Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Acetophenone
Acetophenone is a ketone in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2009 (CAS 98-86-2). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, vanilla, caramel.
- FEMA
- 2009
- CAS
- 98-86-2
- JECFA
- 806
- EU FL
- 07.004
- Formula
- C8H8O
- EC
- 202-708-7
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 98-86-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Ethanone, 1-phenyl-, 1-Phenylethanone, Acetylbenzene, Hypnone, Methyl phenyl ketone, Phenyl methyl ketone, Acetophenon, Hypnon, 1-Phenyl-1-ethanone, NSC 98542, NSC 7635, 1-Feniletanone.
Can Acetophenone be labeled natural?
Nature makes acetophenone, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial acetophenone, 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
Acetophenone is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2009. 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 07.004, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 806, 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. Acetophenone appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 98-86-2, where EPA names it Ethanone, 1-phenyl-.
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 regulatory flags
| Flag | EPA definition | What it obliges |
|---|---|---|
| TP | Indicates a substance that is the subject of a proposed TSCA section 4 test rule or order. | Nothing yet. Worth tracking, because a final rule carries testing obligations and a lower reporting threshold. |
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, vanilla, caramel.
Where it is used
Acetophenone is used in beverage, confection, bakery, dairy and flavoring, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Acetophenone by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Acetylpyridine | 3251 | 92% | In nature |
| alpha-Methylbenzyl alcohol | 2685 | 92% | In nature |
| 3-Acetylpyridine | 3424 | 92% | In nature |
| 2-Methylacetophenone | 4316 | 92% | In nature |
| Anisole | 2097 | 90% | In nature |
More ketones in this index
3-Nonanone · Propiophenone · 2-Methoxyacetophenone · 1-(2-Hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-3-(pyridin-2-yl)propan-1-one · 2-Nonanone propyleneglycol acetal · 3-(hydroxymethyl)-2-heptanone
Acetophenone FAQ
Is acetophenone on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2009 covers acetophenone. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for acetophenone?
The FEMA number for acetophenone is 2009 and its CAS registry number is 98-86-2. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is acetophenone used for?
Acetophenone is described as sweet, fruity, floral, vanilla, caramel. It shows up in beverage, confection, bakery, dairy and flavoring.
What did JECFA conclude about acetophenone?
JECFA evaluated acetophenone at the 57th meeting in 2001 under JECFA number 806. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is acetophenone approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 07.004 is the Union List entry for acetophenone, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is acetophenone natural or artificial?
The process decides for acetophenone. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic acetophenone 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 ACETOPHENONE under CAS 98-86-2 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number and its 21 CFR citations. The inventory is searchable at FDA. FDA records its technical effect as flavoring agent or adjuvant, solvent or vehicle.
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.