Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Phenylacetic acid
Phenylacetic acid is an acid in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2878 (CAS 103-82-2). Its odor is sweet, floral, honey, fruity, slightly sour.
- FEMA
- 2878
- CAS
- 103-82-2
- JECFA
- 1007
- EU FL
- 08.038
- Formula
- C8H8O2
- EC
- 203-148-6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 103-82-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzeneacetic acid, Acetic acid, phenyl-, α-Toluic acid, ω-Phenylacetic acid, 2-Phenylacetic acid, Phenylethanoic acid, PAA, NSC 125718, 2-phenylacetic acid, benzeneacetic acid, phenylethanoic acid, alpha-toluic acid.
Can Phenylacetic acid be labeled natural?
Since phenylacetic acid is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when phenylacetic acid is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic phenylacetic acid 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
Phenylacetic acid is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2878. 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 08.038, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1007, 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. Phenylacetic acid appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 103-82-2, where EPA names it Benzeneacetic acid.
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, honey, fruity, slightly sour.
Taste: Sweet, tangy, fruity.
Where it is used
Phenylacetic acid is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and dairy, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Phenylacetic acid by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phenethyl alcohol | 2858 | 85% | In nature |
| 3-Phenylpropionic acid | 2889 | 71% | In nature |
| Cinnamic acid | 2288 | 71% | In nature |
| p-Ethylphenol | 3156 | 70% | In nature |
| 3-Methoxybenzoic acid | 3944 | 70% | In nature |
More acids in this index
2-Methylheptanoic acid · Oleic acid · 5-Methylhexanoic acid · 3-Hexenoic acid · 3-Methylpentanoic acid · 3-Isopropenyl-6-oxoheptanoic acid
Phenylacetic acid FAQ
Does phenylacetic acid have FEMA GRAS status?
Phenylacetic acid holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2878. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite phenylacetic acid by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite phenylacetic acid as FEMA 2878 or CAS 103-82-2; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Can phenylacetic acid be labeled a natural flavor?
Phenylacetic acid occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: phenylacetic acid won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized phenylacetic acid 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 phenylacetic acid be used in the EU and UK?
Phenylacetic acid is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 08.038 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated phenylacetic acid?
Yes. JECFA number 1007, evaluated at the 59th meeting in 2002. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does phenylacetic acid smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of phenylacetic acid is sweet, floral, honey, fruity, slightly sour. On the palate it is sweet, tangy, fruity. Typical uses are beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and dairy.
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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 PHENYLACETIC ACID under CAS 103-82-2 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.