Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Vanillin propylene glycol acetal
Vanillin propylene glycol acetal is an acetal in the vanilla family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3905 (CAS 68527-74-2). Its odor is sweet, creamy, vanilla, floral, buttery.
- FEMA
- 3905
- CAS
- 68527-74-2
- JECFA
- 1882
- EU FL
- 06.104
- Formula
- C11H14O4
- EC
- 271-279-6
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 18. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 68527-74-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Phenol, 2-methoxy-4-(4-methyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl)-, 2-Methoxy-4-(4-methyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl)phenol, Vanillin 1,2-propylene glycol acetal, 2-methoxy-4-(4-methyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl)phenol, vanillin propyleneglycol acetal, phenol, 2-methoxy-4-(4-methyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl)-, vanillin 1,2-propylene glycol acetal, vanillin 1,2-propylene glycol acetal; 2-methoxy-4-(4-methyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl)phenol, 95% contain isomer, vanillin propylene glycol actal, vanillin propylene glycol acetate, as-61151.
Can Vanillin propylene glycol acetal be labeled natural?
Nature makes vanillin propylene glycol acetal, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial vanillin propylene glycol acetal, 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.
- 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 propylene glycol acetal is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3905. 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 06.104, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 1882, evaluated at the 64th meeting in 2005. 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 propylene glycol acetal appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 68527-74-2, where EPA names it Phenol, 2-methoxy-4-(4-methyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-yl)-.
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, floral, buttery.
Taste: Sweet, smooth, rich.
Where it is used
Vanillin propylene glycol acetal is used in beverage, confection, bakery, dairy and flavoring, typically as a vanilla note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Vanillin propylene glycol acetal by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanillin erythro- & threo-butan-2,3-diol acetal | 4023 | 91% | Not determined |
| Ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal | 3838 | 87% | In nature |
| Vanillyl ethyl ether | 3815 | 82% | In nature |
| Piperonal propyleneglycol acetal | 4622 | 80% | Not determined |
| Anisaldehyde propyleneglycol acetal | 4627 | 72% | Not determined |
More acetals in this index
Vanillin erythro- & threo-butan-2,3-diol acetal · Ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal · Vanillin 3-(l-menthoxy)propane-1,2-diol acetal · Hydroxycitronellal dimethyl acetal · Acetaldehyde 1,3-octadiol acetal · Hexanal butane-2,3-diol acetal
Vanillin propylene glycol acetal FAQ
Is vanillin propylene glycol acetal on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3905 covers vanillin propylene glycol acetal. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for vanillin propylene glycol acetal?
The FEMA number for vanillin propylene glycol acetal is 3905 and its CAS registry number is 68527-74-2. Its flavor category is vanilla.
What is vanillin propylene glycol acetal used for?
Vanillin propylene glycol acetal is described as sweet, creamy, vanilla, floral, buttery. On the palate it is sweet, smooth, rich. It shows up in beverage, confection, bakery, dairy and flavoring.
What did JECFA conclude about vanillin propylene glycol acetal?
JECFA evaluated vanillin propylene glycol acetal at the 64th meeting in 2005 under JECFA number 1882. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is vanillin propylene glycol acetal approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 06.104 is the Union List entry for vanillin propylene glycol acetal, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is vanillin propylene glycol acetal natural or artificial?
The process decides for vanillin propylene glycol acetal. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic vanillin propylene glycol acetal 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.
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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 PROPYLENE GLYCOL ACETAL under CAS 68527-74-2 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.