Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Benzothiazole
Benzothiazole is a thiol in the earthy family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3256 (CAS 95-16-9). Its odor is earthy, musty, rubbery, sulfurous.
- FEMA
- 3256
- CAS
- 95-16-9
- JECFA
- 1040
- EU FL
- 15.016
- Formula
- C7H5NS
- EC
- 202-396-2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 5. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 95-16-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzosulfonazole, 1-Thia-3-azaindene, Vangard BT, NSC 8040, Benzo[d]thiazole, 1,3-Benzothiazole, 1,3-benzothiazole, benzosulfonazole, 1-thia-3-azaindene, vangard bt, usaf ek-4812, o-2857.
Can Benzothiazole be labeled natural?
Benzothiazole occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: benzothiazole won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized benzothiazole 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
Benzothiazole is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3256. 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 15.016, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1040, evaluated at the 59th meeting in 2002. 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. Benzothiazole appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 95-16-9, where EPA names it Benzothiazole.
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: Earthy, musty, rubbery, sulfurous.
Where it is used
Benzothiazole is used in savory foods, seasonings, snacks and meat products, typically as a earthy note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Benzothiazole by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indole | 2593 | 71% | In nature |
| 2-Acetylthiazole | 3328 | 70% | In nature |
| Isoquinoline | 2978 | 70% | In nature |
| 2-Methyl-4,5-benzo-oxazole | 4398 | 69% | In nature |
| 1-Methylnaphthalene | 3193 | 65% | In nature |
More thiols in this index
2-Pentylthiophene · 2,4,6-Triisobutyl-5,6-dihydro-4H-1,3,5-dithiazine · 5,7-Dihydro-2-methylthieno(3,4-d)pyrimidine · Pyrrolidino-[1,2e]-4H-2,4-dimethyl-1,3,5-dithiazine · Ethyl 2-Mercapto-2-methylpropionate · Methyl isobutanethioate
Benzothiazole FAQ
Does benzothiazole have FEMA GRAS status?
Benzothiazole holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3256. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite benzothiazole by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite benzothiazole as FEMA 3256 or CAS 95-16-9; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the earthy flavor category.
Can benzothiazole be labeled a natural flavor?
Since benzothiazole is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when benzothiazole is synthesized. 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.
Can benzothiazole be used in the EU and UK?
Benzothiazole is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 15.016 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated benzothiazole?
Yes. JECFA number 1040, evaluated at the 59th meeting in 2002. Conclusion: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
What does benzothiazole smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of benzothiazole is earthy, musty, rubbery, sulfurous. Typical uses are savory foods, seasonings, snacks and meat products.
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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 BENZOTHIAZOLE under CAS 95-16-9 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number. 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.