Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Phenyl salicylate
Phenyl salicylate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3960 (CAS 118-55-8). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, balsamic, slightly herbal.
- FEMA
- 3960
- CAS
- 118-55-8
- JECFA
- 736
- EU FL
- 09.689
- Formula
- C13H10O3
- EC
- 204-259-2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 19. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 118-55-8.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, phenyl ester, Salicylic acid, phenyl ester, Phenol salicylate, Salol, Phenyl 2-hydroxybenzoate, Salphenyl, 2-Phenoxycarbonylphenol, Seesorb 201, Seesorb K 201, NSC 33406, Phenyl o-hydroxybenzoate, YC 136.
Can Phenyl salicylate be labeled natural?
Nature occurrence: Not yet found in nature (provisional).
Nature occurrence has not been settled for this substance, so the natural or artificial class is not stated here. The FEMA GRAS status does not depend on it.
Regulatory status, with citations
United States
Phenyl salicylate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3960. 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 09.689, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 736, evaluated at the 55th meeting in 2000. No safety concern at current levels of intake.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Phenyl salicylate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 118-55-8, where EPA names it Benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, phenyl 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, balsamic, slightly herbal.
Where it is used
Phenyl salicylate is used in beverage, confection, flavoring agent, cosmetics and fragrance, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Phenyl salicylate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benzyl salicylate | 2151 | 91% | In nature |
| Phenethyl salicylate | 2868 | 83% | In nature |
| Benzyl benzoate | 2138 | 81% | In nature |
| Benzoin | 2132 | 78% | In nature |
| 1-(2-Hydroxyphenyl)-3-(pyridin-4-yl)propan-1-one | 4721 | 77% | Not determined |
More esters in this index
3-Mercapto-3-methyl-1-butyl acetate · 1-Octen-3-yl acetate · Anisyl phenylacetate · Ethyl maltol isobutyrate · Ethyl Acetate · Tetrahydrofurfuryl cinnamate
Phenyl salicylate FAQ
Is phenyl salicylate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists phenyl salicylate as GRAS under FEMA number 3960. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for phenyl salicylate?
Phenyl salicylate is FEMA 3960, CAS 118-55-8. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is phenyl salicylate on the EU Union List?
Phenyl salicylate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.689 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated phenyl salicylate?
Yes. JECFA number 736, evaluated at the 55th meeting in 2000. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake.
How is phenyl salicylate described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe phenyl salicylate as sweet, fruity, floral, balsamic, slightly herbal. It is used in beverage, confection, flavoring agent, cosmetics and fragrance.
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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 PHENYL SALICYLATE under CAS 118-55-8 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 antioxidant, stabilizer or thickener.
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.