Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Phenoxyacetic acid
Phenoxyacetic acid is an acid in the floral family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2872 (CAS 122-59-8). Its odor is floral, sweet, herbaceous, green.
- FEMA
- 2872
- CAS
- 122-59-8
- JECFA
- 1026
- EU FL
- 08.049
- Formula
- C8H8O3
- EC
- 204-556-7
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 122-59-8.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Acetic acid, 2-phenoxy-, Acetic acid, phenoxy-, 2-Phenoxyacetic acid, Glycolic acid phenyl ether, Phenoxyethanoic acid, POA, NSC 9810, 2-Phenyloxyacetic acid, 2-phenoxyacetic acid, phenoxyethanoic acid, glycolic acid phenyl ether, o-phenylglycolic acid.
Can Phenoxyacetic acid be labeled natural?
Phenoxyacetic acid occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: phenoxyacetic acid won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized phenoxyacetic acid 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
Phenoxyacetic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2872. 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 08.049, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1026, 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. Phenoxyacetic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 122-59-8, where EPA names it Acetic acid, 2-phenoxy-.
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: Floral, sweet, herbaceous, green.
Taste: Sour, slightly bitter, acidic.
Where it is used
Phenoxyacetic acid is used in beverage, flavoring, cosmetics and food additives, typically as a floral note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Phenoxyacetic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-Phenylpropionic acid | 2889 | 89% | In nature |
| Cinnamic acid | 2288 | 75% | In nature |
| 2-Phenoxyethanol | 4620 | 74% | In nature |
| Phenylacetic acid | 2878 | 70% | In nature |
| DL-Phenylalanine | 3726 | 67% | In nature |
More acids in this index
(E,Z)-Geranic acid · Hept-2-enoic acid · Linoleic and linolenic acid · 10-Undecenoic acid · 3-Phenylpropionic acid · Mixture of Ricinoleic acid, Linoleic acid, and Oleic acid
Phenoxyacetic acid FAQ
Does phenoxyacetic acid have FEMA GRAS status?
Phenoxyacetic acid holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2872. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite phenoxyacetic acid by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite phenoxyacetic acid as FEMA 2872 or CAS 122-59-8; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the floral flavor category.
Can phenoxyacetic acid be labeled a natural flavor?
Since phenoxyacetic acid is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when phenoxyacetic acid is synthesized. 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.
Can phenoxyacetic acid be used in the EU and UK?
Phenoxyacetic acid is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 08.049 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated phenoxyacetic acid?
Yes. JECFA number 1026, evaluated at the 59th meeting in 2002. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does phenoxyacetic acid smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of phenoxyacetic acid is floral, sweet, herbaceous, green. On the palate it is sour, slightly bitter, acidic. Typical uses are beverage, flavoring, cosmetics and food additives.
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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 PHENOXYACETIC ACID under CAS 122-59-8 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.