Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal
Ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal is an acetal in the vanilla family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3838 (CAS 68527-76-4). Its odor is sweet, creamy, vanilla, caramel, smooth.
- FEMA
- 3838
- CAS
- 68527-76-4
- JECFA
- 954
- Formula
- C12H16O4
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 18. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 68527-76-4.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Phenol, 2-ethoxy-4-(4-methyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl)-, 2-Ethoxy-4-(4-methyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl)phenol, Ethylvanillin propylene glycol acetal, 2-ethoxy-4-(4-methyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl)phenol, ethylvanillin propylene glycol acetal, ethyl vanillin propyleneglycol acetal, phenol, 2-ethoxy-4-(4-methyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl)-, ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal [fhfi], 2-(3-ethoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-methyl-1,3-dioxolane, ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal(contain isomer), as-17713, db-055164.
Can Ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal be labeled natural?
Since ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal 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 propylene glycol acetal is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal 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 propylene glycol acetal is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3838. 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 vanillin propylene glycol acetal. 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 954, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 68527-76-4, where EPA names it Phenol, 2-ethoxy-4-(4-methyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl)-.
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, creamy, vanilla, caramel, smooth.
Taste: Sweet, rich, vanilla.
Where it is used
Ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal is used in beverage, confection, bakery, dairy and ice cream, typically as a vanilla note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanillin propylene glycol acetal | 3905 | 87% | In nature |
| Vanillin erythro- & threo-butan-2,3-diol acetal | 4023 | 84% | Not determined |
| Piperonal propyleneglycol acetal | 4622 | 75% | Not determined |
| Anisaldehyde propyleneglycol acetal | 4627 | 73% | Not determined |
| Vanillyl butyl ether | 3796 | 70% | In nature |
More acetals in this index
Vanillin erythro- & threo-butan-2,3-diol acetal · Vanillin propylene glycol acetal · Vanillin 3-(l-menthoxy)propane-1,2-diol acetal · Acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal · Hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal · Acetaldehyde diisoamyl acetal
Ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal FAQ
Does ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal have FEMA GRAS status?
Ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3838. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal as FEMA 3838 or CAS 68527-76-4; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the vanilla flavor category.
Can ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal be labeled a natural flavor?
Ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Is ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 954), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Has JECFA evaluated ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal?
Yes. JECFA number 954, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. Conclusion: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
What does ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal is sweet, creamy, vanilla, caramel, smooth. On the palate it is sweet, rich, vanilla. Typical uses are beverage, confection, bakery, dairy and ice cream.
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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 PROPYLENE GLYCOL ACETAL under CAS 68527-76-4 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.