Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Benzoin
Benzoin is a phenol in the balsamic family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2132 (CAS 119-53-9). Its odor is sweet, balsamic, resinous, vanilla, woody.
- FEMA
- 2132
- CAS
- 119-53-9
- JECFA
- 836
- EU FL
- 07.028
- Formula
- C14H12O2
- EC
- 204-331-3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 119-53-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Ethanone, 2-hydroxy-1,2-diphenyl-, 2-Hydroxy-1,2-diphenylethanone, Benzoylphenylcarbinol, α-Hydroxy-α-phenylacetophenone, 2-Hydroxy-2-phenylacetophenone, α-Hydroxybenzyl phenyl ketone, 2-Hydroxy-1,2-diphenyl-1-ethanone, Wy 42956, Desyl alcohol, 1,2-Diphenyl-1-hydroxy-2-ethanone, dl-Benzoin, (±)-Benzoin.
Can Benzoin be labeled natural?
Benzoin occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: benzoin won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized benzoin is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic benzoin 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
Benzoin is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2132. 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 07.028, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 836, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Benzoin appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 119-53-9, where EPA names it Ethanone, 2-hydroxy-1,2-diphenyl-.
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, balsamic, resinous, vanilla, woody.
Taste: Sweet, warm, slightly bitter.
Where it is used
Benzoin is used in beverage, confection, fragrance, bakery and candy, typically as a balsamic note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Benzoin by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benzyl benzoate | 2138 | 80% | In nature |
| Cinnamyl benzoate | 4703 | 76% | In nature |
| Phenyl salicylate | 3960 | 75% | Not determined |
| Benzyl salicylate | 2151 | 75% | In nature |
| Phenethyl phenylacetate | 2866 | 74% | In nature |
More phenols in this index
4-Allyl-2,6-dimethoxyphenol · 4-Ethyl-2,6-dimethoxyphenol · Guaiacol · Thymol · Isoeugenol · 4-Propyl-2,6-dimethoxyphenol
Benzoin FAQ
Is benzoin on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2132 covers benzoin. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for benzoin?
The FEMA number for benzoin is 2132 and its CAS registry number is 119-53-9. FEMA files it in the balsamic flavor category.
Is benzoin natural or artificial?
Since benzoin is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when benzoin is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic benzoin identical-to-natural.
Is benzoin approved in the EU?
Benzoin is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 07.028 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated benzoin?
Yes. JECFA number 836, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What is benzoin used for?
Benzoin is described as sweet, balsamic, resinous, vanilla, woody. On the palate it is sweet, warm, slightly bitter. It shows up in beverage, confection, fragrance, bakery and candy.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
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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 BENZOIN under CAS 119-53-9 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.