Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Diphenyl ether
Diphenyl ether is a phenol in the woody family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3667 (CAS 101-84-8). Its odor is sweet, woody, balsamic, slightly medicinal.
- FEMA
- 3667
- CAS
- 101-84-8
- JECFA
- 1255
- EU FL
- 04.035
- Formula
- C12H10O
- EC
- 202-981-2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 13. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 101-84-8.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzene, 1,1′-oxybis-, Phenyl ether, 1,1′-Oxybis[benzene], Benzene, phenoxy-, Biphenyl oxide, Diphenyl oxide, Phenoxybenzene, Phenyl oxide, Chemcryl JK-EB, Oxybisbenzene, NSC 19311, Barrel Therm 330.
Can Diphenyl ether be labeled natural?
The process decides for diphenyl ether. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic diphenyl 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
Diphenyl ether is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3667. 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 04.035, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1255, evaluated at the 61st meeting in 2003. 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. Diphenyl ether appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 101-84-8, where EPA names it Benzene, 1,1'-oxybis-.
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, slightly medicinal.
Taste: Bitter, woody, slightly sweet.
Where it is used
Diphenyl ether is used in fragrance, cosmetics, flavoring and household products, typically as a woody note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Diphenyl ether by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diphenyl | 3129 | 85% | In nature |
| Dibenzyl ether | 2371 | 80% | In nature |
| Phenyl disulfide | 3225 | 72% | In nature |
| 1,3-Diphenyl-2-propanone | 2397 | 71% | In nature |
| 4-Methyl-1,1'-biphenyl | 3186 | 70% | In nature |
More phenols in this index
4-(1,1-Dimethylethyl)phenol · p-Propylphenol · 2-Methoxy-4-propylphenol · 2-Isopropylphenol · 4-Methyl-1,1'-biphenyl · 2,6-Xylenol
Diphenyl ether FAQ
Does diphenyl ether have FEMA GRAS status?
Diphenyl ether holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3667. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite diphenyl ether by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite diphenyl ether as FEMA 3667 or CAS 101-84-8; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is woody.
What does diphenyl ether smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of diphenyl ether is sweet, woody, balsamic, slightly medicinal. On the palate it is bitter, woody, slightly sweet. Typical uses are fragrance, cosmetics, flavoring and household products.
What did JECFA conclude about diphenyl ether?
JECFA evaluated diphenyl ether at the 61st meeting in 2003 under JECFA number 1255. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Can diphenyl ether be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 04.035 is the Union List entry for diphenyl ether, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can diphenyl ether be labeled a natural flavor?
Nature makes diphenyl ether, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial diphenyl ether, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic diphenyl ether 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 DIPHENYL ETHER under CAS 101-84-8 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number. 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.