Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Anisyl phenylacetate
Anisyl phenylacetate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3740 (CAS 102-17-0). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, peach, estery.
- FEMA
- 3740
- CAS
- 102-17-0
- JECFA
- 876
- EU FL
- 09.706
- Formula
- C16H16O3
- EC
- 203-010-5
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 14. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 102-17-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzeneacetic acid, (4-methoxyphenyl)methyl ester, Acetic acid, phenyl-, p-methoxybenzyl ester, Benzyl alcohol, p-methoxy-, phenylacetate, (4-Methoxyphenyl)methyl benzeneacetate, Phenylacetic acid, p-methoxybenzyl ester, p-Methoxybenzyl phenylacetate, 4-Methoxybenzyl phenylacetate, 4-methoxybenzyl phenylacetate, benzeneacetic acid, (4-methoxyphenyl)methyl ester, (4-methoxyphenyl)methyl 2-phenylacetate, p-methoxybenzyl phenylacetate, anisyl alpha-toluate.
Can Anisyl phenylacetate be labeled natural?
Anisyl phenylacetate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: anisyl phenylacetate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized anisyl phenylacetate is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic anisyl phenylacetate 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 phenylacetate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3740. 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 09.706, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 876, 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 phenylacetate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 102-17-0, where EPA names it Benzeneacetic acid, (4-methoxyphenyl)methyl ester.
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, fruity, floral, peach, estery.
Where it is used
Anisyl phenylacetate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and ice cream, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Anisyl phenylacetate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phenethyl phenylacetate | 2866 | 85% | In nature |
| Eugenyl benzoate | 2471 | 84% | In nature |
| Cinnamyl benzoate | 4703 | 83% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Ethyl anthranilate · Ethyl phenylacetate · l-Bornyl acetate · Glyceryl monooleate · 3-Hexenyl 3-methylbutanoate · Cinnamyl isobutyrate
Anisyl phenylacetate FAQ
Is anisyl phenylacetate on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3740 covers anisyl phenylacetate. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for anisyl phenylacetate?
The FEMA number for anisyl phenylacetate is 3740 and its CAS registry number is 102-17-0. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is anisyl phenylacetate natural or artificial?
Since anisyl phenylacetate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when anisyl phenylacetate is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic anisyl phenylacetate identical-to-natural.
Is anisyl phenylacetate approved in the EU?
Anisyl phenylacetate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.706 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated anisyl phenylacetate?
Yes. JECFA number 876, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake.
What is anisyl phenylacetate used for?
Anisyl phenylacetate is described as sweet, fruity, floral, peach, estery. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and ice cream.
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Check Anisyl phenylacetate in a formula
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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 PHENYLACETATE under CAS 102-17-0 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.