Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal
Benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2148 (CAS 7492-39-9). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, estery, pear.
- FEMA
- 2148
- CAS
- 7492-39-9
- JECFA
- 840
- EU FL
- 06.019
- Formula
- C12H18O3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 7492-39-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzene, [[1-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy]methyl]-, Acetaldehyde, benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal, [[1-(2-Methoxyethoxy)ethoxy]methyl]benzene, Acetaldehyde benzyl β-methoxyethyl acetal, benzyl methoxyethyl acetal, acetaldehyde benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal, 1-benzoxy-1-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethane, 1-benzyloxy-1-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethane, {[1-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy]methyl}benzene, 1-benzyloxy-1-(beta-methoxy)ethoxyethane, acetaldehyde, benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal, acetaldehyde benzyl beta-methoxyethyl acetal.
Can Benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal be labeled natural?
Benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material 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
Benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2148. 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 06.019, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 840, 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.
Odor and taste
Odor: Sweet, fruity, floral, estery, pear.
Where it is used
Benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors and baked goods, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal | 3125 | 85% | In nature |
| Phenylacetaldehyde dimethyl acetal | 2876 | 83% | In nature |
| (2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene | 4625 | 78% | In nature |
| Isoamyl phenethyl ether | 4635 | 72% | In nature |
| Isoeugenyl benzyl ether | 3698 | 63% | Not determined |
More esters in this index
Ethyl sorbate · Ethyl benzoate · Isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate · Ethyl 4-pentenoate · Isoamyl hexanoate · n-Amyl heptanoate
Benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal FAQ
Is benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal as GRAS under FEMA number 2148. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal?
Benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal is FEMA 2148, CAS 7492-39-9. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Does benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal count as natural in the US and the EU?
Since benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal is synthesized. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Is benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal on the EU Union List?
Benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 06.019 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal?
Yes. JECFA number 840, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
How is benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal as sweet, fruity, floral, estery, pear. It is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors and baked goods.
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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 BENZYL METHOXYETHYL ACETAL under CAS 7492-39-9 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 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.