Flavor ingredient regulatory record
4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol
4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol is an alcohol in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3987 (CAS 623-05-2).
- FEMA
- 3987
- CAS
- 623-05-2
- JECFA
- 955
- EU FL
- 02.165
- Formula
- C7H8O2
- EC
- 210-768-0
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 20. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 623-05-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzenemethanol, 4-hydroxy-, Benzyl alcohol, p-hydroxy-, 4-Hydroxybenzenemethanol, p-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol, 4-Methylolphenol, p-Methylolphenol, 4-(Hydroxymethyl)phenol, α-Hydroxy-p-cresol, p-(Hydroxymethyl)phenol, Gastrodigenin, (4-Hydroxyphenyl)methanol, p-Methoxytoluol.
Can 4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol be labeled natural?
The process decides for 4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic 4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol is artificial. 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-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3987. 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 02.165, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 955, 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.
Odor and taste
Taste: Bitter, sweet, mild.
Where it is used
4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol is used in beverage, confection, flavoring and cosmetics, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid | 3986 | 86% | In nature |
| 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid | 4430 | 84% | In nature |
| Vanillyl alcohol | 3737 | 84% | In nature |
| 4-Hydroxyacetophenone | 4330 | 81% | In nature |
| 2,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid | 3798 | 75% | In nature |
More alcohols in this index
Hydroxycitronellol · alpha-Propylphenethyl alcohol · Anisyl alcohol · Fenchyl alcohol · Rhodinol · Phenethyl alcohol
4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol FAQ
Is 4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists 4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol as GRAS under FEMA number 3987. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for 4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol?
4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol is FEMA 3987, CAS 623-05-2. Its flavor category is floral.
What did JECFA conclude about 4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol?
JECFA evaluated 4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol at the 57th meeting in 2001 under JECFA number 955. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is 4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 02.165 is the Union List entry for 4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does 4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol count as natural in the US and the EU?
Nature makes 4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial 4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol, 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.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check 4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol in a formula
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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 4-HYDROXYBENZYL ALCOHOL under CAS 623-05-2 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.