Flavor ingredient regulatory record
4-Hydroxybenzoic acid
4-Hydroxybenzoic acid is an acid in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3986 (CAS 99-96-7). Its odor is sweet, fruity, berry, floral, tart.
- FEMA
- 3986
- CAS
- 99-96-7
- JECFA
- 957
- EU FL
- 08.040
- Formula
- C7H6O3
- EC
- 202-804-9
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 20. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 99-96-7.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzoic acid, 4-hydroxy-, Benzoic acid, p-hydroxy-, p-Hydroxybenzoic acid, p-Salicylic acid, 4-Carboxyphenol, Paraben-acid, p-Carboxyphenol, NSC 4961, p-Hydroxyl benzoic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-salicylic acid, 4-carboxyphenol.
Can 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid be labeled natural?
Since 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 4-Hydroxybenzoic 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
4-Hydroxybenzoic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3986. 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 08.040, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 957, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. 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-Hydroxybenzoic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 99-96-7, where EPA names it Benzoic acid, 4-hydroxy-.
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, fruity, berry, floral, tart.
Taste: Sour, tart, slightly sweet.
Where it is used
4-Hydroxybenzoic acid is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and dairy, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid | 3798 | 92% | In nature |
| 4-Hydroxyacetophenone | 4330 | 88% | In nature |
| 2-Oxopentanedioic acid | 3891 | 82% | In nature |
| 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid | 4430 | 81% | In nature |
| 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxy benzoic acid | 3988 | 80% | In nature |
More acids in this index
Cyclohexylacetic acid · 4-Decenoic Acid · 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid · Cyclohexanecarboxylic acid · (E)-2-Pentenoic acid · Heptanoic acid
4-Hydroxybenzoic acid FAQ
Is 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3986 covers 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid?
The FEMA number for 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid is 3986 and its CAS registry number is 99-96-7. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid natural or artificial?
4-Hydroxybenzoic acid occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 4-Hydroxybenzoic 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 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid approved in the EU?
4-Hydroxybenzoic acid is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 08.040 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid?
Yes. JECFA number 957, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What is 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid used for?
4-Hydroxybenzoic acid is described as sweet, fruity, berry, floral, tart. On the palate it is sour, tart, slightly sweet. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and dairy.
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-Hydroxybenzoic acid 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-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID under CAS 99-96-7 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.