Flavor ingredient regulatory record
alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde
alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde is an aldehyde in the spice family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2191 (CAS 7492-44-6). Its odor is sweet, spicy, cinnamon, warm, woody.
- FEMA
- 2191
- CAS
- 7492-44-6
- JECFA
- 684
- EU FL
- 05.039
- Formula
- C13H16O
- EC
- 231-320-0
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 7492-44-6.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Hexanal, 2-(phenylmethylene)-, Cinnamaldehyde, α-butyl-, 2-(Phenylmethylene)hexanal, α-Butylcinnamaldehyde, α-Butylcinnamic aldehyde, NSC 406674, butyl cinnamic aldehyde, hexanal, 2-(phenylmethylene)-, alpha-butylcinnamic aldehyde, 2-(phenylmethylene)hexanal, butylcinnamaldehyde, alpha-, cinnamaldehyde, alpha-butyl-.
Can alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde be labeled natural?
The process decides for alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde 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
alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2191. 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 05.039, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 684, evaluated at the 55th meeting in 2000. no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 7492-44-6, where EPA names it Hexanal, 2-(phenylmethylene)-.
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, spicy, cinnamon, warm, woody.
Where it is used
alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde is used in beverage, confection, baked goods, flavoring and cooking, typically as a spice note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| alpha-Hexylcinnamaldehyde | 2569 | 93% | In nature |
| Propyl cinnamate | 2938 | 84% | In nature |
| alpha-Amylcinnamyl formate | 2066 | 82% | In nature |
| alpha-Amylcinnamyl alcohol | 2065 | 81% | In nature |
| Cinnamyl butyrate | 2296 | 76% | In nature |
More aldehydes in this index
Cuminaldehyde · Cinnamaldehyde · Cinnamaldehyde propyleneglycol acetal · p-Methylcinnamaldehyde · Butyraldehyde · Oct-2-enal
alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde FAQ
Does alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde have FEMA GRAS status?
alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2191. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde as FEMA 2191 or CAS 7492-44-6; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is spice.
What does alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde is sweet, spicy, cinnamon, warm, woody. Typical uses are beverage, confection, baked goods, flavoring and cooking.
What did JECFA conclude about alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde?
JECFA evaluated alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde at the 55th meeting in 2000 under JECFA number 684. The panel concluded: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Can alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 05.039 is the Union List entry for alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde be labeled a natural flavor?
Nature makes alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic alpha-Butylcinnamaldehyde 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 ALPHA-BUTYLCINNAMALDEHYDE under CAS 7492-44-6 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 flavor enhancer, 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.