Flavor ingredient regulatory record
l-Menthyl methyl ether
l-Menthyl methyl ether is an ether in the mint family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4054 (CAS 1565-76-0). Its odor is minty, fresh, herbal, sweet.
- FEMA
- 4054
- CAS
- 1565-76-0
- JECFA
- 1415
- EU FL
- 16.088
- Formula
- C11H22O
- EC
- 216-365-6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 21. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 1565-76-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Cyclohexane, 2-methoxy-4-methyl-1-(1-methylethyl)-, (1S,2R,4R)-, Cyclohexane, 2-methoxy-4-methyl-1-(1-methylethyl)-, [1S-(1α,2β,4β)]-, Ether, p-menth-3-yl methyl, (1R,3R,4S)-(-)-, (1S,2R,4R)-2-Methoxy-4-methyl-1-(1-methylethyl)cyclohexane, Menthyl methyl ether, (-)-Menthol methyl ether, Menthol methyl ether, Fema Gras 4054, cyclohexane, 2-methoxy-4-methyl-1-(1-methylethyl)-, (1s,2r,4r)-, menthyl methyl ether, (-)-, menthyl methyl ether, l-, (-)-menthol methyl ether.
Can l-Menthyl methyl ether be labeled natural?
Since l-Menthyl 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 l-Menthyl methyl ether is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic l-Menthyl methyl ether 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
l-Menthyl methyl ether is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 4054. 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 16.088, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1415, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. 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. l-Menthyl methyl ether appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 1565-76-0, where EPA names it Cyclohexane, 2-methoxy-4-methyl-1-(1-methylethyl)-, (1S,2R,4R)-.
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 regulatory flags
| Flag | EPA definition | What it obliges |
|---|---|---|
| PMN | Indicates a commenced PMN substance. | Nothing new. The substance already went through premanufacture review and someone filed a notice of commencement, which is why it is on the Inventory. It is an existing chemical and needs no new premanufacture notice. Read more |
PMN does not establish: The flag records how the substance arrived, not what may be done with it. Check the flags beside it.
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: Minty, fresh, herbal, sweet.
Where it is used
l-Menthyl methyl ether is used in beverage, confection, oral care and gum, typically as a mint note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to l-Menthyl 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menthyl formate | 4509 | 67% | Not determined |
| 2-(l-Menthoxy)ethanol | 4154 | 66% | In nature |
| d,l-Isomenthone | 3460 | 65% | In nature |
| Menthyl acetate | 2668 | 60% | In nature |
| 1-Methyl-3-methoxy-4-isopropylbenzene | 3436 | 59% | In nature |
More ethers in this index
2,4-Dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane · Vanillyl ethyl ether · 1,1-Dimethoxyethane · Isoeugenyl methyl ether · Methyl hexyl ether · (2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene
l-Menthyl methyl ether FAQ
Does l-Menthyl methyl ether have FEMA GRAS status?
l-Menthyl methyl ether holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 4054. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite l-Menthyl methyl ether by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite l-Menthyl methyl ether as FEMA 4054 or CAS 1565-76-0; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the mint flavor category.
Can l-Menthyl methyl ether be labeled a natural flavor?
l-Menthyl methyl ether occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: l-Menthyl methyl ether won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized l-Menthyl methyl ether is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Can l-Menthyl methyl ether be used in the EU and UK?
l-Menthyl methyl ether is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 16.088 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated l-Menthyl methyl ether?
Yes. JECFA number 1415, evaluated at the 63rd meeting in 2004. Conclusion: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
What does l-Menthyl methyl ether smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of l-Menthyl methyl ether is minty, fresh, herbal, sweet. Typical uses are beverage, confection, oral care and gum.
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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 1-MENTHYL METHYL ETHER under CAS 1565-76-0 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number. 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.