Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Propiophenone
Propiophenone is a ketone in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3469 (CAS 93-55-0). Its odor is sweet, floral, fruity, caramel, vanilla.
- FEMA
- 3469
- CAS
- 93-55-0
- JECFA
- 824
- EU FL
- 07.040
- Formula
- C9H10O
- EC
- 202-257-6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 9. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 93-55-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 1-Propanone, 1-phenyl-, 1-Phenyl-1-propanone, Ethyl phenyl ketone, Phenyl ethyl ketone, Propionylbenzene, NSC 16937, Propriophenone, 1-phenyl-1-propanone, 1-phenylpropan-1-one, ethyl phenyl ketone, propionylbenzene, phenyl ethyl ketone.
Can Propiophenone be labeled natural?
Nature makes propiophenone, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial propiophenone, same molecule. 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
Propiophenone is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3469. 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 07.040, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 824, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. 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. Propiophenone appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 93-55-0, where EPA names it 1-Propanone, 1-phenyl-.
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, caramel, vanilla.
Taste: Sweet, slightly bitter, creamy.
Where it is used
Propiophenone is used in beverage, confection, baked goods and flavoring agents, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Propiophenone by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Phenyl-1,2-propanedione | 3226 | 92% | In nature |
| 1-Phenyl-1-propanol | 2884 | 92% | In nature |
| S-Methyl benzothioate | 3857 | 90% | In nature |
| Methyl benzoate | 2683 | 88% | In nature |
| o-Propylphenol | 3522 | 87% | In nature |
More ketones in this index
(+/-)-3-Hydroxy-3-methyl-2,4-nonanedione · 1-Octen-3-one · 2-Hepten-4-one · 3-Octen-2-one · 1-Penten-3-one · 3-Methyl-4-phenyl-3-buten-2-one
Propiophenone FAQ
Does propiophenone have FEMA GRAS status?
Propiophenone holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3469. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite propiophenone by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite propiophenone as FEMA 3469 or CAS 93-55-0; both point to the same entry. Its flavor category is fruity.
What does propiophenone smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of propiophenone is sweet, floral, fruity, caramel, vanilla. On the palate it is sweet, slightly bitter, creamy. Typical uses are beverage, confection, baked goods and flavoring agents.
What did JECFA conclude about propiophenone?
JECFA evaluated propiophenone at the 57th meeting in 2001 under JECFA number 824. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Can propiophenone be used in the EU and UK?
Yes. FL 07.040 is the Union List entry for propiophenone, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Can propiophenone be labeled a natural flavor?
The process decides for propiophenone. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic propiophenone is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
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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 PROPIOPHENONE under CAS 93-55-0 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.