Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Propyl phenylacetate
Propyl phenylacetate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2955 (CAS 4606-15-9). Its odor is sweet, fruity, floral, honey, estery.
- FEMA
- 2955
- CAS
- 4606-15-9
- JECFA
- 1010
- EU FL
- 09.702
- Formula
- C11H14O2
- EC
- 225-012-5
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 4606-15-9.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzeneacetic acid, propyl ester, Acetic acid, phenyl-, propyl ester, NSC 6579, 2-Phenylacetic acid n-propyl ester, propyl 2-phenylacetate, benzeneacetic acid, propyl ester, propyl benzeneacetate, acetic acid, phenyl-, propyl ester, ai3-22217, propyl phenylacetate [fhfi], acetic acid, phenyl-, propyl ester (8ci), n-propyl phenylacetate.
Can Propyl phenylacetate be labeled natural?
The process decides for propyl phenylacetate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic propyl phenylacetate 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
Propyl phenylacetate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2955. 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 09.702, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1010, evaluated at the 49th meeting in 1997. 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. Propyl phenylacetate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 4606-15-9, where EPA names it Benzeneacetic acid, propyl ester.
Inactive in US commerce
EPA designates this substance inactive, so a Notice of Activity Form B is required before anyone manufactures or processes it again. Being FEMA GRAS does not change that. 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, honey, estery.
Where it is used
Propyl phenylacetate is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and ice cream, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Propyl phenylacetate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butyl phenylacetate | 2209 | 91% | In nature |
| Ethyl phenylacetate | 2452 | 87% | In nature |
| Phenethyl propionate | 2867 | 79% | In nature |
| Allyl phenylacetate | 2039 | 72% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Isoamyl salicylate · Glyceryl monooleate · n-Amyl octanoate · Ethyl 2-acetyloctanoate · Octyl octanoate · Isobutyl acetate
Propyl phenylacetate FAQ
Is propyl phenylacetate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists propyl phenylacetate as GRAS under FEMA number 2955. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for propyl phenylacetate?
Propyl phenylacetate is FEMA 2955, CAS 4606-15-9. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is propyl phenylacetate described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe propyl phenylacetate as sweet, fruity, floral, honey, estery. It is used in beverage, confection, fruit flavors, bakery and ice cream.
What did JECFA conclude about propyl phenylacetate?
JECFA evaluated propyl phenylacetate at the 49th meeting in 1997 under JECFA number 1010. The panel concluded: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
Is propyl phenylacetate on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 09.702 is the Union List entry for propyl phenylacetate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does propyl phenylacetate count as natural in the US and the EU?
Nature makes propyl phenylacetate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial propyl phenylacetate, same molecule. 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.
Ingredient lookup
Check an ingredient
Start typing to search the ingredient corpus.
Or browse every ingredient page, A to Z.
Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check Propyl phenylacetate in a formula
Screened against FEMA GRAS, 21 CFR and EU rules as you build. Free to start.
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 PHENYLACETATE under CAS 4606-15-9 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.