Flavor ingredient regulatory record
4-Propenylphenol
4-Propenylphenol is a phenol in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4062 (CAS 539-12-8). Its odor is sweet, floral, spicy, herbal.
- FEMA
- 4062
- CAS
- 539-12-8
- JECFA
- 2012
- EU FL
- 04.097
- Formula
- C9H10O
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 21. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 85960-81-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Phenol, 4-(1-propen-1-yl)-, Phenol, p-propenyl-, Phenol, 4-(1-propenyl)-, 4-(1-Propen-1-yl)phenol, p-Anol, Isochavicol, p-Propenylphenol, p-Hydroxypropenylbenzene, 4-Hydroxypropenylbenzene, 4-(1-Propenyl)phenol, Anol, (4-Hydroxyphenyl)-1-propene.
Can 4-Propenylphenol be labeled natural?
Since 4-Propenylphenol is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 4-Propenylphenol 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.
- 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-Propenylphenol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4062. 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 04.097, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 2012, 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.
Odor and taste
Odor: Sweet, floral, spicy, herbal.
Where it is used
4-Propenylphenol is used in beverage, confection, flavoring agents and cosmetics, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 4-Propenylphenol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| p-Propylphenol | 3649 | 90% | In nature |
| 4-Allylphenol | 4075 | 87% | In nature |
| 3-Phenylpropionaldehyde | 2887 | 80% | In nature |
| Cinnamaldehyde | 2286 | 78% | In nature |
| 4-Ethylbenzaldehyde | 3756 | 77% | In nature |
More phenols in this index
Anisole · 2-Ethoxy-4-(hydroxymethyl)phenol · 1,2-Dimethoxybenzene · Isoeugenol · 4-Allylphenol · 2-Methoxy-4-vinylphenol
4-Propenylphenol FAQ
Is 4-Propenylphenol FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists 4-Propenylphenol as GRAS under FEMA number 4062. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for 4-Propenylphenol?
4-Propenylphenol is FEMA 4062, CAS 539-12-8. FEMA files it in the floral flavor category.
Does 4-Propenylphenol count as natural in the US and the EU?
4-Propenylphenol occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 4-Propenylphenol won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 4-Propenylphenol is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 4-Propenylphenol identical-to-natural.
Is 4-Propenylphenol on the EU Union List?
4-Propenylphenol is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 04.097 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated 4-Propenylphenol?
Yes. JECFA number 2012, evaluated at the 73rd meeting in 2010. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
How is 4-Propenylphenol described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe 4-Propenylphenol as sweet, floral, spicy, herbal. It is used in beverage, confection, flavoring agents and cosmetics.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
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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 (Z)-4-PROPENYLPHENOL under CAS 85960-81-2 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.