Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Dibenzyl ether
Dibenzyl ether is an ether in the woody family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2371 (CAS 103-50-4). Its odor is sweet, woody, balsamic, aromatic.
- FEMA
- 2371
- CAS
- 103-50-4
- JECFA
- 1256
- EU FL
- 03.004
- Formula
- C14H14O
- EC
- 203-118-2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 103-50-4.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzene, 1,1′-[oxybis(methylene)]bis-, Benzyl ether, 1,1′-[Oxybis(methylene)]bis[benzene], Benzyl oxide, Plastikator BA, BA (plasticizer), BA, NSC 5931, [(Benzyloxy)methyl]benzene, (Oxybis(methylene))dibenzene, benzyl ether, benzyl oxide.
Can Dibenzyl ether be labeled natural?
The process decides for dibenzyl ether. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic dibenzyl ether 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
Dibenzyl ether is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2371. 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 03.004, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1256, evaluated at the 61st meeting in 2003. 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. Dibenzyl ether appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 103-50-4, where EPA names it Benzene, 1,1'-[oxybis(methylene)]bis-.
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, woody, balsamic, aromatic.
Where it is used
Dibenzyl ether is used in beverage, confection, flavoring agents and fragrance, typically as a woody note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Dibenzyl ether by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,3-Diphenyl-2-propanone | 2397 | 80% | In nature |
| Diphenyl ether | 3667 | 80% | In nature |
| Benzyl benzoate | 2138 | 75% | In nature |
| Diphenyl | 3129 | 71% | In nature |
| Butanal dibenzyl thioacetal | 4589 | 70% | Not determined |
More ethers in this index
1,1-Dipropoxyethane · Butyl beta-naphthyl ether · Vanillyl ethyl ether · 2,4-Dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane · Vanillyl butyl ether · Benzyl ethyl ether
Dibenzyl ether FAQ
Does dibenzyl ether have FEMA GRAS status?
Dibenzyl ether holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2371. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite dibenzyl ether by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite dibenzyl ether as FEMA 2371 or CAS 103-50-4; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is woody.
What does dibenzyl ether smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of dibenzyl ether is sweet, woody, balsamic, aromatic. Typical uses are beverage, confection, flavoring agents and fragrance.
What did JECFA conclude about dibenzyl ether?
JECFA evaluated dibenzyl ether at the 61st meeting in 2003 under JECFA number 1256. The panel concluded: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Can dibenzyl ether be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 03.004 is the Union List entry for dibenzyl ether, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can dibenzyl ether be labeled a natural flavor?
Nature makes dibenzyl ether, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial dibenzyl ether, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic dibenzyl ether identical-to-natural.
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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 DIBENZYL ETHER under CAS 103-50-4 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 flavor enhancer, 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.