Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Vanillin isobutyrate
Vanillin isobutyrate is an ester in the vanilla family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3754 (CAS 20665-85-4). Its odor is sweet, creamy, vanilla, fruity, buttery.
- FEMA
- 3754
- CAS
- 20665-85-4
- JECFA
- 891
- EU FL
- 09.811
- Formula
- C12H14O4
- EC
- 243-956-6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 14. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 20665-85-4.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Propanoic acid, 2-methyl-, 4-formyl-2-methoxyphenyl ester, Isobutyric acid, ester with vanillin, Vanillin, isobutyrate, Isobutavan, 4-Isobutyroyloxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, (4-Formyl-2-methoxyphenyl) 2-methylpropanoate, 4-formyl-2-methoxyphenyl isobutyrate, isobutavan, 4-formyl-2-methoxyphenyl 2-methylpropanoate, propanoic acid, 2-methyl-, 4-formyl-2-methoxyphenyl ester, vanillyl isobutyrate, isobutyric acid, ester with vanillin.
Can Vanillin isobutyrate be labeled natural?
Since vanillin isobutyrate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when vanillin isobutyrate is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic vanillin isobutyrate 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 isobutyrate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3754. 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 09.811, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 891, 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. Vanillin isobutyrate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 20665-85-4, where EPA names it Propanoic acid, 2-methyl-, 4-formyl-2-methoxyphenyl 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: Sweet, creamy, vanilla, fruity, buttery.
Where it is used
Vanillin isobutyrate is used in beverage, confection, bakery, ice cream and flavoring, typically as a vanilla note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Vanillin isobutyrate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethyl vanillin isobutyrate | 3837 | 94% | In nature |
| Vanillin acetate | 3108 | 76% | In nature |
| Ethyl maltol isobutyrate | 4534 | 75% | Not determined |
| 1-(4-Methoxyphenyl)-4-methyl-1-penten-3-one | 3760 | 72% | In nature |
| Maltyl isobutyrate | 3462 | 70% | Not determined |
More esters in this index
Ethyl vanillin isobutyrate · Vanillin acetate · Isobutyl 3-(2-furan)propionate · Methyl benzoate · Ethyl Hexanoate · cis-3-Hexenyl anthranilate
Vanillin isobutyrate FAQ
Does vanillin isobutyrate have FEMA GRAS status?
Vanillin isobutyrate holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3754. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite vanillin isobutyrate by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite vanillin isobutyrate as FEMA 3754 or CAS 20665-85-4; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the vanilla flavor category.
Can vanillin isobutyrate be labeled a natural flavor?
Vanillin isobutyrate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: vanillin isobutyrate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized vanillin isobutyrate 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 vanillin isobutyrate be used in the EU and UK?
Vanillin isobutyrate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.811 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated vanillin isobutyrate?
Yes. JECFA number 891, evaluated at the 57th meeting in 2001. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What does vanillin isobutyrate smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of vanillin isobutyrate is sweet, creamy, vanilla, fruity, buttery. Typical uses are beverage, confection, bakery, ice cream and flavoring.
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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 VANILLIN ISOBUTYRATE under CAS 20665-85-4 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.