Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal
Phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal is an aldehyde in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3384 (CAS 68345-22-2). Its odor is sweet, floral, fruity, green, fresh.
- FEMA
- 3384
- CAS
- 68345-22-2
- JECFA
- 1006
- EU FL
- 06.024
- Formula
- C16H26O2
- EC
- 269-851-5
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 6. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 68345-22-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzene, [2,2-bis(2-methylpropoxy)ethyl]-, [2,2-Bis(2-methylpropoxy)ethyl]benzene, [2,2-bis(2-methylpropoxy)ethyl]benzene, phenyl acetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal, 1,1-diisobutoxy-2-phenylethane, (2,2-bis(2-methylpropoxy)ethyl)benzene, phenylacetaldehyde, diisobutyl acetal, benzene, (2,2-bis(2-methylpropoxy)ethyl)-, benzene, [2,2-bis(2-methylpropoxy)ethyl]-, phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal [fhfi], benzene, 2,2-bis(2-methylpropoxy)ethyl-, 2,2-bis(2-methylpropoxy)ethylbenzene.
Can Phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal be labeled natural?
Phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal is artificial. 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
Phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3384. 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 06.024, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1006, 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. Listed on the EPA TSCA inventory.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 68345-22-2, where EPA names it Benzene, [2,2-bis(2-methylpropoxy)ethyl]-.
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, floral, fruity, green, fresh.
Where it is used
Phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal is used in beverage, confection, flavoring, baked goods and desserts, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Ethylhexyl benzoate | 4630 | 61% | Not determined |
More aldehydes in this index
alpha-Hexylcinnamaldehyde · Heptanal propyleneglycol acetal · Perillaldehyde propyleneglycol acetal · Paraldehyde · Pyruvaldehyde · Acetaldehyde
Phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal FAQ
Is phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal as GRAS under FEMA number 3384. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal?
Phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal is FEMA 3384, CAS 68345-22-2. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Does phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal count as natural in the US and the EU?
Since phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal is synthesized. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
Is phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal on the EU Union List?
Phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 06.024 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal?
Yes. JECFA number 1006, evaluated at the 59th meeting in 2002. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
How is phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe phenylacetaldehyde diisobutyl acetal as sweet, floral, fruity, green, fresh. It is used in beverage, confection, flavoring, baked goods and desserts.
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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 PHENYLACETALDEHYDE DIISOBUTYL ACETAL under CAS 68345-22-2 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number. 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.