Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Propyl Gallate
Propyl Gallate is an ester, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2947 (CAS 121-79-9). Its odor is odorless or with a faint odor.
- FEMA
- 2947
- CAS
- 121-79-9
- Formula
- C10H12O5
- EC
- 204-498-2
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 121-79-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzoic acid, 3,4,5-trihydroxy-, propyl ester, Gallic acid, propyl ester, Nipa 49, Nipagallin P, Progallin P, n-Propyl 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate, Tenox PG, n-Propyl gallate, Propyl 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate, PG, Nipanox S 1, Gallic acid n-propyl ester.
Can Propyl Gallate be labeled natural?
The process decides for Propyl Gallate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic Propyl Gallate 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
Propyl Gallate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2947. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 184.1660.
European Union and United Kingdom
No EU FL number is on file for Propyl Gallate. That is not a finding either way. The Union List covers defined flavouring substances, so natural complex materials are handled as flavouring preparations under Parts B to F and never receive a number, and substances used as additives sit under Regulation 1333/2008 instead. Confirm the position before EU or UK use.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
Propyl Gallate has not been evaluated by JECFA as a flavouring agent, or no evaluation is on file.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Propyl Gallate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 121-79-9, where EPA names it Benzoic acid, 3,4,5-trihydroxy-, propyl 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: Odorless or with a faint odor.
Taste: Slightly bitter taste.
Where it is used
Typical applications for Propyl Gallate are not on file yet.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Propyl Gallate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Methyl-3-(1-oxopropoxy)-4H-pyran-4-one | 3941 | 63% | In nature |
| Hydroxy(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)acetic acid | 4660 | 62% | In nature |
| L-Phenylalanine | 3585 | 62% | In nature |
| Gallic acid | 4994 | 61% | In nature |
| Ethyl vanillin beta-D-glucopyranoside | 3801 | 61% | In nature |
Propyl Gallate FAQ
Does Propyl Gallate have FEMA GRAS status?
Propyl Gallate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 2947. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 184.1660.
How do I cite Propyl Gallate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite Propyl Gallate as FEMA 2947 or CAS 121-79-9; both point to the same entry.
What does Propyl Gallate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of Propyl Gallate is odorless or with a faint odor. On the palate it is slightly bitter taste.
Can Propyl Gallate be labeled a natural flavor?
Nature makes Propyl Gallate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial Propyl Gallate, same molecule. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic Propyl Gallate identical-to-natural.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
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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 PROPYL GALLATE under CAS 121-79-9 and carries its FEMA number and its 21 CFR citations. The inventory is searchable at FDA. FDA records its technical effect as antioxidant, 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.