Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Isopropyl cinnamate
Isopropyl cinnamate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2939 (CAS 7780-06-5). Its odor is sweet, fruity, cinnamon, floral, warm.
- FEMA
- 2939
- CAS
- 7780-06-5
- JECFA
- 661
- EU FL
- 09.732
- Formula
- C12H14O2
- EC
- 231-949-0
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 7780-06-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Propenoic acid, 3-phenyl-, 1-methylethyl ester, Cinnamic acid, isopropyl ester, iso-Propyl cinnamate, isopropyl (e)-cinnamate, iso-propyl cinnamate, trans-cinnamic acid isopropyl ester, 2-propenoic acid, 3-phenyl-, 1-methylethyl ester, isopropyl trans-cinnamate, 1-methylethyl 3-phenylpropenoate, isopropyl cinnamate [fhfi], propan-2-yl (e)-3-phenylprop-2-enoate, (e)-1-methylethyl 3-phenylacrylate.
Can Isopropyl cinnamate be labeled natural?
The process decides for isopropyl cinnamate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic isopropyl cinnamate is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic isopropyl 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
Isopropyl cinnamate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2939. 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 09.732, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 661, 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. Isopropyl cinnamate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 7780-06-5, where EPA names it 2-Propenoic acid, 3-phenyl-, 1-methylethyl 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, cinnamon, floral, warm.
Taste: Sweet, spicy, slightly bitter.
Where it is used
Isopropyl cinnamate is used in beverage, confection, baked goods and flavoring agents, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Isopropyl cinnamate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethyl cinnamate | 2430 | 91% | In nature |
| Propyl cinnamate | 2938 | 85% | In nature |
| Cinnamyl butyrate | 2296 | 84% | In nature |
| Isoamyl cinnamate | 2063 | 76% | In nature |
| Isobutyl cinnamate | 2193 | 76% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Isobutyl acetate · Propyl 2,4-decadienoate · Isoamyl salicylate · Ethyl 2-acetyl-3-phenylpropionate · Ethyl 2-acetyloctanoate · (+/-)-Isobutyl 3-methylthiobutyrate
Isopropyl cinnamate FAQ
Is isopropyl cinnamate on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2939 covers isopropyl cinnamate. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for isopropyl cinnamate?
The FEMA number for isopropyl cinnamate is 2939 and its CAS registry number is 7780-06-5. Its flavor category is fruity.
What is isopropyl cinnamate used for?
Isopropyl cinnamate is described as sweet, fruity, cinnamon, floral, warm. On the palate it is sweet, spicy, slightly bitter. It shows up in beverage, confection, baked goods and flavoring agents.
What did JECFA conclude about isopropyl cinnamate?
JECFA evaluated isopropyl cinnamate at the 55th meeting in 2000 under JECFA number 661. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is isopropyl cinnamate approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 09.732 is the Union List entry for isopropyl cinnamate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is isopropyl cinnamate natural or artificial?
Nature makes isopropyl cinnamate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial isopropyl cinnamate, same molecule. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
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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 ISOPROPYL CINNAMATE under CAS 7780-06-5 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.