Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Benzyl ethyl ether
Benzyl ethyl ether is an ether in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2144 (CAS 539-30-0). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, ethereal, light.
- FEMA
- 2144
- CAS
- 539-30-0
- JECFA
- 1252
- EU FL
- 03.003
- Formula
- C9H12O
- EC
- 208-714-6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 539-30-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzene, (ethoxymethyl)-, Ether, benzyl ethyl, (Ethoxymethyl)benzene, Benzyl ethyl oxide, Ethyl benzyl ether, NSC 8066, (ethoxymethyl)benzene, ethyl benzyl ether, ethoxymethylbenzene, benzyl ethyl oxide, benzene, (ethoxymethyl)-, ether, benzyl ethyl.
Can Benzyl ethyl ether be labeled natural?
Benzyl ethyl ether occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: benzyl ethyl ether won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized benzyl ethyl ether is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic benzyl ethyl ether 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 ethyl ether is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2144. 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 03.003, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1252, 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.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Benzyl ethyl ether appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 539-30-0, where EPA names it Benzene, (ethoxymethyl)-.
Inactive in US commerce
EPA designates this substance inactive, so a Notice of Activity Form B is required before anyone manufactures or processes it again. Being FEMA GRAS does not change that. 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: Sweet, fruity, floral, ethereal, light.
Where it is used
Benzyl ethyl ether is used in beverage, confection, flavoring, bakery and desserts, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Benzyl ethyl ether by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methyl phenethyl ether | 3198 | 96% | In nature |
| Phenylacetaldehyde dimethyl acetal | 2876 | 89% | In nature |
| Benzyl butyl ether | 2139 | 79% | In nature |
| 3-Phenyl-1-propanol | 2885 | 69% | In nature |
| 2-Phenoxyethanol | 4620 | 68% | In nature |
More ethers in this index
Digeranyl ether · 1,1-Dimethoxyethane · 2,4-Dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane · 1,1-Dipropoxyethane · Methyl phenethyl ether · (2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene
Benzyl ethyl ether FAQ
Is benzyl ethyl ether on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2144 covers benzyl ethyl ether. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for benzyl ethyl ether?
The FEMA number for benzyl ethyl ether is 2144 and its CAS registry number is 539-30-0. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is benzyl ethyl ether natural or artificial?
Since benzyl ethyl ether is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when benzyl ethyl ether is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic benzyl ethyl ether identical-to-natural.
Is benzyl ethyl ether approved in the EU?
Benzyl ethyl ether is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 03.003 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated benzyl ethyl ether?
Yes. JECFA number 1252, evaluated at the 61st meeting in 2003. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What is benzyl ethyl ether used for?
Benzyl ethyl ether is described as sweet, fruity, floral, ethereal, light. It shows up in beverage, confection, flavoring, bakery and desserts.
Ingredient lookup
Check an ingredient
Start typing to search the ingredient corpus.
Or browse every ingredient page, A to Z.
Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check Benzyl ethyl ether in a formula
Screened against FEMA GRAS, 21 CFR and EU rules as you build. Free to start.
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 ETHYL ETHER under CAS 539-30-0 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.