Flavor ingredient regulatory record
3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid
3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid is an acid in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4430 (CAS 99-50-3). Its odor is sweet, fruity, berry, tart, floral.
- FEMA
- 4430
- CAS
- 99-50-3
- JECFA
- 2278
- EU FL
- 08.133
- Formula
- C7H6O4
- EC
- 202-760-0
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 24. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 99-50-3.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzoic acid, 3,4-dihydroxy-, Protocatechuic acid, 4-Carboxy-1,2-dihydroxybenzene, 4,5-Dihydroxybenzoic acid, NSC 16631, 1,2-Dihydroxybenzene-4-carboxylic acid, Protocatechoic acid, protocatechuic acid, 4-carboxy-1,2-dihydroxybenzene, protocatehuic acid, 4,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, protocatechuate.
Can 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid be labeled natural?
Since 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid 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
3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4430. 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 08.133, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 2278, evaluated at the 96th meeting in 2023. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
Odor and taste
Odor: Sweet, fruity, berry, tart, floral.
Taste: Sour, tart, fruity.
Where it is used
3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, sauces and desserts, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallic acid | 4994 | 93% | In nature |
| 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxy benzoic acid | 3988 | 90% | In nature |
| 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid | 3986 | 82% | In nature |
| 2-Oxopentanedioic acid | 3891 | 82% | In nature |
| 4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol | 3987 | 80% | In nature |
More acids in this index
4-Hydroxy-3-methoxy benzoic acid · trans-2-Methyl-2-butenoic acid · trans-4-Octenoic acid · 4-Decenoic Acid · o-trans-Coumaric acid · cis- and trans-2-Heptylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid
3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid FAQ
Is 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 4430 covers 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid?
The FEMA number for 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid is 4430 and its CAS registry number is 99-50-3. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid natural or artificial?
3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic 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.
Is 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid approved in the EU?
3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 08.133 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid?
Yes. JECFA number 2278, evaluated at the 96th meeting in 2023. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What is 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid used for?
3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid is described as sweet, fruity, berry, tart, floral. On the palate it is sour, tart, fruity. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, sauces and desserts.
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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 3,4-DIHYDROXYBENZOIC ACID under CAS 99-50-3 and carries its FEMA 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.