Flavor ingredient regulatory record
2-Phenylpropionaldehyde
2-Phenylpropionaldehyde is an aldehyde in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2886 (CAS 93-53-8). Its odor is sweet, floral, fruity, almond, nutty.
- FEMA
- 2886
- CAS
- 93-53-8
- JECFA
- 1467
- EU FL
- 05.038
- Formula
- C9H10O
- EC
- 202-255-5
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 93-53-8.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzeneacetaldehyde, α-methyl-, Hydratropaldehyde, α-Methylbenzeneacetaldehyde, Hyacinthal, Hydratropic aldehyde, α-Methylphenylacetaldehyde, α-Methyl-α-toluic aldehyde, 2-Phenylpropanal, Cumene aldehyde, α-Phenylpropionaldehyde, α-Formylethylbenzene, (±)-α-Phenylpropionaldehyde.
Can 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde be labeled natural?
Since 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde is synthesized. 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-Phenylpropionaldehyde is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2886. 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 05.038, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1467, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. 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-Phenylpropionaldehyde appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 93-53-8, where EPA names it Benzeneacetaldehyde, .alpha.-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 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, fruity, almond, nutty.
Where it is used
2-Phenylpropionaldehyde is used in beverage, confection, baked goods, flavoring and ice cream, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phenylacetaldehyde | 2874 | 86% | In nature |
| Acetophenone | 2009 | 84% | In nature |
| alpha-Methylbenzyl alcohol | 2685 | 81% | In nature |
| Dihydrocoumarin | 2381 | 80% | In nature |
| 2-Ethylthiophenol | 3345 | 74% | In nature |
More aldehydes in this index
6-Methyloctanal · 3,7,11-Trimethyl-2,6,10-dodecatrienal · 4-Ethylbenzaldehyde · 2-Ethyl-2-hexenal · 4-Pentenal · (E)-Tetradec-2-enal
2-Phenylpropionaldehyde FAQ
Is 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde as GRAS under FEMA number 2886. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde?
2-Phenylpropionaldehyde is FEMA 2886, CAS 93-53-8. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Does 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde count as natural in the US and the EU?
2-Phenylpropionaldehyde occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde identical-to-natural.
Is 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde on the EU Union List?
2-Phenylpropionaldehyde is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 05.038 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde?
Yes. JECFA number 1467, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
How is 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde as sweet, floral, fruity, almond, nutty. It is used in beverage, confection, baked goods, flavoring and ice cream.
Ingredient lookup
Check an ingredient
Start typing to search the ingredient corpus.
Or browse every ingredient page, A to Z.
Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde in a formula
Screened against FEMA GRAS, 21 CFR and EU rules as you build. Free to start.
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-PHENYLPROPIONALDEHYDE under CAS 93-53-8 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.