Flavor ingredient regulatory record
p-Propylphenol
p-Propylphenol is a phenol in the woody family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3649 (CAS 645-56-7). Its odor is woody, medicinal, sweet, earthy.
- FEMA
- 3649
- CAS
- 645-56-7
- JECFA
- 696
- EU FL
- 04.050
- Formula
- C9H12O
- EC
- 211-446-2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 12. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 645-56-7.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Phenol, 4-propyl-, Phenol, p-propyl-, 4-Propylphenol, 4-n-Propylphenol, p-Hydroxypropylbenzene, Dihydrochavicol, p-n-Propylphenol, p-Hydroxy-n-propylbenzene, NSC 65647, Hydrochavicol, 4-propylphenol, 4-n-propylphenol.
Can p-Propylphenol be labeled natural?
Nature makes p-Propylphenol, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial p-Propylphenol, same molecule. 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-Propylphenol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3649. 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 04.050, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 696, evaluated at the 55th meeting in 2000. 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. p-Propylphenol appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 645-56-7, where EPA names it Phenol, 4-propyl-.
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: Woody, medicinal, sweet, earthy.
Taste: Bitter, astringent, herbal.
Where it is used
p-Propylphenol is used in beverage, flavoring, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, typically as a woody note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to p-Propylphenol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-Propenylphenol | 4062 | 90% | In nature |
| 4-Allylphenol | 4075 | 87% | In nature |
| Hydroquinone monoethyl ether | 3695 | 85% | In nature |
| 3-Phenyl-1-propanol | 2885 | 76% | In nature |
| 2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)ethylamine | 4215 | 75% | In nature |
More phenols in this index
2-Isopropylphenol · o-Cresol · 2,6-Xylenol · o-Propylphenol · Magnolol · 3,4-Xylenol
p-Propylphenol FAQ
Does p-Propylphenol have FEMA GRAS status?
p-Propylphenol holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3649. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite p-Propylphenol by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite p-Propylphenol as FEMA 3649 or CAS 645-56-7; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is woody.
What does p-Propylphenol smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of p-Propylphenol is woody, medicinal, sweet, earthy. On the palate it is bitter, astringent, herbal. Typical uses are beverage, flavoring, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
What did JECFA conclude about p-Propylphenol?
JECFA evaluated p-Propylphenol at the 55th meeting in 2000 under JECFA number 696. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Can p-Propylphenol be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 04.050 is the Union List entry for p-Propylphenol, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can p-Propylphenol be labeled a natural flavor?
The process decides for p-Propylphenol. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic p-Propylphenol is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material 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 P-PROPYLPHENOL under CAS 645-56-7 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.