Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Ethyl benzoylacetate
Ethyl benzoylacetate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2423 (CAS 94-02-0). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, estery, peach.
- FEMA
- 2423
- CAS
- 94-02-0
- JECFA
- 834
- EU FL
- 09.476
- Formula
- C11H12O3
- EC
- 202-295-3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 94-02-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzenepropanoic acid, β-oxo-, ethyl ester, Acetic acid, benzoyl-, ethyl ester, Benzoylacetic acid ethyl ester, Ethyl β-oxobenzenepropanoate, 1-Ethoxy-3-phenylpropane-1,3-dione, Ethyl 3-oxo-3-phenylpropanoate, Ethyl 3-oxo-3-phenylpropionate, β-Oxobenzenepropanoic acid ethyl ester, 3-Oxo-3-phenylpropionic acid ethyl ester, NSC 227214, NSC 6774, 3-Oxo-3-phenylpropanoic acid ethyl ester.
Can Ethyl benzoylacetate be labeled natural?
The process decides for ethyl benzoylacetate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic ethyl benzoylacetate is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic ethyl benzoylacetate 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 benzoylacetate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2423. 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 09.476, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
Purity. At least 88%; secondary component 7-9% ethyl benzoate
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 834, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. 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 benzoylacetate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 94-02-0, where EPA names it Benzenepropanoic acid, .beta.-oxo-, 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, peach.
Where it is used
Ethyl benzoylacetate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors and baked goods, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Ethyl benzoylacetate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethyl phenylacetate | 2452 | 84% | In nature |
| Ethyl 2-acetyl-3-phenylpropionate | 2416 | 82% | In nature |
| Propyl phenylacetate | 2955 | 82% | In nature |
| Benzyl acetoacetate | 2136 | 78% | In nature |
| Ethyl alpha-acetylcinnamate | 4597 | 74% | Not determined |
More esters in this index
Isoamyl propionate · mono-Menthyl succinate · Bornyl isovalerate · Ethyl trans-2-cis-4-decadienoate · trans-2-Octen-1-yl butanoate · Ethyl undecanoate
Ethyl benzoylacetate FAQ
Is ethyl benzoylacetate on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2423 covers ethyl benzoylacetate. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for ethyl benzoylacetate?
The FEMA number for ethyl benzoylacetate is 2423 and its CAS registry number is 94-02-0. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is ethyl benzoylacetate used for?
Ethyl benzoylacetate is described as sweet, fruity, floral, estery, peach. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors and baked goods.
What did JECFA conclude about ethyl benzoylacetate?
JECFA evaluated ethyl benzoylacetate at the 57th meeting in 2001 under JECFA number 834. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is ethyl benzoylacetate approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 09.476 is the Union List entry for ethyl benzoylacetate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is ethyl benzoylacetate natural or artificial?
Nature makes ethyl benzoylacetate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial ethyl benzoylacetate, same molecule. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material 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 BENZOYLACETATE under CAS 94-02-0 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.