Flavor ingredient regulatory record
4-Methoxybenzoic acid
4-Methoxybenzoic acid is an acid in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3945 (CAS 100-09-4). Its odor is sweet, floral, fruity, slightly tangy.
- FEMA
- 3945
- CAS
- 100-09-4
- JECFA
- 883
- EU FL
- 08.071
- Formula
- C8H8O3
- EC
- 202-818-5
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 19. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 100-09-4.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzoic acid, 4-methoxy-, p-Anisic acid, Draconic acid, p-Methoxybenzoic acid, 4-Anisic acid, Anisic acid, NSC 32742, NSC 7926, Dermosoft 688, p-anisic acid, p-methoxybenzoic acid, draconic acid.
Can 4-Methoxybenzoic acid be labeled natural?
Nature makes 4-Methoxybenzoic acid, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial 4-Methoxybenzoic acid, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 4-Methoxybenzoic acid 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-Methoxybenzoic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3945. 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 08.071, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 883, 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-Methoxybenzoic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 100-09-4, where EPA names it Benzoic acid, 4-methoxy-.
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, fruity, slightly tangy.
Taste: Sour, tart, fruity.
Where it is used
4-Methoxybenzoic acid is used in beverage, confection and flavoring agent, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 4-Methoxybenzoic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methyl P-Hydroxybenzoate | 2710 | 86% | In nature |
| Methyl anisate | 2679 | 83% | In nature |
| Anisyl alcohol | 2099 | 78% | In nature |
| Acetanisole | 2005 | 74% | In nature |
| p-Methoxybenzaldehyde | 2670 | 68% | In nature |
More acids in this index
Valeric acid · 3-Hydroxybenzoic acid · 5-Oxododecanoic acid · cis- and trans-2-Heptylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid · 3-Methoxybenzoic acid · 5-Oxodecanoic acid
4-Methoxybenzoic acid FAQ
Is 4-Methoxybenzoic acid FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists 4-Methoxybenzoic acid as GRAS under FEMA number 3945. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for 4-Methoxybenzoic acid?
4-Methoxybenzoic acid is FEMA 3945, CAS 100-09-4. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is 4-Methoxybenzoic acid described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe 4-Methoxybenzoic acid as sweet, floral, fruity, slightly tangy. On the palate it is sour, tart, fruity. It is used in beverage, confection and flavoring agent.
What did JECFA conclude about 4-Methoxybenzoic acid?
JECFA evaluated 4-Methoxybenzoic acid at the 57th meeting in 2001 under JECFA number 883. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is 4-Methoxybenzoic acid on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 08.071 is the Union List entry for 4-Methoxybenzoic acid, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does 4-Methoxybenzoic acid count as natural in the US and the EU?
The process decides for 4-Methoxybenzoic acid. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic 4-Methoxybenzoic acid is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 4-Methoxybenzoic acid identical-to-natural.
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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-METHOXYBENZOIC ACID under CAS 100-09-4 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.