Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Benzyl butyl ether
Benzyl butyl ether is an ether in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2139 (CAS 588-67-0). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, estery, pleasant.
- FEMA
- 2139
- CAS
- 588-67-0
- JECFA
- 1253
- EU FL
- 03.010
- Formula
- C11H16O
- EC
- 209-626-0
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 588-67-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzene, (butoxymethyl)-, Ether, benzyl butyl, (Butoxymethyl)benzene, Butyl benzyl ether, Benzyl n-butyl ether, n-Butyl benzyl ether, NSC 8476, (butoxymethyl)benzene, benzyl n-butyl ether, ether, benzyl butyl, butyl benzyl ether, benzene, (butoxymethyl)-.
Can Benzyl butyl ether be labeled natural?
The process decides for benzyl butyl ether. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic benzyl butyl ether 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 butyl ether is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2139. 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 03.010, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
Purity. At least 93%; secondary component 2-5% benzyl alcohol
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1253, evaluated at the 61st meeting in 2003. 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, pleasant.
Where it is used
Benzyl butyl ether is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors and flavoring agents, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Benzyl butyl ether by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benzyl ethyl ether | 2144 | 86% | In nature |
| Isoamyl phenethyl ether | 4635 | 84% | In nature |
| Methyl phenethyl ether | 3198 | 75% | In nature |
| 2-Hexylpyridine | 4948 | 74% | Not determined |
| 2-Pentylpyridine | 3383 | 73% | In nature |
More ethers in this index
1,1-Dipropoxyethane · beta-Naphthyl methyl ether · beta-Naphthyl isobutyl ether · Methyl hexyl ether · sec-Butyl ethyl ether · 2,4-Dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane
Benzyl butyl ether FAQ
Is benzyl butyl ether FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists benzyl butyl ether as GRAS under FEMA number 2139. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for benzyl butyl ether?
Benzyl butyl ether is FEMA 2139, CAS 588-67-0. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is benzyl butyl ether described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe benzyl butyl ether as sweet, fruity, floral, estery, pleasant. It is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors and flavoring agents.
What did JECFA conclude about benzyl butyl ether?
JECFA evaluated benzyl butyl ether at the 61st meeting in 2003 under JECFA number 1253. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is benzyl butyl ether on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 03.010 is the Union List entry for benzyl butyl ether, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does benzyl butyl ether count as natural in the US and the EU?
Nature makes benzyl butyl ether, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial benzyl butyl ether, same molecule. 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.
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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 BUTYL ETHER under CAS 588-67-0 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.