Flavor ingredient regulatory record
(E,Z)-Phytol
(E,Z)-Phytol is a terpene in the herbal family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4196 (CAS 150-86-7). Its odor is green, herbal, grassy, earthy.
- FEMA
- 4196
- CAS
- 150-86-7
- JECFA
- 1832
- EU FL
- 02.204
- Formula
- C20H40O
- EC
- 205-776-6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 22. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 150-86-7.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Hexadecen-1-ol, 3,7,11,15-tetramethyl-, (2E,7R,11R)-, Phytol, 2-Hexadecen-1-ol, 3,7,11,15-tetramethyl-, [R-[R*,R*-(E)]]-, (2E,7R,11R)-3,7,11,15-Tetramethyl-2-hexadecen-1-ol, 3,7,11,15-Tetramethylhexadec-2-en-1-ol, trans-Phytol, (E)-Phytol, (7R,11R,2E)-Phytol, (E,R,R)-Phytol, (7R,11R,E)-3,7,11,15-Tetramethylhexadec-2-en-1-ol, MeSH ID: D010836, (E,7R,11R)-3,7,11,15-Tetramethylhexadec-2-en-1-ol.
Can (E,Z)-Phytol be labeled natural?
(E,Z)-Phytol occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: (E,Z)-Phytol won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized (E,Z)-Phytol is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic (E,Z)-Phytol 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
(E,Z)-Phytol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4196. 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 02.204, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1832, evaluated at the 69th meeting in 2008. 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. (E,Z)-Phytol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 150-86-7, where EPA names it 2-Hexadecen-1-ol, 3,7,11,15-tetramethyl-, (2E,7R,11R)-.
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: Green, herbal, grassy, earthy.
Where it is used
(E,Z)-Phytol is used in beverage, herbal tea, flavoring and cosmetics, typically as a herbal note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to (E,Z)-Phytol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| (+/-)-Dihydrofarnesol | 4031 | 87% | In nature |
| Isoamyl laurate | 2077 | 86% | In nature |
| (E,Z)-Phytyl acetate | 4197 | 86% | In nature |
| 2,6,10-Trimethyl-2,6,10-pentadecatrien-14-one | 3442 | 84% | In nature |
| Butyl stearate | 2214 | 84% | In nature |
More terpenes in this index
Borneol · d-Fenchone · 1,4-Cineole · p-Mentha-1,8-dien-7-ol · p-Cymene · 4-Thujanol
(E,Z)-Phytol FAQ
Is (E,Z)-Phytol on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 4196 covers (E,Z)-Phytol. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for (E,Z)-Phytol?
The FEMA number for (E,Z)-Phytol is 4196 and its CAS registry number is 150-86-7. FEMA files it in the herbal flavor category.
Is (E,Z)-Phytol natural or artificial?
Since (E,Z)-Phytol is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when (E,Z)-Phytol is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic (E,Z)-Phytol identical-to-natural.
Is (E,Z)-Phytol approved in the EU?
(E,Z)-Phytol is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 02.204 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated (E,Z)-Phytol?
Yes. JECFA number 1832, evaluated at the 69th meeting in 2008. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What is (E,Z)-Phytol used for?
(E,Z)-Phytol is described as green, herbal, grassy, earthy. It shows up in beverage, herbal tea, flavoring and cosmetics.
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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 PHYTOL under CAS 150-86-7 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number. 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.