Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Benzyl acetate
Benzyl acetate is an ester in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2135 (CAS 140-11-4). Its odor is floral, fruity, jasmine, pear.
- FEMA
- 2135
- CAS
- 140-11-4
- JECFA
- 23
- EU FL
- 09.014
- Formula
- C9H10O2
- EC
- 205-399-7
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 140-11-4.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Acetic acid, phenylmethyl ester, Acetic acid, benzyl ester, Benzyl alcohol, acetate, Benzyl ethanoate, α-Acetoxytoluene, (Acetoxymethyl)benzene, Phenylmethyl acetate, NSC 4550, Jeffsol AG 1705, Jeffsol AG 1700, acetic acid benzyl ester, phenylmethyl acetate.
Can Benzyl acetate be labeled natural?
The process decides for benzyl acetate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic benzyl acetate is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic benzyl acetate 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 acetate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2135. 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 09.014, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 23, evaluated at the 46th meeting in 1996. ADI 0 to 5 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. Benzyl acetate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 140-11-4, where EPA names it Acetic acid, phenylmethyl ester.
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: Floral, fruity, jasmine, pear.
Taste: Floral, slightly fruity.
Where it is used
Benzyl acetate is used in jasmine, pear and floral, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Benzyl acetate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-Phenyl-3-buten-2-one | 2881 | 84% | In nature |
| 4-(p-Tolyl)-2-butanone | 3074 | 83% | In nature |
| Benzyl propionate | 2150 | 74% | In nature |
| alpha-Methylbenzyl acetate | 2684 | 73% | In nature |
| Ethyl phenylacetate | 2452 | 70% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Linalyl anthranilate · Eugenyl benzoate · Phenethyl salicylate · Phenethyl acetate · Ethyl linalyl ether · (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate
Benzyl acetate FAQ
Is benzyl acetate on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2135 covers benzyl acetate. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for benzyl acetate?
The FEMA number for benzyl acetate is 2135 and its CAS registry number is 140-11-4. Its flavor category is floral.
What is benzyl acetate used for?
Benzyl acetate is described as floral, fruity, jasmine, pear. On the palate it is floral, slightly fruity. It shows up in jasmine, pear and floral.
What did JECFA conclude about benzyl acetate?
JECFA evaluated benzyl acetate at the 46th meeting in 1996 under JECFA number 23.
Is benzyl acetate approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 09.014 is the Union List entry for benzyl acetate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is benzyl acetate natural or artificial?
Nature makes benzyl acetate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial benzyl acetate, same molecule. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
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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 ACETATE under CAS 140-11-4 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.