Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Methyl benzoate
Methyl benzoate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2683 (CAS 93-58-3). Its odor is fruity, wintergreen, floral, feijoa.
- FEMA
- 2683
- CAS
- 93-58-3
- JECFA
- 851
- EU FL
- 09.725
- Formula
- C8H8O2
- EC
- 202-259-7
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 93-58-3.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzoic acid, methyl ester, Methyl benzenecarboxylate, Niobe oil, Clorius, NSC 9394, benzoic acid methyl ester, methylbenzoate, benzoic acid, methyl ester, clorius, methyl benzenecarboxylate, essence of niobe, methylester kyseliny benzoove.
Can Methyl benzoate be labeled natural?
The process decides for methyl benzoate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic methyl benzoate 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
Methyl benzoate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2683. 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 09.725, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 851, 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 benzoate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 93-58-3, where EPA names it Benzoic acid, 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: Fruity, wintergreen, floral, feijoa.
Taste: Fruity, slightly wintergreen.
Where it is used
Methyl benzoate is used in fruit flavors, wintergreen and floral, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Methyl benzoate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methyl nicotinate | 3709 | 90% | In nature |
| 1-Phenyl-1,2-propanedione | 3226 | 90% | In nature |
| Propiophenone | 3469 | 88% | In nature |
| Methyl salicylate | 2745 | 87% | In nature |
| S-Methyl benzothioate | 3857 | 87% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Propyl hexanoate · Isoamyl nonanoate · Isoamyl formate · Ethyl 3-octenoate · 3-Oxododecanoic acid glyceride · 1-Octen-3-yl butyrate
Methyl benzoate FAQ
Does methyl benzoate have FEMA GRAS status?
Methyl benzoate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2683. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite methyl benzoate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite methyl benzoate as FEMA 2683 or CAS 93-58-3; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is fruity.
What does methyl benzoate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of methyl benzoate is fruity, wintergreen, floral, feijoa. On the palate it is fruity, slightly wintergreen. Typical uses are fruit flavors, wintergreen and floral.
What did JECFA conclude about methyl benzoate?
JECFA evaluated methyl benzoate at the 57th meeting in 2001 under JECFA number 851. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Can methyl benzoate be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 09.725 is the Union List entry for methyl benzoate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can methyl benzoate be labeled a natural flavor?
Nature makes methyl benzoate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial methyl benzoate, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic methyl benzoate 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 METHYL BENZOATE under CAS 93-58-3 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 antimicrobial agent, 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.