Flavor ingredient regulatory record
4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde
4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde is an aldehyde in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4049 (CAS 134-96-3). Its odor is sweet, floral, creamy, almond, vanilla.
- FEMA
- 4049
- CAS
- 134-96-3
- JECFA
- 1878
- EU FL
- 05.153
- Formula
- C9H10O4
- EC
- 205-167-5
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 21. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 134-96-3.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzaldehyde, 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxy-, 3,5-Dimethoxy-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-Formyl-2,6-dimethoxyphenol, Gallaldehyde 3,5-dimethyl ether, Syringaldehyde, Syringic aldehyde, Cedar aldehyde, 2,6-Dimethoxy-4-formylphenol, NSC 41153, SM 707, VND 3207, 4-Formylsyringol.
Can 4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde be labeled natural?
Nature makes 4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial 4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde, same molecule. 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
4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4049. 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 05.153, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1878, evaluated at the 69th meeting in 2008. 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. 4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 134-96-3, where EPA names it Benzaldehyde, 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxy-.
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, creamy, almond, vanilla.
Taste: Sweet, mild, slightly nutty.
Where it is used
4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde is used in beverage, confection, bakery, flavoring and desserts, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-Methyl-2,6-dimethoxyphenol | 3704 | 79% | In nature |
| 4-Ethyl-2,6-dimethoxyphenol | 3671 | 77% | In nature |
| 2,6-Dimethoxyphenol | 3137 | 76% | In nature |
| Benzaldehyde | 2127 | 75% | In nature |
| Vanillyl alcohol | 3737 | 69% | In nature |
More aldehydes in this index
o-Anisaldehyde · Hydroxycitronellal · 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde · Anisaldehyde propyleneglycol acetal · Hydroxycitronellal propyleneglycol acetal · Piperonal propyleneglycol acetal
4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde FAQ
Is 4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 4049 covers 4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for 4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde?
The FEMA number for 4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde is 4049 and its CAS registry number is 134-96-3. Its flavor category is floral.
What is 4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde used for?
4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde is described as sweet, floral, creamy, almond, vanilla. On the palate it is sweet, mild, slightly nutty. It shows up in beverage, confection, bakery, flavoring and desserts.
What did JECFA conclude about 4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde?
JECFA evaluated 4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde at the 69th meeting in 2008 under JECFA number 1878. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is 4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 05.153 is the Union List entry for 4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is 4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde natural or artificial?
The process decides for 4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic 4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde 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.
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 4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde 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 4-HYDROXY-3,5-DIMETHOXYBENZALDEHYDE under CAS 134-96-3 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.