Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Butyl phenylacetate
Butyl phenylacetate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2209 (CAS 122-43-0). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, pear, estery.
- FEMA
- 2209
- CAS
- 122-43-0
- JECFA
- 1012
- EU FL
- 09.787
- Formula
- C12H16O2
- EC
- 204-543-6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 122-43-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzeneacetic acid, butyl ester, Acetic acid, phenyl-, butyl ester, Phenylethanoic acid butyl ester, Butyl benzeneacetate, butyl 2-phenylacetate, benzeneacetic acid, butyl ester, n-butyl phenylacetate, butyl benzene acetate, butyl alpha-toluate, butyl benzeneacetate, butyl phenylethanoate, phenylethanoic acid butyl ester.
Can Butyl phenylacetate be labeled natural?
Nature makes butyl phenylacetate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial butyl phenylacetate, same molecule. 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
Butyl phenylacetate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2209. 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 09.787, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1012, evaluated at the 64th 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 phenylacetate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 122-43-0, where EPA names it Benzeneacetic acid, 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, pear, estery.
Where it is used
Butyl phenylacetate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and ice cream, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Butyl phenylacetate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Propyl phenylacetate | 2955 | 91% | In nature |
| Benzyl hexanoate | 4026 | 90% | In nature |
| Isoamyl phenylacetate | 2081 | 89% | In nature |
| 3-Hexenyl phenylacetate | 3633 | 82% | In nature |
| Isoamyl benzoate | 2058 | 72% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Ethyl 2-acetyloctanoate · (Z)-3-Hexenyl 2-oxopropionate · Ethyl 3-oxohexanoate · 2-Ethylhexyl benzoate · l-Bornyl acetate · Butyl laurate
Butyl phenylacetate FAQ
Does butyl phenylacetate have FEMA GRAS status?
Butyl phenylacetate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2209. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite butyl phenylacetate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite butyl phenylacetate as FEMA 2209 or CAS 122-43-0; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is fruity.
What does butyl phenylacetate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of butyl phenylacetate is sweet, fruity, floral, pear, estery. Typical uses are beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and ice cream.
What did JECFA conclude about butyl phenylacetate?
JECFA evaluated butyl phenylacetate at the 64th meeting in 2005 under JECFA number 1012. The panel concluded: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Can butyl phenylacetate be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 09.787 is the Union List entry for butyl phenylacetate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can butyl phenylacetate be labeled a natural flavor?
The process decides for butyl phenylacetate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic butyl phenylacetate is artificial. 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 BUTYL PHENYLACETATE under CAS 122-43-0 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.