Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Methyl salicylate
Methyl salicylate is an ester in the mint family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2745 (CAS 119-36-8). Its odor is sweet, minty, wintergreen, herbal.
- FEMA
- 2745
- CAS
- 119-36-8
- JECFA
- 899
- EU FL
- 09.749
- Formula
- C8H8O3
- EC
- 204-317-7
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 119-36-8.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, methyl ester, Salicylic acid, methyl ester, Methyl o-hydroxybenzoate, Methyl 2-hydroxybenzoate, o-Hydroxybenzoic acid methyl ester, 2-Hydroxybenzoic acid methyl ester, Analgit, Exagien, Flucarmit, 2-(Methoxycarbonyl)phenol, Anthrapole ND, Wintergreen oil.
Can Methyl salicylate be labeled natural?
Nature makes methyl salicylate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial methyl salicylate, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic methyl salicylate 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 salicylate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2745. 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 09.749, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 899, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. 0-0.5 mg/kg bw. ADI 0 to 0.5 mg/kg body weight.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Methyl salicylate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 119-36-8, where EPA names it Benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, 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, minty, wintergreen, herbal. Detectable at about 0.04 ppm.
Where it is used
Methyl salicylate is used in beverage, confection, oral care and flavoring, typically as a mint note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Methyl salicylate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methyl anthranilate | 2682 | 88% | In nature |
| Methyl benzoate | 2683 | 87% | In nature |
| 2-Methoxybenzoic acid | 3943 | 74% | In nature |
| 2-Hydroxybenzoic acid | 3985 | 74% | In nature |
| Methyl N-methylanthranilate | 2718 | 73% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Menthyl acetate · Menthyl formate · n-Amyl heptanoate · Ethyl (E)-2-methyl-2-pentenoate · Geranyl formate · 6-[5(6)-Decenoyloxy]decanoic acid
Methyl salicylate FAQ
Is methyl salicylate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists methyl salicylate as GRAS under FEMA number 2745. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for methyl salicylate?
Methyl salicylate is FEMA 2745, CAS 119-36-8. Its flavor category is mint.
How is methyl salicylate described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe methyl salicylate as sweet, minty, wintergreen, herbal. Its odor threshold is about 0.04 ppm. It is used in beverage, confection, oral care and flavoring.
What did JECFA conclude about methyl salicylate?
JECFA evaluated methyl salicylate at the 57th meeting in 2001 under JECFA number 899. The panel concluded: 0-0.5 mg/kg bw.
Is methyl salicylate on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 09.749 is the Union List entry for methyl salicylate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does methyl salicylate count as natural in the US and the EU?
The process decides for methyl salicylate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic methyl salicylate is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic methyl salicylate 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 SALICYLATE under CAS 119-36-8 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.