Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Isoamyl phenylacetate
Isoamyl phenylacetate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2081 (CAS 102-19-2). Its odor is sweet, fruity, banana, floral, estery.
- FEMA
- 2081
- CAS
- 102-19-2
- JECFA
- 1014
- EU FL
- 09.789
- Formula
- C13H18O2
- EC
- 203-012-6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 102-19-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzeneacetic acid, 3-methylbutyl ester, Acetic acid, phenyl-, isopentyl ester, Isopentyl alcohol, phenylacetate, Isopentyl phenylacetate, Phenylacetic acid, isopentyl ester, NSC 60582, 3-Methylbutyl phenylacetate, 3-Methylbutyl 2-phenylacetate, isopentyl phenylacetate, benzeneacetic acid, 3-methylbutyl ester, 3-methylbutyl phenylacetate, 3-methylbutyl 2-phenylacetate.
Can Isoamyl phenylacetate be labeled natural?
Nature makes isoamyl phenylacetate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial isoamyl phenylacetate, 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.
- 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 phenylacetate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2081. 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 09.789, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
Purity. 62-64% n-amyl; 33-36% isoamyl
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1014, evaluated at the 59th meeting in 2002. 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. Isoamyl phenylacetate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 102-19-2, where EPA names it Benzeneacetic acid, 3-methylbutyl 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, banana, floral, estery.
Taste: Sweet, fruity, pear.
Where it is used
Isoamyl phenylacetate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors and baked goods, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Isoamyl phenylacetate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butyl phenylacetate | 2209 | 89% | In nature |
| Phenethyl isovalerate | 2871 | 85% | In nature |
| Isoamyl benzoate | 2058 | 83% | In nature |
| Isoamyl cinnamate | 2063 | 82% | In nature |
| Benzyl hexanoate | 4026 | 82% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Propyleneglycol mono-2-methylbutyrate · Decyl propionate · Dodecyl butyrate · Butyl hexanoate · Ethyl formate · 3-Mercapto-3-methyl-1-butyl acetate
Isoamyl phenylacetate FAQ
Is isoamyl phenylacetate on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2081 covers isoamyl phenylacetate. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for isoamyl phenylacetate?
The FEMA number for isoamyl phenylacetate is 2081 and its CAS registry number is 102-19-2. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is isoamyl phenylacetate used for?
Isoamyl phenylacetate is described as sweet, fruity, banana, floral, estery. On the palate it is sweet, fruity, pear. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors and baked goods.
What did JECFA conclude about isoamyl phenylacetate?
JECFA evaluated isoamyl phenylacetate at the 59th meeting in 2002 under JECFA number 1014. The panel concluded: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Is isoamyl phenylacetate approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 09.789 is the Union List entry for isoamyl phenylacetate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is isoamyl phenylacetate natural or artificial?
The process decides for isoamyl phenylacetate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic isoamyl phenylacetate is artificial. 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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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
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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 PHENYLACETATE under CAS 102-19-2 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.