Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Benzyl mercaptan
Benzyl mercaptan is a thiol in the sulfur family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2147 (CAS 100-53-8). Its odor is pungent, sulfurous, earthy, skunky.
- FEMA
- 2147
- CAS
- 100-53-8
- JECFA
- 526
- EU FL
- 12.005
- Formula
- C7H8S
- EC
- 202-862-5
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 100-53-8.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzenemethanethiol, α-Toluenethiol, Benzylthiol, Thiobenzyl alcohol, Phenylmethanethiol, α-Mercaptotoluene, (Mercaptomethyl)benzene, Phenylmethyl mercaptan, α-Toluolthiol, α-Tolyl mercaptan, NSC 41897, GMP 800.
Can Benzyl mercaptan be labeled natural?
The process decides for benzyl mercaptan. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic benzyl mercaptan is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic benzyl mercaptan 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 mercaptan is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2147. 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 12.005, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 526, evaluated at the 53rd meeting in 1999. 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 mercaptan appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 100-53-8, where EPA names it Benzenemethanethiol.
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 regulatory flags
| Flag | EPA definition | What it obliges |
|---|---|---|
| SP | Indicates a substance that is identified in a proposed Significant New Use Rule. | No significant new use notice yet. Export notification under TSCA section 12(b) already applies, because 40 CFR 721.20 reaches substances named in a proposed rule as well as a final one. Read more |
| TP | Indicates a substance that is the subject of a proposed TSCA section 4 test rule or order. | Nothing yet. Worth tracking, because a final rule carries testing obligations and a lower reporting threshold. |
SP does not establish: A proposed rule may change or may never be finalized. Read the proposal.
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: Pungent, sulfurous, earthy, skunky.
Where it is used
Benzyl mercaptan is used in savory dishes, seasoning, meat products and sauces, typically as a sulfur note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Benzyl mercaptan by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Ethylthiophenol | 3345 | 89% | In nature |
| 2-Mercaptoanisole | 4159 | 86% | Not determined |
| Furfuryl mercaptan | 2493 | 85% | In nature |
| Benzenethiol | 3616 | 78% | In nature |
| Methyl mercaptan | 2716 | 54% | In nature |
More thiols in this index
1-(2-Thienyl)ethanethiol · (+/-)-2-Mercaptomethylpentan-1-ol · Diisoamyl disulfide · 3-Methylbutanethiol · 3-(Methylthio)propylamine · 3-Mercapto-2-pentanone
Benzyl mercaptan FAQ
Is benzyl mercaptan on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2147 covers benzyl mercaptan. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for benzyl mercaptan?
The FEMA number for benzyl mercaptan is 2147 and its CAS registry number is 100-53-8. Its flavor category is sulfur.
What is benzyl mercaptan used for?
Benzyl mercaptan is described as pungent, sulfurous, earthy, skunky. It shows up in savory dishes, seasoning, meat products and sauces.
What did JECFA conclude about benzyl mercaptan?
JECFA evaluated benzyl mercaptan at the 53rd meeting in 1999 under JECFA number 526. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is benzyl mercaptan approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 12.005 is the Union List entry for benzyl mercaptan, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is benzyl mercaptan natural or artificial?
Nature makes benzyl mercaptan, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial benzyl mercaptan, 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 MERCAPTAN under CAS 100-53-8 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 flavor enhancer, 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.