Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Phenethyl acetate
Phenethyl acetate is an ester in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2857 (CAS 103-45-7). Its odor is rose, honey, floral, fruity, sweet.
- FEMA
- 2857
- CAS
- 103-45-7
- JECFA
- 989
- EU FL
- 09.031
- Formula
- C10H12O2
- EC
- 203-113-5
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 103-45-7.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Acetic acid, 2-phenylethyl ester, Acetic acid, phenethyl ester, Phenethyl alcohol, acetate, Benzylcarbinyl acetate, β-Phenylethyl acetate, β-Phenethyl acetate, 2-Phenylethyl acetate, 2-Phenethyl acetate, Phenylethyl ethanoate, β-Phenylethanol acetate, NSC 71927, 2-Phenylethanol acetate.
Can Phenethyl acetate be labeled natural?
Nature makes phenethyl acetate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial phenethyl acetate, 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
Phenethyl acetate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2857. 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 09.031, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 989, evaluated at the 59th meeting in 2002. No safety concern at current levels of intake.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list. Listed on the EPA TSCA inventory.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Phenethyl acetate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 103-45-7, where EPA names it Acetic acid, 2-phenylethyl 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: Rose, honey, floral, fruity, sweet.
Taste: Floral, honey, rose-like.
Where it is used
Phenethyl acetate is used in rose, honey and floral flavors, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Phenethyl acetate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethyl phenylacetate | 2452 | 90% | In nature |
| Phenethyl propionate | 2867 | 86% | In nature |
| alpha-Methylbenzyl acetate | 2684 | 81% | In nature |
| Benzyl propionate | 2150 | 76% | In nature |
| Ethyl benzoylacetate | 2423 | 71% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Benzyl acetate · Benzyl salicylate · (Z)-Hex-3-enyl salicylate · Citronellyl formate · Geranyl acetate · Phenethyl salicylate
Phenethyl acetate FAQ
Does phenethyl acetate have FEMA GRAS status?
Phenethyl acetate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2857. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite phenethyl acetate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite phenethyl acetate as FEMA 2857 or CAS 103-45-7; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is floral.
What does phenethyl acetate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of phenethyl acetate is rose, honey, floral, fruity, sweet. On the palate it is floral, honey, rose-like. Typical uses are rose, honey and floral flavors.
What did JECFA conclude about phenethyl acetate?
JECFA evaluated phenethyl acetate at the 59th meeting in 2002 under JECFA number 989. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake.
Can phenethyl acetate be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 09.031 is the Union List entry for phenethyl acetate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can phenethyl acetate be labeled a natural flavor?
The process decides for phenethyl acetate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic phenethyl acetate 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 PHENETHYL ACETATE under CAS 103-45-7 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.