Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Ethyl vanillin
Ethyl vanillin is an aldehyde in the vanilla family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2464 (CAS 121-32-4). Its odor is intense vanilla, 3-4x stronger than vanillin, creamy.
- FEMA
- 2464
- CAS
- 121-32-4
- JECFA
- 893
- EU FL
- 05.019
- Formula
- C9H10O3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 121-32-4.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzaldehyde, 3-ethoxy-4-hydroxy-, 3-Ethoxy-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, Bourbonal, Ethavan, Ethovan, Ethylprotal, Protocatechuic aldehyde ethyl ether, Quantrovanil, Vanillal, Ethylvanillin, 4-Hydroxy-3-ethoxybenzaldehyde, Vanirom.
Can Ethyl vanillin be labeled natural?
Ethyl vanillin occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: ethyl vanillin won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized ethyl vanillin 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.
- 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 vanillin is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2464. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 182.60 and 21 CFR 182.90.
European Union and United Kingdom
Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 05.019, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 893, 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 vanillin appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 121-32-4, where EPA names it Benzaldehyde, 3-ethoxy-4-hydroxy-.
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: Intense vanilla, 3-4x stronger than vanillin, creamy.
Taste: Very sweet, intense vanilla with creamy finish.
Where it is used
Ethyl vanillin is used in vanilla flavors, chocolate, confection and dairy, typically as a vanilla note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Ethyl vanillin by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Ethoxy-4-(hydroxymethyl)phenol | 4893 | 81% | Not determined |
| Benzaldehyde | 2127 | 80% | In nature |
| Veratraldehyde | 3109 | 80% | In nature |
| 2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde | 4435 | 79% | In nature |
| Isoeugenol | 2468 | 71% | In nature |
More aldehydes in this index
Divanillin · Vanillin · p-Mentha-1,8-dien-7-al · 2-Hexenal · trans-2-Hexenal glyceryl acetal · Valeraldehyde
Ethyl vanillin FAQ
Does ethyl vanillin have FEMA GRAS status?
Ethyl vanillin holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2464. It is also codified at 21 CFR 182.60 and 21 CFR 182.90.
How do I cite ethyl vanillin by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite ethyl vanillin as FEMA 2464 or CAS 121-32-4; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the vanilla flavor category.
Can ethyl vanillin be labeled a natural flavor?
Since ethyl vanillin is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when ethyl vanillin 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.
Can ethyl vanillin be used in the EU and UK?
Ethyl vanillin is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 05.019 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated ethyl vanillin?
Yes. JECFA number 893, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does ethyl vanillin smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of ethyl vanillin is intense vanilla, 3-4x stronger than vanillin, creamy. On the palate it is very sweet, intense vanilla with creamy finish. Typical uses are vanilla flavors, chocolate, confection and dairy.
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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 VANILLIN under CAS 121-32-4 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, ph control agent.
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.