Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Hydroquinone monoethyl ether
Hydroquinone monoethyl ether is an ether in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3695 (CAS 622-62-8). Its odor is sweet, floral, fruity, delicate.
- FEMA
- 3695
- CAS
- 622-62-8
- JECFA
- 720
- EU FL
- 04.037
- Formula
- C8H10O2
- EC
- 210-748-1
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 13. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 622-62-8.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Phenol, 4-ethoxy-, Phenol, p-ethoxy-, 4-Ethoxyphenol, p-Ethoxyphenol, p-Hydroxyphenetole, Hydroquinone ethyl ether, NSC 9885, Ethyl 4-Hydroxyphenyl ether, 4-ethoxyphenol, phenol, 4-ethoxy-, p-ethoxyphenol, p-hydroxyphenetole.
Can Hydroquinone monoethyl ether be labeled natural?
The process decides for hydroquinone monoethyl ether. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic hydroquinone monoethyl ether is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic hydroquinone monoethyl ether 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
Hydroquinone monoethyl ether is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3695. 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 04.037, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 720, evaluated at the 55th meeting in 2000. 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. Hydroquinone monoethyl ether appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 622-62-8, where EPA names it Phenol, 4-ethoxy-.
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, floral, fruity, delicate.
Where it is used
Hydroquinone monoethyl ether is used in beverage, confection, flavoring and baked goods, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Hydroquinone monoethyl ether by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| p-Propylphenol | 3649 | 85% | In nature |
| 4-Propenylphenol | 4062 | 81% | In nature |
| 2-Phenoxyethanol | 4620 | 81% | In nature |
| 3-Phenyl-1-propanol | 2885 | 71% | In nature |
| 3-Phenylpropionic acid | 2889 | 65% | In nature |
More ethers in this index
Digeranyl ether · 1,1-Dipropoxyethane · Isoeugenyl ethyl ether · (2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene · Methyl hexyl ether · beta-Naphthyl methyl ether
Hydroquinone monoethyl ether FAQ
Is hydroquinone monoethyl ether on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3695 covers hydroquinone monoethyl ether. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for hydroquinone monoethyl ether?
The FEMA number for hydroquinone monoethyl ether is 3695 and its CAS registry number is 622-62-8. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is hydroquinone monoethyl ether used for?
Hydroquinone monoethyl ether is described as sweet, floral, fruity, delicate. It shows up in beverage, confection, flavoring and baked goods.
What did JECFA conclude about hydroquinone monoethyl ether?
JECFA evaluated hydroquinone monoethyl ether at the 55th meeting in 2000 under JECFA number 720. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is hydroquinone monoethyl ether approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 04.037 is the Union List entry for hydroquinone monoethyl ether, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is hydroquinone monoethyl ether natural or artificial?
Nature makes hydroquinone monoethyl ether, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial hydroquinone monoethyl ether, 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 HYDROQUINONE MONOETHYL ETHER under CAS 622-62-8 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 flavor enhancer, 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.