Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Isobutyl cinnamate
Isobutyl cinnamate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2193 (CAS 122-67-8). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, cinnamon, spicy.
- FEMA
- 2193
- CAS
- 122-67-8
- JECFA
- 664
- EU FL
- 09.734
- Formula
- C13H16O2
- EC
- 204-564-0
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 122-67-8.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Propenoic acid, 3-phenyl-, 2-methylpropyl ester, Cinnamic acid, isobutyl ester, Labdanol, NSC 404181, labdanol, 2-methylpropyl cinnamate, cinnamic acid, isobutyl ester, isobutyl 3-phenylpropenoate, 2-propenoic acid, 3-phenyl-, 2-methylpropyl ester, 2-methylpropyl (e)-3-phenylprop-2-enoate, 2-methylpropyl (2z)-3-phenylprop-2-enoate, 2-methylpropyl (2e)-3-phenylprop-2-enoate.
Can Isobutyl cinnamate be labeled natural?
Nature makes isobutyl cinnamate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial isobutyl cinnamate, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic isobutyl cinnamate 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
Isobutyl cinnamate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2193. 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 09.734, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 664, 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. Isobutyl cinnamate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 122-67-8, where EPA names it 2-Propenoic acid, 3-phenyl-, 2-methylpropyl 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, floral, cinnamon, spicy.
Where it is used
Isobutyl cinnamate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, baked goods and desserts, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Isobutyl cinnamate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Propyl cinnamate | 2938 | 89% | In nature |
| Isoamyl cinnamate | 2063 | 81% | In nature |
| Cinnamyl isobutyrate | 2297 | 80% | In nature |
| Cyclohexyl cinnamate | 2352 | 78% | In nature |
| Cinnamyl butyrate | 2296 | 77% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Phenethyl tiglate · Citric acid ester of mono-and di-glycerides of fatty acids · 3-Octyl butyrate · Benzyl hexanoate · trans-2-Octen-1-yl butanoate · Methyl 3-(methylthio)butanoate
Isobutyl cinnamate FAQ
Is isobutyl cinnamate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists isobutyl cinnamate as GRAS under FEMA number 2193. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for isobutyl cinnamate?
Isobutyl cinnamate is FEMA 2193, CAS 122-67-8. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is isobutyl cinnamate described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe isobutyl cinnamate as sweet, fruity, floral, cinnamon, spicy. It is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, baked goods and desserts.
What did JECFA conclude about isobutyl cinnamate?
JECFA evaluated isobutyl cinnamate at the 55th meeting in 2000 under JECFA number 664. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is isobutyl cinnamate on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 09.734 is the Union List entry for isobutyl cinnamate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does isobutyl cinnamate count as natural in the US and the EU?
The process decides for isobutyl cinnamate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic isobutyl cinnamate is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic isobutyl cinnamate identical-to-natural.
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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 ISOBUTYL CINNAMATE under CAS 122-67-8 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 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.