Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal
Acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal is an acetal in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3125 (CAS 64577-91-9). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, estery, complex.
- FEMA
- 3125
- CAS
- 64577-91-9
- JECFA
- 1001
- EU FL
- 06.036
- Formula
- C14H22O2
- EC
- 264-948-9
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 4. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 64577-91-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzene, [2-(1-butoxyethoxy)ethyl]-, [2-(1-Butoxyethoxy)ethyl]benzene, (2-(1-butoxyethoxy)ethyl)benzene, 2-butoxy-2-phenylethoxyethane, [2-(1-butoxyethoxy)ethyl]benzene, acetaldehyde, butyl phenylethyl acetal, benzene, (2-(1-butoxyethoxy)ethyl)-, benzene, [2-(1-butoxyethoxy)ethyl]-, 1-butoxy-1-(2-phenylethoxy)ethane, acetaldehyde, butyl phenethyl acetal [fhfi], acetaldehyde, butyl phenethyl acetal, benzene, 2-(1-butoxyethoxy)ethyl-.
Can Acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal be labeled natural?
Nature makes acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal, 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.
- 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
Acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3125. 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 06.036, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1001.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list. Listed on the EPA TSCA inventory.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 64577-91-9, where EPA names it Benzene, [2-(1-butoxyethoxy)ethyl]-.
Inactive in US commerce
EPA designates this substance inactive, so a Notice of Activity Form B is required before anyone manufactures or processes it again. Being FEMA GRAS does not change that. 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, floral, estery, complex.
Where it is used
Acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and desserts, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| (2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene | 4625 | 87% | In nature |
| Benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal | 2148 | 85% | In nature |
| Phenethyl octanoate | 3222 | 83% | In nature |
More acetals in this index
Acetaldehyde 1,3-octadiol acetal · Hexanal butane-2,3-diol acetal · Acetaldehyde di-cis-3-hexenyl acetal · Acetaldehyde diisoamyl acetal · Vanillin erythro- & threo-butan-2,3-diol acetal · Hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal
Acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal FAQ
Is acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3125 covers acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal?
The FEMA number for acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal is 3125 and its CAS registry number is 64577-91-9. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal used for?
Acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal is described as sweet, fruity, floral, estery, complex. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and desserts.
What did JECFA conclude about acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal?
JECFA evaluated acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal under JECFA number 1001.
Is acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 06.036 is the Union List entry for acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal natural or artificial?
The process decides for acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal 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.
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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 ACETALDEHYDE, BUTYL PHENETHYL ACETAL under CAS 64577-91-9 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.