Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Butyl anthranilate
Butyl anthranilate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2181 (CAS 7756-96-9). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, grape, berry.
- FEMA
- 2181
- CAS
- 7756-96-9
- JECFA
- 1536
- EU FL
- 09.717
- Formula
- C11H15NO2
- EC
- 231-816-7
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 7756-96-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzoic acid, 2-amino-, butyl ester, Anthranilic acid, butyl ester, 2-Aminobenzoic acid butyl ester, Butyl o-aminobenzoate, NSC 406509, Butyl 2-aminobenzoate, butyl 2-aminobenzoate, n-butyl anthranilate, butyl o-aminobenzoate, benzoic acid, 2-amino-, butyl ester, 2-aminobenzoic acid butyl ester, n-butyl o-aminobenzoate.
Can Butyl anthranilate be labeled natural?
Nature makes butyl anthranilate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial butyl anthranilate, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic butyl anthranilate 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
Butyl anthranilate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2181. 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 09.717, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1536, evaluated at the 65th meeting in 2005. no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Butyl anthranilate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 7756-96-9, where EPA names it Benzoic acid, 2-amino-, butyl 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, fruity, floral, grape, berry.
Where it is used
Butyl anthranilate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, flavoring agents and snack foods, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Butyl anthranilate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| cis-3-Hexenyl anthranilate | 3925 | 89% | In nature |
| Ethyl anthranilate | 2421 | 82% | In nature |
| Butyl salicylate | 3650 | 73% | In nature |
| Citronellyl anthranilate | 4086 | 68% | In nature |
| Isoamyl salicylate | 2084 | 68% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Ethyl decanoate · Pinocarvyl acetate · Methyl 3-(methylthio)propionate · Ethyl benzoate · n-Amyl heptanoate · Propyleneglycol dibutyrate
Butyl anthranilate FAQ
Is butyl anthranilate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists butyl anthranilate as GRAS under FEMA number 2181. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for butyl anthranilate?
Butyl anthranilate is FEMA 2181, CAS 7756-96-9. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is butyl anthranilate described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe butyl anthranilate as sweet, fruity, floral, grape, berry. It is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, flavoring agents and snack foods.
What did JECFA conclude about butyl anthranilate?
JECFA evaluated butyl anthranilate at the 65th meeting in 2005 under JECFA number 1536. The panel concluded: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Is butyl anthranilate on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 09.717 is the Union List entry for butyl anthranilate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does butyl anthranilate count as natural in the US and the EU?
The process decides for butyl anthranilate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic butyl anthranilate is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic butyl anthranilate identical-to-natural.
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 Butyl anthranilate 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 BUTYL ANTHRANILATE under CAS 7756-96-9 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.