Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Isoeugenyl methyl ether
Isoeugenyl methyl ether is an ether in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2476 (CAS 93-16-3).
- FEMA
- 2476
- CAS
- 93-16-3
- JECFA
- 1266
- EU FL
- 04.013
- Formula
- C11H14O2
- EC
- 202-224-6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 93-16-3.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzene, 1,2-dimethoxy-4-(1-propen-1-yl)-, Benzene, 1,2-dimethoxy-4-propenyl-, Benzene, 1,2-dimethoxy-4-(1-propenyl)-, Veratrole, 4-propenyl-, 1,2-Dimethoxy-4-(1-propen-1-yl)benzene, Isoeugenol methyl ether, Isohomogenol, 4-Propenylveratrole, Methylisoeugenol, O-Methylisoeugenol, 1-(3,4-Dimethoxyphenyl)-1-propene, 3,4-Dimethoxypropenylbenzene.
Can Isoeugenyl methyl ether be labeled natural?
Isoeugenyl methyl ether occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: isoeugenyl methyl ether won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized isoeugenyl methyl ether 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.
- 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
Isoeugenyl methyl ether is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2476. 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 04.013, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1266, evaluated at the 61st meeting in 2003. 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. Isoeugenyl methyl ether appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 93-16-3, where EPA names it Benzene, 1,2-dimethoxy-4-(1-propen-1-yl)-.
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
Taste: Sweet, mild, floral.
Where it is used
Isoeugenyl methyl ether is used in beverage, confection, flavoring and perfume, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Isoeugenyl methyl ether by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isoeugenyl ethyl ether | 2472 | 89% | In nature |
| Isoeugenol | 2468 | 86% | In nature |
| 4-Propenyl-2,6-dimethoxyphenol | 3728 | 82% | In nature |
| trans-Anethole | 2086 | 80% | In nature |
| Veratraldehyde | 3109 | 74% | In nature |
More ethers in this index
Isoeugenyl benzyl ether · Eucalyptol · Difurfuryl ether · Butyl beta-naphthyl ether · (2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene · 1,1-Dimethoxyethane
Isoeugenyl methyl ether FAQ
Does isoeugenyl methyl ether have FEMA GRAS status?
Isoeugenyl methyl ether holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2476. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite isoeugenyl methyl ether by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite isoeugenyl methyl ether as FEMA 2476 or CAS 93-16-3; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the floral flavor category.
Can isoeugenyl methyl ether be labeled a natural flavor?
Since isoeugenyl methyl ether is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when isoeugenyl methyl ether is synthesized. 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.
Can isoeugenyl methyl ether be used in the EU and UK?
Isoeugenyl methyl ether is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 04.013 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated isoeugenyl methyl ether?
Yes. JECFA number 1266, evaluated at the 61st meeting in 2003. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
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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 ISOEUGENYL METHYL ETHER under CAS 93-16-3 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.