Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate
Ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2454 (CAS 121-39-1). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, estery, citrus.
- FEMA
- 2454
- CAS
- 121-39-1
- JECFA
- 1576
- EU FL
- 16.018
- Formula
- C11H12O3
- EC
- 204-467-3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 121-39-1.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Oxiranecarboxylic acid, 3-phenyl-, ethyl ester, Glycidic acid, 3-phenyl-, ethyl ester, Oxiranecarboxylic acid, 3-phenyl-, ethyl ester, Ethyl 3-phenylglycidate, Ethyl α,β-epoxyhydrocinnamate, Ethyl phenylglycidate, Ethyl 2,3-epoxy-3-phenylpropionate, Ethyl 3-phenyl-2-oxiranecarboxylate, NSC 8899, ethyl 3-phenylglycidate, ethyl 3-phenyloxirane-2-carboxylate, ethyl phenylglycidate.
Can Ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate be labeled natural?
Since ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate is synthesized. 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
Ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2454. 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 16.018, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1576, evaluated at the 65th meeting in 2005. 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. Ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 121-39-1, where EPA names it 2-Oxiranecarboxylic acid, 3-phenyl-, ethyl 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, estery, citrus.
Where it is used
Ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and dairy, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethyl methyl-p-tolylglycidate | 3757 | 82% | In nature |
| 4,5-Epoxy-(E)-2-decenal | 4037 | 76% | In nature |
| Piperitenone oxide | 4199 | 58% | In nature |
| trans-Carvone-5,6-oxide | 4084 | 56% | In nature |
| Epoxy oxophorone | 4109 | 51% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Menthyl isovalerate · trans-3-Hexenyl acetate · Methyl N-methylanthranilate · Ethyl methyl-p-tolylglycidate · Methyl 3-(methylthio)butanoate · Citric acid ester of mono-and di-glycerides of fatty acids
Ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate FAQ
Is ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate as GRAS under FEMA number 2454. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate?
Ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate is FEMA 2454, CAS 121-39-1. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Does ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate count as natural in the US and the EU?
Ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate identical-to-natural.
Is ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate on the EU Union List?
Ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 16.018 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate?
Yes. JECFA number 1576, evaluated at the 65th meeting in 2005. Conclusion: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
How is ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate as sweet, fruity, floral, estery, citrus. It is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and dairy.
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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 ETHYL 3-PHENYLGLYCIDATE under CAS 121-39-1 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.