Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Butyl isobutyrate
Butyl isobutyrate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2188 (CAS 97-87-0). Its odor is fruity, apple, rum, ethereal.
- FEMA
- 2188
- CAS
- 97-87-0
- JECFA
- 188
- EU FL
- 09.416
- Formula
- C8H16O2
- EC
- 202-614-6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 97-87-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Propanoic acid, 2-methyl-, butyl ester, Isobutyric acid, butyl ester, n-Butyl isobutyrate, 1-Butyl 2-methylpropionate, 1-Butyl isobutyrate, Butyl isobutanoate, Butyl 2-methylpropanoate, Butyl 2-methylpropionate, Butyl 2-methyl-1-propanoate, butyl 2-methylpropanoate, butyl isobutanoate, propanoic acid, 2-methyl-, butyl ester.
Can Butyl isobutyrate be labeled natural?
Butyl isobutyrate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: butyl isobutyrate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized butyl isobutyrate is artificial. 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.
- 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 isobutyrate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2188. 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 09.416, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 188, evaluated at the 51st meeting in 1998. no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
Odor and taste
Odor: Fruity, apple, rum, ethereal.
Taste: Apple, fruity, rum-like.
Where it is used
Butyl isobutyrate is used in apple, rum and fruit, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Butyl isobutyrate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isoamyl propionate | 2082 | 85% | In nature |
| Propyl hexanoate | 2949 | 70% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Rhodinyl butyrate · Methyl 3-hydroxyhexanoate · Ethyl 3-(methylthio)-cis-2-propenoate · 1-Octen-3-yl butyrate · Propyl heptanoate · Methyl benzoate
Butyl isobutyrate FAQ
Does butyl isobutyrate have FEMA GRAS status?
Butyl isobutyrate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2188. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite butyl isobutyrate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite butyl isobutyrate as FEMA 2188 or CAS 97-87-0; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Can butyl isobutyrate be labeled a natural flavor?
Since butyl isobutyrate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when butyl isobutyrate is synthesized. 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.
Can butyl isobutyrate be used in the EU and UK?
Butyl isobutyrate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.416 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated butyl isobutyrate?
Yes. JECFA number 188, evaluated at the 51st meeting in 1998. Conclusion: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
What does butyl isobutyrate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of butyl isobutyrate is fruity, apple, rum, ethereal. On the palate it is apple, fruity, rum-like. Typical uses are apple, rum and fruit.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
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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 BUTYL ISOBUTYRATE under CAS 97-87-0 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.