Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Isobutyl salicylate
Isobutyl salicylate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2213 (CAS 87-19-4). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, green, balsamic.
- FEMA
- 2213
- CAS
- 87-19-4
- JECFA
- 902
- EU FL
- 09.750
- Formula
- C11H14O3
- EC
- 201-729-9
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 87-19-4.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, 2-methylpropyl ester, Salicylic acid, isobutyl ester, Isobutyl o-hydroxybenzoate, 2-Isobutoxycarbonylphenol, NSC 62140, Isobutyl 2-hydroxybenzoate, 2-Methylpropyl 2-hydroxybenzoate, 2-methylpropyl 2-hydroxybenzoate, isobutyl o-hydroxybenzoate, benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, 2-methylpropyl ester, 2-methylpropyl o-hydroxybenzoate, salicylic acid, isobutyl ester.
Can Isobutyl salicylate be labeled natural?
Nature makes isobutyl salicylate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial isobutyl salicylate, 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
Isobutyl salicylate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2213. 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 09.750, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 902, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. 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. Isobutyl salicylate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 87-19-4, where EPA names it Benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, 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, green, balsamic.
Where it is used
Isobutyl salicylate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, perfume and cosmetics, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Isobutyl salicylate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butyl salicylate | 3650 | 79% | In nature |
| Isoamyl salicylate | 2084 | 79% | In nature |
| Isobutyl N-methylanthranilate | 4149 | 72% | In nature |
| (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate | 4750 | 71% | In nature |
| Benzyl salicylate | 2151 | 70% | In nature |
More esters in this index
(+/-)-Bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-5-ene-2-carboxylic acid, ethyl ester · Ethyl 2-(methylthio)acetate · 3-Hexenyl 3-methylbutanoate · Isopropyl myristate · 2,4-Hexadienyl propionate · Propyl cinnamate
Isobutyl salicylate FAQ
Is isobutyl salicylate on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2213 covers isobutyl salicylate. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for isobutyl salicylate?
The FEMA number for isobutyl salicylate is 2213 and its CAS registry number is 87-19-4. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is isobutyl salicylate used for?
Isobutyl salicylate is described as sweet, fruity, floral, green, balsamic. It shows up in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, perfume and cosmetics.
What did JECFA conclude about isobutyl salicylate?
JECFA evaluated isobutyl salicylate at the 57th meeting in 2001 under JECFA number 902. The panel concluded: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Is isobutyl salicylate approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 09.750 is the Union List entry for isobutyl salicylate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is isobutyl salicylate natural or artificial?
The process decides for isobutyl salicylate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic isobutyl salicylate 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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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 SALICYLATE under CAS 87-19-4 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.