Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Ethyl vanillin isobutyrate
Ethyl vanillin isobutyrate is an ester in the vanilla family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3837 (CAS 188417-26-7). Its odor is sweet, creamy, vanilla, fruity, floral.
- FEMA
- 3837
- CAS
- 188417-26-7
- JECFA
- 953
- EU FL
- 09.933
- Formula
- C13H16O4
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 18. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 188417-26-7.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Propanoic acid, 2-methyl-, 2-ethoxy-4-formylphenyl ester, 4-Isobutanoyloxy-3-ethoxybenzaldehyde, Ethylvanillin isobutyrate, 2-Ethoxy-4-formylphenyl 2-methylpropanoate, 2-Ethoxy-4-formylphenyl isobutyrate, 2-ethoxy-4-formylphenyl isobutyrate, 2-ethoxy-4-formylphenyl 2-methylpropanoate, propanoic acid, 2-methyl-, 2-ethoxy-4-formylphenyl ester, ethylvanillin isobutyrate, 4-isobutanoyloxy-3-ethoxybenzaldehyde, ethyl vanillin isobutyrate [fifh], 2-methylpropanoic acid 2-ethoxy-4-formylphenyl ester.
Can Ethyl vanillin isobutyrate be labeled natural?
Nature makes ethyl vanillin isobutyrate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial ethyl vanillin isobutyrate, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic ethyl vanillin isobutyrate 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 vanillin isobutyrate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3837. 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 09.933, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 953, 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.
Odor and taste
Odor: Sweet, creamy, vanilla, fruity, floral.
Taste: Sweet, creamy, vanilla.
Where it is used
Ethyl vanillin isobutyrate is used in beverage, confection, baked goods, dairy and flavoring, typically as a vanilla note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Ethyl vanillin isobutyrate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanillin isobutyrate | 3754 | 94% | In nature |
| Ethyl maltol isobutyrate | 4534 | 74% | Not determined |
| Ethyl alpha-acetylcinnamate | 4597 | 72% | Not determined |
| Vanillin acetate | 3108 | 72% | In nature |
| 1-(4-Methoxyphenyl)-4-methyl-1-penten-3-one | 3760 | 70% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Vanillin isobutyrate · Vanillin acetate · Heptyl heptanoate · 3-Oxododecanoic acid glyceride · trans-3-Hexenyl formate · 2-Ethanethoic acid, S-(2-methyl-3-furanyl) ester
Ethyl vanillin isobutyrate FAQ
Is ethyl vanillin isobutyrate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists ethyl vanillin isobutyrate as GRAS under FEMA number 3837. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for ethyl vanillin isobutyrate?
Ethyl vanillin isobutyrate is FEMA 3837, CAS 188417-26-7. Its flavor category is vanilla.
How is ethyl vanillin isobutyrate described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe ethyl vanillin isobutyrate as sweet, creamy, vanilla, fruity, floral. On the palate it is sweet, creamy, vanilla. It is used in beverage, confection, baked goods, dairy and flavoring.
What did JECFA conclude about ethyl vanillin isobutyrate?
JECFA evaluated ethyl vanillin isobutyrate at the 57th meeting in 2001 under JECFA number 953. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is ethyl vanillin isobutyrate on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 09.933 is the Union List entry for ethyl vanillin isobutyrate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does ethyl vanillin isobutyrate count as natural in the US and the EU?
The process decides for ethyl vanillin isobutyrate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic ethyl vanillin isobutyrate is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic ethyl vanillin isobutyrate 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 VANILLIN ISOBUTYRATE under CAS 188417-26-7 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor 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.