Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Phenethyl cinnamate
Phenethyl cinnamate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2863 (CAS 103-53-7). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, cinnamon, spicy.
- FEMA
- 2863
- CAS
- 103-53-7
- JECFA
- 671
- EU FL
- 09.743
- Formula
- C17H16O2
- EC
- 203-120-3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 103-53-7.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 2-Propenoic acid, 3-phenyl-, 2-phenylethyl ester, Cinnamic acid, phenethyl ester, Benzylcarbinyl cinnamate, β-Phenylethyl cinnamate, β-Phenethyl cinnamate, 2-Phenylethyl cinnamate, NSC 16962, 2-Phenylethyl 3-phenyl-2-propenoate, phenylethyl cinnamate, benzylcarbinyl cinnamate, 2-phenylethyl cinnamate, 2-phenylethyl 3-phenylprop-2-enoate.
Can Phenethyl cinnamate be labeled natural?
The process decides for phenethyl cinnamate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic phenethyl cinnamate 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.
- 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 cinnamate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2863. 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 09.743, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 671, 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. Phenethyl cinnamate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 103-53-7, where EPA names it 2-Propenoic acid, 3-phenyl-, 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: Sweet, fruity, floral, cinnamon, spicy.
Where it is used
Phenethyl cinnamate is used in beverage, confection, baked goods, flavoring and desserts, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Phenethyl cinnamate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benzyl cinnamate | 2142 | 93% | In nature |
| Cinnamyl benzoate | 4703 | 92% | In nature |
| Phenethyl phenylacetate | 2866 | 91% | In nature |
| Cinnamyl cinnamate | 2298 | 91% | In nature |
| Cyclohexyl cinnamate | 2352 | 90% | In nature |
More esters in this index
1-Octen-3-yl butyrate · Ethyl 2-acetyloctanoate · 6-Hydroxydihydrotheaspirane · Ethyl methyl-p-tolylglycidate · Propyl cinnamate · Guaiacol butyrate
Phenethyl cinnamate FAQ
Does phenethyl cinnamate have FEMA GRAS status?
Phenethyl cinnamate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2863. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite phenethyl cinnamate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite phenethyl cinnamate as FEMA 2863 or CAS 103-53-7; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is fruity.
What does phenethyl cinnamate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of phenethyl cinnamate is sweet, fruity, floral, cinnamon, spicy. Typical uses are beverage, confection, baked goods, flavoring and desserts.
What did JECFA conclude about phenethyl cinnamate?
JECFA evaluated phenethyl cinnamate at the 55th meeting in 2000 under JECFA number 671. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Can phenethyl cinnamate be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 09.743 is the Union List entry for phenethyl cinnamate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can phenethyl cinnamate be labeled a natural flavor?
Nature makes phenethyl cinnamate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial phenethyl cinnamate, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic phenethyl cinnamate identical-to-natural.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
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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 CINNAMATE under CAS 103-53-7 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.