Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Benzyl salicylate
Benzyl salicylate is an ester in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2151 (CAS 118-58-1). Its odor is sweet, floral, jasmine, fruity, balsamic.
- FEMA
- 2151
- CAS
- 118-58-1
- JECFA
- 904
- EU FL
- 09.752
- Formula
- C14H12O3
- EC
- 204-262-9
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 118-58-1.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, phenylmethyl ester, Salicylic acid, benzyl ester, Benzyl o-hydroxybenzoate, Benzyl 2-hydroxybenzoate, NSC 6647, benzyl 2-hydroxybenzoate, benzyl o-hydroxybenzoate, salicylic acid benzyl ester, salicylic acid, benzyl ester, phenylmethyl 2-hydroxybenzoate, benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, phenylmethyl ester, salicylsaeurebenzylester.
Can Benzyl salicylate be labeled natural?
The process decides for benzyl salicylate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic benzyl salicylate 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 salicylate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2151. 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 09.752, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 904, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. 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 salicylate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 118-58-1, where EPA names it Benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, 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: Sweet, floral, jasmine, fruity, balsamic.
Where it is used
Benzyl salicylate is used in fragrance, cosmetics, beverage, confection and personal care, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Benzyl salicylate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phenyl salicylate | 3960 | 91% | Not determined |
| Phenethyl salicylate | 2868 | 90% | In nature |
| Benzyl benzoate | 2138 | 85% | In nature |
| 1-(2-Hydroxyphenyl)-3-(pyridin-4-yl)propan-1-one | 4721 | 82% | Not determined |
| 1-(2-Hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-3-(pyridin-2-yl)propan-1-one | 4723 | 79% | Not determined |
More esters in this index
Ethyl linalyl ether · Citronellyl formate · Phenethyl acetate · Geranyl acetate · (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate · Linalyl anthranilate
Benzyl salicylate FAQ
Is benzyl salicylate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists benzyl salicylate as GRAS under FEMA number 2151. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for benzyl salicylate?
Benzyl salicylate is FEMA 2151, CAS 118-58-1. Its flavor category is floral.
How is benzyl salicylate described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe benzyl salicylate as sweet, floral, jasmine, fruity, balsamic. It is used in fragrance, cosmetics, beverage, confection and personal care.
What did JECFA conclude about benzyl salicylate?
JECFA evaluated benzyl salicylate at the 57th meeting in 2001 under JECFA number 904. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is benzyl salicylate on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 09.752 is the Union List entry for benzyl salicylate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does benzyl salicylate count as natural in the US and the EU?
Nature makes benzyl salicylate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial benzyl salicylate, 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 SALICYLATE under CAS 118-58-1 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.