Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Ethyl anthranilate
Ethyl anthranilate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2421 (CAS 87-25-2). Its odor is sweet, fruity, grape, floral, candy.
- FEMA
- 2421
- CAS
- 87-25-2
- JECFA
- 1535
- EU FL
- 09.716
- Formula
- C9H11NO2
- EC
- 201-735-1
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 87-25-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzoic acid, 2-amino-, ethyl ester, Anthranilic acid, ethyl ester, Ethyl o-aminobenzoate, Ethyl 2-aminobenzoate, o-(Ethoxycarbonyl)aniline, 2-Carboethoxyaniline, 2-Aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester, 2-(Ethoxycarbonyl)aniline, (2-(Ethoxycarbonyl)phenyl)amine, NSC 4146, ethyl 2-aminobenzoate, ethyl o-aminobenzoate.
Can Ethyl anthranilate be labeled natural?
Nature makes ethyl anthranilate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial ethyl anthranilate, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic ethyl anthranilate 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 anthranilate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2421. 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 09.716, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1535, evaluated at the 65th meeting in 2005. 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. Ethyl anthranilate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 87-25-2, where EPA names it Benzoic acid, 2-amino-, 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, grape, floral, candy.
Where it is used
Ethyl anthranilate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors and flavoring agents, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Ethyl anthranilate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methyl anthranilate | 2682 | 87% | In nature |
| Butyl anthranilate | 2181 | 84% | In nature |
| cis-3-Hexenyl anthranilate | 3925 | 71% | In nature |
| 2-Aminoacetophenone | 3906 | 69% | In nature |
| Methyl salicylate | 2745 | 62% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Ethyl acrylate · cis-3-Hexenyl valerate · mono-Menthyl succinate · Trilobatin · Butyl hexanoate · Ethyl phenylacetate
Ethyl anthranilate FAQ
Is ethyl anthranilate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists ethyl anthranilate as GRAS under FEMA number 2421. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for ethyl anthranilate?
Ethyl anthranilate is FEMA 2421, CAS 87-25-2. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is ethyl anthranilate described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe ethyl anthranilate as sweet, fruity, grape, floral, candy. It is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors and flavoring agents.
What did JECFA conclude about ethyl anthranilate?
JECFA evaluated ethyl anthranilate at the 65th meeting in 2005 under JECFA number 1535. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is ethyl anthranilate on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 09.716 is the Union List entry for ethyl anthranilate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does ethyl anthranilate count as natural in the US and the EU?
The process decides for ethyl anthranilate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic ethyl anthranilate is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic ethyl anthranilate 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 ETHYL ANTHRANILATE under CAS 87-25-2 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.