Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Cinnamyl benzoate
Cinnamyl benzoate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4703 (CAS 5320-75-2). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, balsamic, warm.
- FEMA
- 4703
- CAS
- 5320-75-2
- JECFA
- 760
- EU FL
- 09.780
- Formula
- C16H14O2
- EC
- 226-180-2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 25. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 5320-75-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Propen-1-ol, 3-phenyl-, 1-benzoate, Cinnamyl alcohol, benzoate, 2-Propen-1-ol, 3-phenyl-, benzoate, 3-Phenyl-2-propenyl benzoate, NSC 245146, (e)-cinnamyl benzoate, cinnamyl alcohol, benzoate, trans-cinnamyl benzoate, benzoic acid, cinnamyl ester, [(e)-3-phenylprop-2-enyl] benzoate, (2e)-3-phenylprop-2-en-1-yl benzoate, 2-propen-1-ol, 3-phenyl-, benzoate.
Can Cinnamyl benzoate be labeled natural?
The process decides for cinnamyl benzoate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic cinnamyl benzoate is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic cinnamyl benzoate 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
Cinnamyl benzoate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4703. 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 09.780, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 760, 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. Cinnamyl benzoate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 5320-75-2, where EPA names it 2-Propen-1-ol, 3-phenyl-, 1-benzoate.
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, balsamic, warm.
Where it is used
Cinnamyl benzoate is used in beverage, confection, baked goods, flavoring and perfume, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Cinnamyl benzoate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phenethyl cinnamate | 2863 | 92% | In nature |
| Cinnamyl cinnamate | 2298 | 90% | In nature |
| Benzyl cinnamate | 2142 | 88% | In nature |
| Benzyl benzoate | 2138 | 87% | In nature |
| Phenethyl phenylacetate | 2866 | 84% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Carvyl propionate · Allyl phenoxyacetate · 1-Isobutoxy-1-ethoxyethane · Trilobatin · Propyl 2,4-decadienoate · Ethyl sorbate
Cinnamyl benzoate FAQ
Is cinnamyl benzoate on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 4703 covers cinnamyl benzoate. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for cinnamyl benzoate?
The FEMA number for cinnamyl benzoate is 4703 and its CAS registry number is 5320-75-2. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is cinnamyl benzoate used for?
Cinnamyl benzoate is described as sweet, fruity, floral, balsamic, warm. It shows up in beverage, confection, baked goods, flavoring and perfume.
What did JECFA conclude about cinnamyl benzoate?
JECFA evaluated cinnamyl benzoate at the 55th meeting in 2000 under JECFA number 760. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is cinnamyl benzoate approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 09.780 is the Union List entry for cinnamyl benzoate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is cinnamyl benzoate natural or artificial?
Nature makes cinnamyl benzoate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial cinnamyl benzoate, same molecule. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material 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 Cinnamyl benzoate 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 CINNAMYL BENZOATE under CAS 5320-75-2 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.