Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Cinnamyl isobutyrate
Cinnamyl isobutyrate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2297 (CAS 103-59-3). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, candy, tropical.
- FEMA
- 2297
- CAS
- 103-59-3
- JECFA
- 653
- EU FL
- 09.470
- Formula
- C13H16O2
- EC
- 203-126-6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 103-59-3.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Propanoic acid, 2-methyl-, 3-phenyl-2-propen-1-yl ester, Isobutyric acid, cinnamyl ester, Propanoic acid, 2-methyl-, 3-phenyl-2-propenyl ester, Cinnamyl alcohol, isobutyrate, 3-Phenyl-2-propen-1-yl isobutyrate, NSC 46133, 3-phenylprop-2-en-1-yl 2-methylpropanoate, isobutyric acid, cinnamyl ester, propanoic acid, 2-methyl-, 3-phenyl-2-propenyl ester, [(e)-3-phenylprop-2-enyl] 2-methylpropanoate, propanoic acid, 2-methyl-, 3-phenyl-2-propen-1-yl ester, ((e)-3-phenylprop-2-enyl) 2-methylpropanoate.
Can Cinnamyl isobutyrate be labeled natural?
Nature makes cinnamyl isobutyrate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial cinnamyl isobutyrate, same molecule. 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
Cinnamyl isobutyrate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2297. 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 09.470, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 653, 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 isobutyrate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 103-59-3, where EPA names it Propanoic acid, 2-methyl-, 3-phenyl-2-propen-1-yl 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, candy, tropical.
Where it is used
Cinnamyl isobutyrate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, baked goods and ice cream, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Cinnamyl isobutyrate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinnamyl butyrate | 2296 | 82% | In nature |
| Isobutyl cinnamate | 2193 | 80% | In nature |
| Propyl cinnamate | 2938 | 80% | In nature |
| Cinnamyl benzoate | 4703 | 78% | In nature |
| Cinnamyl cinnamate | 2298 | 76% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Ethyl benzoylacetate · Benzyl levulinate · Bornyl formate · alpha-Methylbenzyl acetate · Ethyl maltol isobutyrate · cis-Hexenyl propionate
Cinnamyl isobutyrate FAQ
Is cinnamyl isobutyrate on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2297 covers cinnamyl isobutyrate. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for cinnamyl isobutyrate?
The FEMA number for cinnamyl isobutyrate is 2297 and its CAS registry number is 103-59-3. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is cinnamyl isobutyrate used for?
Cinnamyl isobutyrate is described as sweet, fruity, floral, candy, tropical. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, baked goods and ice cream.
What did JECFA conclude about cinnamyl isobutyrate?
JECFA evaluated cinnamyl isobutyrate at the 55th meeting in 2000 under JECFA number 653. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is cinnamyl isobutyrate approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 09.470 is the Union List entry for cinnamyl isobutyrate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is cinnamyl isobutyrate natural or artificial?
The process decides for cinnamyl isobutyrate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic cinnamyl 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.
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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 CINNAMYL ISOBUTYRATE under CAS 103-59-3 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.