Flavor ingredient regulatory record
4-Methylbenzyl alcohol
4-Methylbenzyl alcohol is an alcohol in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4624 (CAS 589-18-4). Its odor is sweet, floral, fruity, balsamic.
- FEMA
- 4624
- CAS
- 589-18-4
- JECFA
- 2065
- Formula
- C8H10O
- EC
- 209-639-1
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 24. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 589-18-4.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzenemethanol, 4-methyl-, Benzyl alcohol, p-methyl-, 4-Methylbenzenemethanol, p-Tolylcarbinol, p-Methylbenzyl alcohol, 4-(Hydroxymethyl)toluene, p-Toluyl alcohol, p-Tolualcohol, (4-Methylphenyl)methanol, p-Toluic alcohol, (4-Tolyl)methanol, p-Tolylmethanol.
Can 4-Methylbenzyl alcohol be labeled natural?
4-Methylbenzyl alcohol occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 4-Methylbenzyl alcohol won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 4-Methylbenzyl alcohol 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.
- 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-Methylbenzyl alcohol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4624. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
No EU FL number is on file for 4-Methylbenzyl alcohol. That is not a finding either way. The Union List covers defined flavouring substances, so natural complex materials are handled as flavouring preparations under Parts B to F and never receive a number, and substances used as additives sit under Regulation 1333/2008 instead. Confirm the position before EU or UK use.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 2065, evaluated at the 73rd meeting in 2010. 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-Methylbenzyl alcohol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 589-18-4, where EPA names it Benzenemethanol, 4-methyl-.
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, balsamic.
Taste: Sweet, mild, slightly floral.
Where it is used
4-Methylbenzyl alcohol is used in beverage, confection, flavoring and bakery, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 4-Methylbenzyl alcohol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| p,alpha-Dimethylbenzyl alcohol | 3139 | 85% | In nature |
| p-Ethylphenol | 3156 | 84% | In nature |
| 1-Hydroxy-2,5-dimethylbenzene | 3595 | 75% | In nature |
| Phenethyl alcohol | 2858 | 70% | In nature |
| 4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol | 3987 | 69% | In nature |
More alcohols in this index
(Z,Z)-3,6-Nonadien-1-ol · p,alpha-Dimethylbenzyl alcohol · Heptyl alcohol · 1-Decen-3-ol · 2-Methyl-4-phenyl-2-butanol · (Z)-2-Penten-1-ol
4-Methylbenzyl alcohol FAQ
Does 4-Methylbenzyl alcohol have FEMA GRAS status?
4-Methylbenzyl alcohol holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 4624. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite 4-Methylbenzyl alcohol by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite 4-Methylbenzyl alcohol as FEMA 4624 or CAS 589-18-4; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Can 4-Methylbenzyl alcohol be labeled a natural flavor?
Since 4-Methylbenzyl alcohol is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 4-Methylbenzyl alcohol is synthesized. 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-Methylbenzyl alcohol approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for 4-Methylbenzyl alcohol. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 2065), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Has JECFA evaluated 4-Methylbenzyl alcohol?
Yes. JECFA number 2065, evaluated at the 73rd meeting in 2010. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does 4-Methylbenzyl alcohol smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of 4-Methylbenzyl alcohol is sweet, floral, fruity, balsamic. On the palate it is sweet, mild, slightly floral. Typical uses are beverage, confection, flavoring and bakery.
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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-METHYLBENZYL ALCOHOL under CAS 589-18-4 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.