Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Methyl anisate
Methyl anisate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2679 (CAS 121-98-2). Its odor is sweet, fruity, anisic, floral, herbal.
- FEMA
- 2679
- CAS
- 121-98-2
- JECFA
- 884
- EU FL
- 09.713
- Formula
- C9H10O3
- EC
- 204-513-2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 121-98-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzoic acid, 4-methoxy-, methyl ester, p-Anisic acid, methyl ester, Methyl p-methoxybenzoate, Methyl p-anisate, Methyl 4-methoxybenzoate, p-Methoxybenzoic acid methyl ester, 4-Methoxybenzoic acid methyl ester, 4-(Methoxycarbonyl)anisole, NSC 7324, methyl 4-methoxybenzoate, methyl p-anisate, benzoic acid, 4-methoxy-, methyl ester.
Can Methyl anisate be labeled natural?
The process decides for methyl anisate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic methyl anisate is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material 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
Methyl anisate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2679. 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 09.713, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 884, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. 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. Methyl anisate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 121-98-2, where EPA names it Benzoic acid, 4-methoxy-, methyl 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, anisic, floral, herbal.
Where it is used
Methyl anisate is used in beverage, confection, bakery, ice cream and flavoring, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Methyl anisate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethyl p-anisate | 2420 | 86% | In nature |
| Methyl P-Hydroxybenzoate | 2710 | 85% | In nature |
| 4-Methoxybenzoic acid | 3945 | 83% | In nature |
| Veratraldehyde | 3109 | 71% | In nature |
| Acetanisole | 2005 | 69% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Cinnamyl benzoate · Menthyl propionate · Ethyl 3-hydroxybutyrate · mono-Menthyl succinate · 3-Hexenyl 3-methylbutanoate · Butyl levulinate
Methyl anisate FAQ
Is methyl anisate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists methyl anisate as GRAS under FEMA number 2679. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for methyl anisate?
Methyl anisate is FEMA 2679, CAS 121-98-2. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is methyl anisate described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe methyl anisate as sweet, fruity, anisic, floral, herbal. It is used in beverage, confection, bakery, ice cream and flavoring.
What did JECFA conclude about methyl anisate?
JECFA evaluated methyl anisate at the 57th meeting in 2001 under JECFA number 884. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is methyl anisate on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 09.713 is the Union List entry for methyl anisate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does methyl anisate count as natural in the US and the EU?
Nature makes methyl anisate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial methyl anisate, 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.
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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 METHYL ANISATE under CAS 121-98-2 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.