Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Isoamyl phenethyl ether
Isoamyl phenethyl ether is an ether in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4635 (CAS 56011-02-0). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, pear, estery.
- FEMA
- 4635
- CAS
- 56011-02-0
- JECFA
- 2136
- Formula
- C13H20O
- EC
- 259-943-3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 24. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 56011-02-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzene, [2-(3-methylbutoxy)ethyl]-, [2-(3-Methylbutoxy)ethyl]benzene, Phenylethyl isoamyl ether, Anther, Anther (ether), 2-Phenylethyl isoamyl ether, isopentyl phenethyl ether, green ether, isoamyl phenylethyl ether, phenylethyl isoamyl ether, 2-phenylethyl isopentyl ether, (2-(3-methylbutoxy)ethyl)benzene.
Can Isoamyl phenethyl ether be labeled natural?
The process decides for isoamyl phenethyl ether. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic isoamyl phenethyl ether is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material 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
Isoamyl phenethyl ether is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4635. 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 Isoamyl phenethyl ether. 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 2136, evaluated at the 76th meeting in 2012. 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. Isoamyl phenethyl ether appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 56011-02-0, where EPA names it Benzene, [2-(3-methylbutoxy)ethyl]-.
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, floral, pear, estery.
Where it is used
Isoamyl phenethyl ether is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors and flavoring agents, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Isoamyl phenethyl ether by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benzyl butyl ether | 2139 | 84% | In nature |
| Acetaldehyde butyl phenethyl acetal | 3125 | 80% | In nature |
| Benzyl 2-methoxyethyl acetal | 2148 | 77% | In nature |
| Phenethyl isovalerate | 2871 | 71% | In nature |
| Isoamyl phenylacetate | 2081 | 71% | In nature |
More ethers in this index
o-Methylanisole · (2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene · 1,1-Dimethoxyethane · beta-Naphthyl isobutyl ether · Hydroquinone monoethyl ether · 2,4-Dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane
Isoamyl phenethyl ether FAQ
Is isoamyl phenethyl ether FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists isoamyl phenethyl ether as GRAS under FEMA number 4635. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for isoamyl phenethyl ether?
Isoamyl phenethyl ether is FEMA 4635, CAS 56011-02-0. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is isoamyl phenethyl ether described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe isoamyl phenethyl ether as sweet, fruity, floral, pear, estery. It is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors and flavoring agents.
What did JECFA conclude about isoamyl phenethyl ether?
JECFA evaluated isoamyl phenethyl ether at the 76th meeting in 2012 under JECFA number 2136. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is isoamyl phenethyl ether approved in the EU?
No EU FL number is on file for isoamyl phenethyl ether. It has a JECFA evaluation (JECFA 2136), which the EU list draws on, but the Union List entry itself should be confirmed before EU use.
Does isoamyl phenethyl ether count as natural in the US and the EU?
Nature makes isoamyl phenethyl ether, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial isoamyl phenethyl ether, same molecule. In the EU and UK the natural claim likewise needs the natural route, while Mercosur and Mexico keep a third class, identical-to-natural, for the synthetic material.
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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 ISOAMYL PHENETHYL ETHER under CAS 56011-02-0 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.