Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Guaiacol butyrate
Guaiacol butyrate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4607 (CAS 4112-92-9). Its odor is sweet, fruity, vanilla, creamy, buttery.
- FEMA
- 4607
- CAS
- 4112-92-9
- JECFA
- 2015
- EU FL
- 09.944
- Formula
- C11H14O3
- EC
- 223-899-3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 24. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 4112-92-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Butanoic acid, 2-methoxyphenyl ester, Butyric acid, o-methoxyphenyl ester, Phenol, o-methoxy-, butyrate, 2-Methoxyphenyl butyrate, (2-Methoxyphenyl) butanoate, 2-methoxyphenyl butyrate, guaiacyl butyrate, butanoic acid, 2-methoxyphenyl ester, butyric acid, o-methoxyphenyl ester, phenol, o-methoxy-, butyrate, (2-methoxyphenyl) butanoate, 2-methoxyphenyl butanoate.
Can Guaiacol butyrate be labeled natural?
Nature occurrence: Not yet found in nature (provisional).
Nature occurrence has not been settled for this substance, so the natural or artificial class is not stated here. The FEMA GRAS status does not depend on it.
Regulatory status, with citations
United States
Guaiacol butyrate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4607. 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 09.944, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 2015.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Guaiacol butyrate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 4112-92-9, where EPA names it Butanoic acid, 2-methoxyphenyl 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, vanilla, creamy, buttery.
Where it is used
Guaiacol butyrate is used in beverage, confection, dairy, bakery and ice cream, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Guaiacol butyrate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guaiacol propionate | 4609 | 89% | In nature |
| Phenyl butyrate | 4621 | 87% | In nature |
| Guaiacol isobutyrate | 4608 | 77% | Not determined |
| Ethyl maltol isobutyrate | 4534 | 70% | Not determined |
More esters in this index
2-Pentyl 2-methylpentanoate · Methyl nicotinate · Butyl stearate · Ethyl 2-acetyloctanoate · cis-3-Hexenyl anthranilate · 3-Oxododecanoic acid glyceride
Guaiacol butyrate FAQ
Is guaiacol butyrate on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 4607 covers guaiacol butyrate. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for guaiacol butyrate?
The FEMA number for guaiacol butyrate is 4607 and its CAS registry number is 4112-92-9. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is guaiacol butyrate used for?
Guaiacol butyrate is described as sweet, fruity, vanilla, creamy, buttery. It shows up in beverage, confection, dairy, bakery and ice cream.
What did JECFA conclude about guaiacol butyrate?
JECFA evaluated guaiacol butyrate under JECFA number 2015.
Is guaiacol butyrate approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 09.944 is the Union List entry for guaiacol butyrate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
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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 GUAIACOL BUTYRATE under CAS 4112-92-9 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.