Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Cinnamic acid
Cinnamic acid is an acid in the spice family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2288 (CAS 621-82-9). Its odor is sweet, spicy, warm, balsamic.
- FEMA
- 2288
- CAS
- 621-82-9
- JECFA
- 657
- EU FL
- 08.022
- Formula
- C9H8O2
- EC
- 210-708-3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 621-82-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Propenoic acid, 3-phenyl-, 3-Phenyl-2-propenoic acid, Phenylacrylic acid, 3-Phenylacrylic acid, β-Phenylacrylic acid, NSC 623441, NSC 9189, 3-phenylacrylic acid, phenylacrylic acid, zimtsaeure, (e)-3-phenylprop-2-enoic acid, 3-phenylpropenoic acid.
Can Cinnamic acid be labeled natural?
Cinnamic acid occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: cinnamic acid won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized cinnamic acid is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic cinnamic acid 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
Cinnamic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2288. 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 08.022, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 657, evaluated at the 55th meeting in 2000. 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. Cinnamic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 621-82-9, where EPA names it 2-Propenoic acid, 3-phenyl-.
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, spicy, warm, balsamic.
Taste: Sweet, slightly sour, warming.
Where it is used
Cinnamic acid is used in baked goods, confection, beverage and savory dishes, typically as a spice note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Cinnamic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Phenylpropionic acid | 2889 | 88% | In nature |
| Cinnamyl alcohol | 2294 | 85% | In nature |
| Cinnamaldehyde | 2286 | 82% | In nature |
| o-trans-Coumaric acid | 4700 | 80% | In nature |
| Phenoxyacetic acid | 2872 | 78% | In nature |
More acids in this index
L-Malic Acid · 5&6-Decenoic acid · 2,4-Dimethyl-2-pentenoic acid · (E)-2-Decenoic acid · 3-Phenylpropionic acid · Hexanoic acid
Cinnamic acid FAQ
Is cinnamic acid on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2288 covers cinnamic acid. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for cinnamic acid?
The FEMA number for cinnamic acid is 2288 and its CAS registry number is 621-82-9. FEMA files it in the spice flavor category.
Is cinnamic acid natural or artificial?
Since cinnamic acid is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when cinnamic acid is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic cinnamic acid identical-to-natural.
Is cinnamic acid approved in the EU?
Cinnamic acid is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 08.022 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated cinnamic acid?
Yes. JECFA number 657, evaluated at the 55th meeting in 2000. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What is cinnamic acid used for?
Cinnamic acid is described as sweet, spicy, warm, balsamic. On the palate it is sweet, slightly sour, warming. It shows up in baked goods, confection, beverage and savory dishes.
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 Cinnamic acid 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 CINNAMIC ACID under CAS 621-82-9 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 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.