Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Phenethyl phenylacetate
Phenethyl phenylacetate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2866 (CAS 102-20-5). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, honey, berry.
- FEMA
- 2866
- CAS
- 102-20-5
- JECFA
- 999
- EU FL
- 09.707
- Formula
- C16H16O2
- EC
- 203-013-1
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 102-20-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzeneacetic acid, 2-phenylethyl ester, Acetic acid, phenyl-, phenethyl ester, Benzylcarbinyl α-toluate, Phenylethyl phenylacetate, β-Phenylethyl phenylacetate, 2-Phenylethyl phenylacetate, NSC 6676, 2-Phenylethyl 2-phenylethanoate, 2-Phenylethyl 2-phenylacetate, Phenethyl 2-phenylacetate, 2-phenylethyl phenylacetate, benzeneacetic acid, 2-phenylethyl ester.
Can Phenethyl phenylacetate be labeled natural?
Since phenethyl phenylacetate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when phenethyl phenylacetate is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic phenethyl phenylacetate 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 phenylacetate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2866. 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 09.707, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 999, evaluated at the 59th meeting in 2002. 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 phenylacetate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 102-20-5, where EPA names it Benzeneacetic 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: Sweet, fruity, floral, honey, berry.
Where it is used
Phenethyl phenylacetate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and ice cream, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Phenethyl phenylacetate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phenethyl cinnamate | 2863 | 91% | In nature |
| Benzyl cinnamate | 2142 | 86% | In nature |
| Anisyl phenylacetate | 3740 | 85% | In nature |
| Cinnamyl cinnamate | 2298 | 85% | In nature |
| Cinnamyl benzoate | 4703 | 84% | In nature |
More esters in this index
(E,Z)-Phytyl acetate · Allyl tiglate · Isoamyl salicylate · Isopropyl cinnamate · Ethyl 3-octenoate · Glyceryl monooleate
Phenethyl phenylacetate FAQ
Does phenethyl phenylacetate have FEMA GRAS status?
Phenethyl phenylacetate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2866. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite phenethyl phenylacetate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite phenethyl phenylacetate as FEMA 2866 or CAS 102-20-5; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Can phenethyl phenylacetate be labeled a natural flavor?
Phenethyl phenylacetate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: phenethyl phenylacetate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized phenethyl phenylacetate is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Can phenethyl phenylacetate be used in the EU and UK?
Phenethyl phenylacetate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.707 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated phenethyl phenylacetate?
Yes. JECFA number 999, evaluated at the 59th meeting in 2002. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does phenethyl phenylacetate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of phenethyl phenylacetate is sweet, fruity, floral, honey, berry. Typical uses are beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and ice cream.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check Phenethyl phenylacetate in a formula
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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 PHENYLACETATE under CAS 102-20-5 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.