?
The process decides for 2-Methoxybenzoic acid. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic 2-Methoxybenzoic acid 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-Methoxybenzoic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3943. 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-Methoxybenzoic acid. 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 881, 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-Methoxybenzoic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 579-75-9, where EPA names it Benzoic acid, 2-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, fruity, floral, herbal.
Taste: Sour, tangy, slightly sweet.
Where it is used
2-Methoxybenzoic acid is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, sauces and dressings, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2-Methoxybenzoic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Hydroxybenzoic acid | 3985 | 87% | In nature |
| 2-Methoxyacetophenone | 4163 | 86% | Not determined |
| 2-Hydroxyacetophenone | 3548 | 80% | In nature |
| Methyl salicylate | 2745 | 80% | In nature |
| Benzoic acid | 2131 | 79% | In nature |
More acids in this index
(E)-2-Decenoic acid · Oleic acid · 5-Oxooctanoic acid · 2-Methylvaleric acid · Phenylacetic acid · 4-Methylpentanoic acid
2-Methoxybenzoic acid FAQ
Does 2-Methoxybenzoic acid have FEMA GRAS status?
2-Methoxybenzoic acid holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3943. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite 2-Methoxybenzoic acid by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite 2-Methoxybenzoic acid as FEMA 3943 or CAS 579-75-9; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is fruity.
What does 2-Methoxybenzoic acid smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of 2-Methoxybenzoic acid is sweet, fruity, floral, herbal. On the palate it is sour, tangy, slightly sweet. Typical uses are beverage, confection, fruit flavors, sauces and dressings.
What did JECFA conclude about 2-Methoxybenzoic acid?
JECFA evaluated 2-Methoxybenzoic acid at the 57th meeting in 2001 under JECFA number 881. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is 2-Methoxybenzoic acid approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for 2-Methoxybenzoic acid. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 881), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Can 2-Methoxybenzoic acid be labeled a natural flavor?
Nature makes 2-Methoxybenzoic acid, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial 2-Methoxybenzoic acid, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 2-Methoxybenzoic acid 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-METHOXYBENZOIC ACID under CAS 579-75-9 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.