Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal
Benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal is an aldehyde in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2129 (CAS 1319-88-6). Its odor is sweet, almond, cherry, fruity, floral.
- FEMA
- 2129
- CAS
- 1319-88-6
- JECFA
- 838
- Formula
- C10H12O3
- EC
- 215-294-8
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 1319-88-6.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzaldehyde, cyclic acetal with 1,2,3-propanetriol, Benzaldehyde, cyclic acetal with glycerol, benzal glyceral acetal, benzaldehyde glycerol cyclic acetal, benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal (natural), benzaldehyde, cyclic acetal with glycerol, benzaldehyde 1,2,3-propanetriol cyclic acetal, benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal [fcc], benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal [fhfi], benzaldehyde, cyclic acetal with 1,2,3-propanetriol, (z)-4-phenylbut-3-ene-1,2,3-triol, benzal glycerin.
Can Benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal be labeled natural?
Nature makes benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial benzaldehyde glyceryl 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
Benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2129. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
No EU FL number is on file for Benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal. That is not a finding either way. The Union List covers defined flavouring substances, so natural complex materials are handled as flavouring preparations under Parts B to F and never receive a number, and substances used as additives sit under Regulation 1333/2008 instead. Confirm the position before EU or UK use.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 838, 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. Benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 1319-88-6, where EPA names it Benzaldehyde, cyclic acetal with 1,2,3-propanetriol.
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, almond, cherry, fruity, floral.
Where it is used
Benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal is used in beverage, confection, bakery, flavoring and desserts, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tolualdehyde glyceryl acetal | 3067 | 85% | Not determined |
| 2-Phenoxyethanol | 4620 | 76% | In nature |
| Cinnamyl alcohol | 2294 | 74% | In nature |
| Vanillin propylene glycol acetal | 3905 | 59% | In nature |
| 3-Hydroxy-4-phenylbutan-2-one | 4052 | 58% | In nature |
More aldehydes in this index
trans-2-Decenal · 2-trans,4-trans-Decadienal · Nona-2,4,6-trienal · cis-5-Octenal · (E)-4-Nonenal · trans-Tridecenal
Benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal FAQ
Is benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2129 covers benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal?
The FEMA number for benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal is 2129 and its CAS registry number is 1319-88-6. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal used for?
Benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal is described as sweet, almond, cherry, fruity, floral. It shows up in beverage, confection, bakery, flavoring and desserts.
What did JECFA conclude about benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal?
JECFA evaluated benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal at the 57th meeting in 2001 under JECFA number 838. The panel concluded: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Is benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 838), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Is benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal natural or artificial?
The process decides for benzaldehyde glyceryl acetal. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic benzaldehyde glyceryl 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 BENZALDEHYDE GLYCERYL ACETAL under CAS 1319-88-6 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 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.