Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Anisyl alcohol
Anisyl alcohol is an alcohol in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2099 (CAS 105-13-5). Its odor is sweet, floral, anisic, herbal.
- FEMA
- 2099
- CAS
- 105-13-5
- JECFA
- 871
- EU FL
- 02.128
- Formula
- C8H10O2
- EC
- 203-273-6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 105-13-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzenemethanol, 4-methoxy-, Benzyl alcohol, p-methoxy-, 4-Methoxybenzenemethanol, Anise alcohol, 4-Methoxybenzyl alcohol, p-Methoxybenzyl alcohol, Anisic alcohol, p-Anisyl alcohol, 4-(Methoxyphenyl)methanol, 4-(Hydroxymethyl)anisole, p-(Methoxyphenyl)methanol, (4-Methoxyphenyl)methyl alcohol.
Can Anisyl alcohol be labeled natural?
The process decides for anisyl alcohol. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic anisyl alcohol is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic anisyl alcohol identical-to-natural.
- 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
Anisyl alcohol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2099. 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 02.128, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 871, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. 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. Anisyl alcohol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 105-13-5, where EPA names it Benzenemethanol, 4-methoxy-.
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, anisic, herbal.
Where it is used
Anisyl alcohol is used in beverage, confection, baked goods and flavoring agents, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Anisyl 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-Isopropylbenzyl alcohol | 2933 | 84% | In nature |
| p-Methoxybenzaldehyde | 2670 | 84% | In nature |
| 4-Methoxybenzoic acid | 3945 | 82% | In nature |
| 1-Methoxy-4-methylbenzene | 2681 | 70% | In nature |
| p,alpha-Dimethylbenzyl alcohol | 3139 | 69% | In nature |
More alcohols in this index
Benzyl alcohol · Fenchyl alcohol · Phenethyl alcohol · alpha-Propylphenethyl alcohol · Lauryl alcohol · 4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol
Anisyl alcohol FAQ
Is anisyl alcohol on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2099 covers anisyl alcohol. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for anisyl alcohol?
The FEMA number for anisyl alcohol is 2099 and its CAS registry number is 105-13-5. Its flavor category is floral.
What is anisyl alcohol used for?
Anisyl alcohol is described as sweet, floral, anisic, herbal. It shows up in beverage, confection, baked goods and flavoring agents.
What did JECFA conclude about anisyl alcohol?
JECFA evaluated anisyl alcohol at the 57th meeting in 2001 under JECFA number 871. The panel concluded: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Is anisyl alcohol approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 02.128 is the Union List entry for anisyl alcohol, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is anisyl alcohol natural or artificial?
Nature makes anisyl alcohol, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial anisyl alcohol, same molecule. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material 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 ANISYL ALCOHOL under CAS 105-13-5 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.
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.