Flavor ingredient regulatory record
2-Phenylpropionaldehyde dimethyl acetal
2-Phenylpropionaldehyde dimethyl acetal is an aldehyde in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2888 (CAS 90-87-9).
- FEMA
- 2888
- CAS
- 90-87-9
- JECFA
- 1468
- EU FL
- 06.030
- Formula
- C11H16O2
- EC
- 202-022-8
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 90-87-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzene, (2,2-dimethoxy-1-methylethyl)-, Hydratropaldehyde, dimethyl acetal, (2,2-Dimethoxy-1-methylethyl)benzene, 1,1-Dimethoxy-2-phenylpropane, Hydratropic aldehyde dimethyl acetal, α-Methylphenacetaldehyde dimethyl acetal, 2-Phenylpropanal dimethylacetal, Hydrotropaldehyde dimethyl acetal, NSC 46115, 1,1-dimethoxy-2-phenylpropane, hydratropic aldehyde dimethyl acetal, (1,1-dimethoxypropan-2-yl)benzene.
Can 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde dimethyl acetal be labeled natural?
2-Phenylpropionaldehyde dimethyl acetal occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde dimethyl acetal won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde dimethyl acetal is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde dimethyl acetal 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-Phenylpropionaldehyde dimethyl acetal is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2888. 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 06.030, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1468, evaluated at the 64th meeting in 2005. no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde dimethyl acetal appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 90-87-9, where EPA names it Benzene, (2,2-dimethoxy-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-Phenylpropionaldehyde dimethyl acetal is used in beverage, confection, bakery and dairy, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde dimethyl acetal by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phenylacetaldehyde dimethyl acetal | 2876 | 86% | In nature |
| (2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene | 4625 | 58% | In nature |
| Benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal | 2148 | 58% | In nature |
| Isoeugenyl methyl ether | 2476 | 58% | In nature |
| Isoeugenyl ethyl ether | 2472 | 53% | In nature |
More aldehydes in this index
5-Methyl-2-(methylthiomethyl)-2-hexenal · (E)-Tetradec-2-enal · (+/-)-4-Ethyloctanal · Tridecanal · cis-4-Heptenal · 2-trans,4-trans-Decadienal
2-Phenylpropionaldehyde dimethyl acetal FAQ
Is 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde dimethyl acetal on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2888 covers 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde dimethyl acetal. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde dimethyl acetal?
The FEMA number for 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde dimethyl acetal is 2888 and its CAS registry number is 90-87-9. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde dimethyl acetal natural or artificial?
Since 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde dimethyl acetal 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 dimethyl acetal is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde dimethyl acetal identical-to-natural.
Is 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde dimethyl acetal approved in the EU?
2-Phenylpropionaldehyde dimethyl acetal is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 06.030 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 2-Phenylpropionaldehyde dimethyl acetal?
Yes. JECFA number 1468, evaluated at the 64th meeting in 2005. Conclusion: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
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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-PHENYLPROPIONALDEHYDE DIMETHYL ACETAL under CAS 90-87-9 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.