Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Eugenyl benzoate
Eugenyl benzoate is an ester in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2471 (CAS 531-26-0). Its odor is sweet, floral, herbal, fruity.
- FEMA
- 2471
- CAS
- 531-26-0
- JECFA
- 1533
- EU FL
- 09.766
- Formula
- C17H16O3
- EC
- 208-504-4
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 531-26-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Phenol, 2-methoxy-4-(2-propen-1-yl)-, 1-benzoate, Phenol, 4-allyl-2-methoxy-, benzoate, Eugenol benzoate, Phenol, 2-methoxy-4-(2-propenyl)-, benzoate, Benzoyl eugenol, 4-Allyl-2-methoxyphenyl benzoate, NSC 408913, (2-Methoxy-4-prop-2-enylphenyl) benzoate, 2-Methoxy-4-(prop-2-en-1-yl)phenyl benzoate, eugenol benzoate, 4-allyl-2-methoxyphenyl benzoate, benzoyl eugenol.
Can Eugenyl benzoate be labeled natural?
The process decides for eugenyl benzoate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic eugenyl benzoate is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic eugenyl benzoate 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
Eugenyl benzoate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2471. 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 09.766, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1533, evaluated at the 61st meeting in 2003. 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. Eugenyl benzoate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 531-26-0, where EPA names it Phenol, 2-methoxy-4-(2-propen-1-yl)-, 1-benzoate.
Inactive in US commerce
EPA designates this substance inactive, so a Notice of Activity Form B is required before anyone manufactures or processes it again. Being FEMA GRAS does not change that. 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, floral, herbal, fruity.
Where it is used
Eugenyl benzoate is used in beverage, confection, flavoring, perfume and candy, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Eugenyl benzoate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anisyl phenylacetate | 3740 | 84% | In nature |
| Phenethyl cinnamate | 2863 | 79% | In nature |
| Cinnamyl cinnamate | 2298 | 76% | In nature |
| Phenethyl phenylacetate | 2866 | 76% | In nature |
| Magnolol | 4559 | 76% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Geranyl acetate · Benzyl acetate · (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate · Ethyl linalyl ether · Linalyl anthranilate · Phenethyl acetate
Eugenyl benzoate FAQ
Is eugenyl benzoate on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2471 covers eugenyl benzoate. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for eugenyl benzoate?
The FEMA number for eugenyl benzoate is 2471 and its CAS registry number is 531-26-0. Its flavor category is floral.
What is eugenyl benzoate used for?
Eugenyl benzoate is described as sweet, floral, herbal, fruity. It shows up in beverage, confection, flavoring, perfume and candy.
What did JECFA conclude about eugenyl benzoate?
JECFA evaluated eugenyl benzoate at the 61st meeting in 2003 under JECFA number 1533. The panel concluded: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Is eugenyl benzoate approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 09.766 is the Union List entry for eugenyl benzoate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is eugenyl benzoate natural or artificial?
Nature makes eugenyl benzoate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial eugenyl benzoate, 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 EUGENYL BENZOATE under CAS 531-26-0 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.