Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Ethyl Acetate
Ethyl Acetate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2414 (CAS 141-78-6). Its odor is ethereal, fruity, wine-like.
- FEMA
- 2414
- CAS
- 141-78-6
- JECFA
- 27
- EU FL
- 09.001
- Formula
- C4H8O2
- EC
- 205-500-4
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 141-78-6.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: acetic acid ethyl ester, ethyl ethanoate, vinegar naphtha, acetoxyethane, acetic ether, ethyl acetic ester, acetic acid, ethyl ester, acetidin, ethylacetate, essigester, acetic ester, etoac.
Can Ethyl Acetate be labeled natural?
Since Ethyl Acetate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when Ethyl Acetate is synthesized. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material 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
Ethyl Acetate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2414. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 182.60 and 21 CFR 173.228 and 21 CFR 172.560.
European Union and United Kingdom
Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.001, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 27, evaluated at the 46th meeting in 1996. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent. ADI 0 to 25 mg/kg body weight.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list. Listed on the EPA TSCA inventory.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Ethyl Acetate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 141-78-6, where EPA names it Acetic acid 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: Ethereal, fruity, wine-like.
Taste: Fruity, solvent-like at high levels.
Where it is used
Ethyl Acetate is used in beverage and confection, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Ethyl Acetate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,3-Pentadione | 2841 | 88% | In nature |
| 2-Pentanone | 2842 | 88% | In nature |
| 3-Penten-2-one | 3417 | 84% | In nature |
| Ethyl formate | 2434 | 81% | In nature |
| Propyl acetate | 2925 | 80% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Phenyl butyrate · Benzyl acetoacetate · (E,Z)-3,6-Nonadien-1-ol acetate · cis-3-Hexenyl cis-3-hexenoate · Butyl butyryllactate · Ethyl cinnamate
Ethyl Acetate FAQ
Is Ethyl Acetate on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2414 covers Ethyl Acetate. It is also codified at 21 CFR 182.60 and 21 CFR 173.228 and 21 CFR 172.560.
What is the FEMA number for Ethyl Acetate?
The FEMA number for Ethyl Acetate is 2414 and its CAS registry number is 141-78-6. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is Ethyl Acetate natural or artificial?
Ethyl Acetate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: Ethyl Acetate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized Ethyl Acetate 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.
Is Ethyl Acetate approved in the EU?
Ethyl Acetate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.001 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated Ethyl Acetate?
Yes. JECFA number 27, evaluated at the 46th meeting in 1996. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What is Ethyl Acetate used for?
Ethyl Acetate is described as ethereal, fruity, wine-like. On the palate it is fruity, solvent-like at high levels. It shows up in beverage and confection.
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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 ACETATE under CAS 141-78-6 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 color or coloring adjunct, flavor enhancer, flavoring agent or adjuvant, solvent or vehicle.
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.