Flavor ingredient regulatory record
p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol
p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol is an alcohol in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3242 (CAS 1197-01-9). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, woody, balsamic.
- FEMA
- 3242
- CAS
- 1197-01-9
- JECFA
- 1650
- EU FL
- 02.042
- Formula
- C10H14O
- EC
- 214-817-7
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 4. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 1197-01-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzenemethanol, α,α,4-trimethyl-, p-Cymen-8-ol, α,α,4-Trimethylbenzenemethanol, 1-Methyl-4-(α-hydroxyisopropyl)benzene, 1-Methyl-4-(1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl)benzene, 8-Hydroxy-p-cymene, 2-(4-Methylphenyl)-2-propanol, p-Cymene-8-ol, Dimethyl-p-tolyl carbinol, 2-(p-Methylphenyl)-2-propanol, 2-(p-Tolyl)-2-propanol, 4-Methylcumyl alcohol.
Can p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol be labeled natural?
Since p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol is synthesized. 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
p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3242. 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 02.042, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
Purity. At least 90%; secondary component 9-11% p-isopropenyltoluene
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1650, evaluated at the 68th meeting in 2007. 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. p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 1197-01-9, where EPA names it Benzenemethanol, .alpha.,.alpha.,4-trimethyl-.
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, floral, woody, balsamic.
Where it is used
p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol is used in beverage, confection, flavoring agents and personal care products, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| p,alpha-Dimethylbenzyl alcohol | 3139 | 89% | In nature |
| alpha-Terpineol | 3045 | 85% | In nature |
| Thymol | 3066 | 75% | In nature |
| 2,4-Dimethylanisole | 3828 | 74% | Not determined |
| 4-(1,1-Dimethylethyl)phenol | 3918 | 74% | Not determined |
More alcohols in this index
2-Octen-4-ol · Nonyl alcohol · Heptan-2-ol · (Z)-2-Penten-1-ol · p,alpha-Dimethylbenzyl alcohol · 4-Methylbenzyl alcohol
p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol FAQ
Is p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3242 covers p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol?
The FEMA number for p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol is 3242 and its CAS registry number is 1197-01-9. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol natural or artificial?
p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol 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.
Is p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol approved in the EU?
p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 02.042 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol?
Yes. JECFA number 1650, evaluated at the 68th meeting in 2007. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake.
What is p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol used for?
p-alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl alcohol is described as sweet, fruity, floral, woody, balsamic. It shows up in beverage, confection, flavoring agents and personal care products.
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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 P,ALPHA,ALPHA-TRIMETHYLBENZYL ALCOHOL under CAS 1197-01-9 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.