Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Benzoic acid
Benzoic acid is an acid in the acidic family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2131 (CAS 65-85-0). Its odor is sour, sharp, pungent, fruity.
- FEMA
- 2131
- CAS
- 65-85-0
- JECFA
- 850
- EU FL
- 08.021
- Formula
- C7H6O2
- EC
- 200-618-2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 65-85-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzenecarboxylic acid, Carboxybenzene, Dracylic acid, Phenylformic acid, Retarder BA, Retardex, Tenn-Plas, Benzeneformic acid, Benzenemethanoic acid, Salvo liquid, Solvo powder, Phenylcarboxylic acid.
Can Benzoic acid be labeled natural?
The process decides for benzoic acid. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic benzoic acid 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
Benzoic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2131. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 184.1021.
European Union and United Kingdom
Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 08.021, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 850, evaluated at the 92nd meeting in 2021. ADI 0 to 20 mg/kg body weight.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Benzoic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 65-85-0, where EPA names it Benzoic acid.
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: Sour, sharp, pungent, fruity.
Taste: Sour, tart, acidic.
Where it is used
Benzoic acid is used in preservative, beverage, confection, pickling and flavoring, typically as a acidic note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Benzoic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Hydroxybenzoic acid | 3985 | 90% | In nature |
| Benzyl alcohol | 2137 | 89% | In nature |
| 3-Hydroxybenzoic acid | 4431 | 81% | In nature |
| 2-Methoxybenzoic acid | 3943 | 79% | In nature |
| Acetophenone | 2009 | 78% | In nature |
More acids in this index
Adipic acid · Acetic acid · Tartaric acid (+)-, (-)-, (+/-)-, meso- · Lactic acid · Fumaric acid · L-Malic Acid
Benzoic acid FAQ
Does benzoic acid have FEMA GRAS status?
Benzoic acid holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2131. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 184.1021.
How do I cite benzoic acid by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite benzoic acid as FEMA 2131 or CAS 65-85-0; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is acidic.
What does benzoic acid smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of benzoic acid is sour, sharp, pungent, fruity. On the palate it is sour, tart, acidic. Typical uses are preservative, beverage, confection, pickling and flavoring.
What did JECFA conclude about benzoic acid?
JECFA evaluated benzoic acid at the 92nd meeting in 2021 under JECFA number 850.
Can benzoic acid be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 08.021 is the Union List entry for benzoic acid, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can benzoic acid be labeled a natural flavor?
Nature makes benzoic acid, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial benzoic acid, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic benzoic acid identical-to-natural.
Ingredient lookup
Check an ingredient
Start typing to search the ingredient corpus.
Or browse every ingredient page, A to Z.
Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check Benzoic acid in a formula
Screened against FEMA GRAS, 21 CFR and EU rules as you build. Free to start.
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 BENZOIC ACID under CAS 65-85-0 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 antimicrobial agent, flavoring agent or adjuvant, ph control agent.
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.