Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Vanillin acetate
Vanillin acetate is an ester in the vanilla family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3108 (CAS 881-68-5). Its odor is sweet, creamy, vanilla, fruity, floral.
- FEMA
- 3108
- CAS
- 881-68-5
- JECFA
- 890
- EU FL
- 09.035
- Formula
- C10H10O4
- EC
- 212-920-1
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 881-68-5.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzaldehyde, 4-(acetyloxy)-3-methoxy-, Vanillin, acetate, 4-(Acetyloxy)-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, Acetovanillin, 4-Acetoxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, Acetylvanillin, O-Acetylvanillin, 4-O-Acetylvanillin, 4-Formyl-2-methoxyphenol acetate, 4-Formyl-2-methoxyphenyl acetate, 4-Acetoxy-5-methoxybenzaldehyde, NSC 25863.
Can Vanillin acetate be labeled natural?
Vanillin acetate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: vanillin acetate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized vanillin acetate 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
Vanillin acetate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3108. 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 09.035, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 890, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. 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. Vanillin acetate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 881-68-5, where EPA names it Benzaldehyde, 4-(acetyloxy)-3-methoxy-.
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, creamy, vanilla, fruity, floral.
Taste: Sweet, smooth, vanilla.
Where it is used
Vanillin acetate is used in baked goods, confectionery, beverages and ice cream, typically as a vanilla note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Vanillin acetate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanillin isobutyrate | 3754 | 76% | In nature |
| Guaiacyl acetate | 3687 | 73% | In nature |
| p-Methoxy-alpha-methyl-cinnamaldehyde | 3182 | 72% | In nature |
| Ethyl vanillin isobutyrate | 3837 | 72% | In nature |
| Vanillylidene acetone | 3738 | 69% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Vanillin isobutyrate · Ethyl vanillin isobutyrate · Ethyl (E)-2-methyl-2-pentenoate · Isoamyl hexanoate · trans-3-Hexenyl formate · Phenethyl octanoate
Vanillin acetate FAQ
Is vanillin acetate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists vanillin acetate as GRAS under FEMA number 3108. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for vanillin acetate?
Vanillin acetate is FEMA 3108, CAS 881-68-5. FEMA files it in the vanilla flavor category.
Does vanillin acetate count as natural in the US and the EU?
Since vanillin acetate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when vanillin acetate 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 vanillin acetate on the EU Union List?
Vanillin acetate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.035 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated vanillin acetate?
Yes. JECFA number 890, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. Conclusion: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
How is vanillin acetate described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe vanillin acetate as sweet, creamy, vanilla, fruity, floral. On the palate it is sweet, smooth, vanilla. It is used in baked goods, confectionery, beverages and ice cream.
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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 VANILLIN ACETATE under CAS 881-68-5 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 flavor enhancer, 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.