Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Ethyl alpha-acetylcinnamate
Ethyl alpha-acetylcinnamate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4597 (CAS 620-80-4). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, caramel, vanilla.
- FEMA
- 4597
- CAS
- 620-80-4
- JECFA
- 2211
- Formula
- C13H14O3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 24. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 620-80-4.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Butanoic acid, 3-oxo-2-(phenylmethylene)-, ethyl ester, Cinnamic acid, α-acetyl-, ethyl ester, Ethyl 3-oxo-2-(phenylmethylene)butanoate, Ethyl 2-benzylideneacetoacetate, Ethyl α-acetylcinnamate, Ethyl benzylideneacetoacetate, 3-Oxo-2-(phenylmethylene)butanoic acid ethyl ester, NSC 68527, Ethyl 2-(acetyl)-3-phenyl-2-propenoate, ethyl 2-benzylideneacetoacetate, ethyl 3-oxo-2-(phenylmethylene)butanoate, ethyl 2-benzylidene-3-oxo-butanoate.
Can Ethyl alpha-acetylcinnamate be labeled natural?
Nature occurrence: Not yet found in nature (provisional).
Nature occurrence has not been settled for this substance, so the natural or artificial class is not stated here. The FEMA GRAS status does not depend on it.
Regulatory status, with citations
United States
Ethyl alpha-acetylcinnamate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4597. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
No EU FL number is on file for Ethyl alpha-acetylcinnamate. That is not a finding either way. The Union List covers defined flavouring substances, so natural complex materials are handled as flavouring preparations under Parts B to F and never receive a number, and substances used as additives sit under Regulation 1333/2008 instead. Confirm the position before EU or UK use.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 2211.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
Odor and taste
Odor: Sweet, fruity, floral, caramel, vanilla.
Where it is used
Ethyl alpha-acetylcinnamate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and desserts, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Ethyl alpha-acetylcinnamate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethyl 2-acetyl-3-phenylpropionate | 2416 | 79% | In nature |
| Isopropyl cinnamate | 2939 | 77% | In nature |
| Ethyl cinnamate | 2430 | 77% | In nature |
| Cinnamyl butyrate | 2296 | 74% | In nature |
| Ethyl benzoylacetate | 2423 | 74% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Furfuryl acetate · Hexadecyl lactate · Ethyl trans-2-cis-4-decadienoate · Cinnamyl isobutyrate · p-Mentha-1,8-dien-7-yl acetate · cis-Hexenyl propionate
Ethyl alpha-acetylcinnamate FAQ
Does ethyl alpha-acetylcinnamate have FEMA GRAS status?
Ethyl alpha-acetylcinnamate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 4597. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite ethyl alpha-acetylcinnamate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite ethyl alpha-acetylcinnamate as FEMA 4597 or CAS 620-80-4; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is fruity.
What does ethyl alpha-acetylcinnamate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of ethyl alpha-acetylcinnamate is sweet, fruity, floral, caramel, vanilla. Typical uses are beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and desserts.
What did JECFA conclude about ethyl alpha-acetylcinnamate?
JECFA evaluated ethyl alpha-acetylcinnamate under JECFA number 2211.
Is ethyl alpha-acetylcinnamate approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for ethyl alpha-acetylcinnamate. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 2211), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
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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 ALPHA-ACETYLCINNAMATE under CAS 620-80-4 and carries its FEMA 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.