Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Benzyl alcohol
Benzyl alcohol is an alcohol in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2137 (CAS 100-51-6). Its odor is faint floral, rose, fruity, balsamic.
- FEMA
- 2137
- CAS
- 100-51-6
- JECFA
- 25
- EU FL
- 02.010
- Formula
- C7H8O
- EC
- 202-859-9
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 100-51-6.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzenemethanol, Benzenecarbinol, Phenylcarbinol, Phenylmethanol, Phenylmethyl alcohol, α-Toluenol, (Hydroxymethyl)benzene, α-Hydroxytoluene, Benzylic alcohol, Sunmorl BK 20, NSC 8044, TB 13G.
Can Benzyl alcohol be labeled natural?
Nature makes benzyl alcohol, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial benzyl alcohol, same molecule. 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 alcohol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2137. 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 02.010, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 25, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent. 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 alcohol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 100-51-6, where EPA names it Benzenemethanol.
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: Faint floral, rose, fruity, balsamic.
Taste: Sharp, slightly sweet, burning.
Where it is used
Benzyl alcohol is used in floral, cherry and almond, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Benzyl alcohol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| alpha-Methylbenzyl alcohol | 2685 | 93% | In nature |
| Benzoic acid | 2131 | 89% | In nature |
| Anisole | 2097 | 84% | In nature |
| Guaiacol | 2532 | 83% | In nature |
| Phenol | 3223 | 80% | In nature |
More alcohols in this index
4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol · Anisyl alcohol · Lauryl alcohol · Phenethyl alcohol · Hydroxycitronellol · Rhodinol
Benzyl alcohol FAQ
Does benzyl alcohol have FEMA GRAS status?
Benzyl alcohol holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2137. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite benzyl alcohol by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite benzyl alcohol as FEMA 2137 or CAS 100-51-6; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is floral.
What does benzyl alcohol smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of benzyl alcohol is faint floral, rose, fruity, balsamic. On the palate it is sharp, slightly sweet, burning. Typical uses are floral, cherry and almond.
What did JECFA conclude about benzyl alcohol?
JECFA evaluated benzyl alcohol at the 57th meeting in 2001 under JECFA number 25. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Can benzyl alcohol be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 02.010 is the Union List entry for benzyl alcohol, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can benzyl alcohol be labeled a natural flavor?
The process decides for benzyl alcohol. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic benzyl alcohol is artificial. 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 ALCOHOL under CAS 100-51-6 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, solvent or vehicle.
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.