Flavor ingredient regulatory record

2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde

2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde is an aldehyde in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2743 (CAS 103-95-7).

FEMA
2743
CAS
103-95-7
JECFA
1465
EU FL
05.045
Formula
C13H18O
EC
203-161-7

GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 103-95-7.

Structure

2D structure of 2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde
Structure of 2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde, C13H18O. Drawn from the canonical SMILES.

Identity

IUPAC name 2-methyl-3-(4-propan-2-ylphenyl)propanal
CAS number 103-95-7
FEMA number 2743
Molecular formula C13H18O
Molecular weight 190.29 g/mol
SMILES CC(C=O)Cc1ccc(C(C)C)cc1
InChIKey ZFNVDHOSLNRHNN-UHFFFAOYSA-N
PubChem CID 517827
EC number 203-161-7
FDA UNII 4U37UX0E1E
EPA DTXSID DTXSID2044769
Chemical class Aldehyde
Boiling point 270 °C
Flash point 122 °C

Also known as: Benzenepropanal, α-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-, Hydrocinnamaldehyde, p-isopropyl-α-methyl-, α-Methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)benzenepropanal, Cyclamal, p-Isopropyl-α-methylhydrocinnamaldehyde, α-Methyl-p-isopropylhydrocinnamaldehyde, Cyclamen aldehyde, 3-p-Cumenyl-2-methylpropionaldehyde, 3-(p-Isopropylphenyl)-2-methylpropionaldehyde, 4-Isopropyl-α-methylhydrocinnamic aldehyde, 3-(4-Isopropylphenyl)-2-methylpropanal, Cymal.

Can 2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde be labeled natural?

The process decides for 2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic 2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde 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-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2743. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.

21 CFR 172.515

European Union and United Kingdom

Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 05.045, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.

Purity. At least 90%; secondary component 5% 3-(p-cumenyl)-2-methylpropionic acid

JECFA (WHO / FAO)

JECFA number 1465, evaluated at the 64th meeting in 2005. no safety concern at current levels of intake.

JECFA monograph

Other US flags

Not on the California Proposition 65 list.

TSCA Inventory status

A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. 2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 103-95-7, where EPA names it Benzenepropanal, .alpha.-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-.

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

Taste: Sweet, fruity, nutty.

Where it is used

2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde is used in beverage, confection, flavoring, bakery and desserts, typically as a fruity note.

Structurally similar flavor ingredients

Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.

MaterialFEMASimilarityOccurrence
3-(p-Isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde295790%In nature
p-Isopropylphenylacetaldehyde295469%In nature
2-Methyl-3-(p-tolyl)propionaldehyde274868%Not determined
1-(4-Methoxyphenyl)-4-methyl-1-penten-3-one376064%In nature
alpha-Hexylcinnamaldehyde256956%In nature

More aldehydes in this index

2-Methyl-3-(p-tolyl)propionaldehyde · (E)-4-Nonenal · 2-trans-6-cis-Dodecadienal · 4,5-Epoxy-(E)-2-decenal · 2,4-Nonadienal · 4-Methyl-2-(methylthiomethyl)-2-hexenal

2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde FAQ

Does 2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde have FEMA GRAS status?

2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2743. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.

How do I cite 2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde by FEMA or CAS number?

Cite 2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde as FEMA 2743 or CAS 103-95-7; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is fruity.

What did JECFA conclude about 2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde?

JECFA evaluated 2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde at the 64th meeting in 2005 under JECFA number 1465. The panel concluded: no safety concern at current levels of intake.

Can 2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde be used in the EU and UK?

Yes. FL 05.045 is the Union List entry for 2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.

Can 2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde be labeled a natural flavor?

Nature makes 2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial 2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 2-Methyl-3-(p-isopropylphenyl)propionaldehyde 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-METHYL-3-(P-ISOPROPYLPHENYL) PROPIONALDEHYDE under CAS 103-95-7 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number and its 21 CFR citations. 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.