Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Methyl cinnamate
Methyl cinnamate is an ester in the balsamic family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2698 (CAS 103-26-4). Its odor is balsamic, strawberry, cherry, spicy.
- FEMA
- 2698
- CAS
- 103-26-4
- JECFA
- 658
- EU FL
- 09.740
- Formula
- C10H10O2
- EC
- 203-093-8
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 103-26-4.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Propenoic acid, 3-phenyl-, methyl ester, Cinnamic acid, methyl ester, Methyl cinnamylate, Methyl 3-phenylpropenoate, Methyl 3-phenyl-2-propenoate, Methyl 3-phenylacrylate, 3-Phenyl-2-propenoic acid methyl ester, 3-Phenylacrylic acid methyl ester, NSC 9411, SemaSORB 9815, cinnamic acid methyl ester, methyl (e)-3-phenylprop-2-enoate.
Can Methyl cinnamate be labeled natural?
Since methyl cinnamate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when methyl cinnamate is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic methyl 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
Methyl cinnamate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2698. 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 09.740, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 658, evaluated at the 55th meeting in 2000. 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. Methyl cinnamate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 103-26-4, where EPA names it 2-Propenoic acid, 3-phenyl-, 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: Balsamic, strawberry, cherry, spicy.
Taste: Balsamic, fruity, spicy.
Where it is used
Methyl cinnamate is used in strawberry, balsam and spice, typically as a balsamic note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Methyl 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 | 88% | In nature |
| Cinnamyl formate | 2299 | 85% | In nature |
| p-Methylcinnamaldehyde | 3640 | 84% | In nature |
| 4-Phenyl-3-buten-2-one | 2881 | 81% | In nature |
| Propyl cinnamate | 2938 | 78% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Benzyl benzoate · Benzyl propionate · Bornyl acetate · Isopropyl cinnamate · Ethyl 3-phenyl-2,3-epoxypropionate · Guaiacol isobutyrate
Methyl cinnamate FAQ
Does methyl cinnamate have FEMA GRAS status?
Methyl cinnamate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2698. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite methyl cinnamate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite methyl cinnamate as FEMA 2698 or CAS 103-26-4; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the balsamic flavor category.
Can methyl cinnamate be labeled a natural flavor?
Methyl cinnamate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: methyl cinnamate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized methyl cinnamate 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 methyl cinnamate be used in the EU and UK?
Methyl cinnamate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.740 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated methyl cinnamate?
Yes. JECFA number 658, evaluated at the 55th meeting in 2000. Conclusion: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
What does methyl cinnamate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of methyl cinnamate is balsamic, strawberry, cherry, spicy. On the palate it is balsamic, fruity, spicy. Typical uses are strawberry, balsam and spice.
Ingredient lookup
Check an ingredient
Start typing to search the ingredient corpus.
Or browse every ingredient page, A to Z.
Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check Methyl cinnamate in a formula
Screened against FEMA GRAS, 21 CFR and EU rules as you build. Free to start.
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 CINNAMATE under CAS 103-26-4 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.