Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Vanillyl alcohol
Vanillyl alcohol is an alcohol in the vanilla family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3737 (CAS 498-00-0). Its odor is sweet, creamy, vanilla, floral, warm.
- FEMA
- 3737
- CAS
- 498-00-0
- JECFA
- 886
- EU FL
- 02.213
- Formula
- C8H10O3
- EC
- 207-852-4
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 13. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 498-00-0.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Benzenemethanol, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-, 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxybenzenemethanol, 3-Methoxy-4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, Vanillic alcohol, 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl alcohol, Vanillin alcohol, 4-(Hydroxymethyl)-2-methoxyphenol, V 0018, V 0018 (alcohol), NSC 3993, p-(Hydroxymethyl)guaiacol, 3-Methoxy-4-hydroxybenzenemethanol.
Can Vanillyl alcohol be labeled natural?
Nature makes vanillyl alcohol, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial vanillyl alcohol, 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
Vanillyl alcohol is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3737. 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 02.213, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 886, 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.
Odor and taste
Odor: Sweet, creamy, vanilla, floral, warm.
Where it is used
Vanillyl alcohol 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 Vanillyl alcohol by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxy benzoic acid | 3988 | 87% | In nature |
| 4-Ethylguaiacol | 2436 | 86% | In nature |
| 2-Ethoxy-4-(hydroxymethyl)phenol | 4893 | 85% | Not determined |
| 4-Hydroxybenzyl alcohol | 3987 | 79% | In nature |
| 3,4-Dihydroxybenzoic acid | 4430 | 77% | In nature |
More alcohols in this index
2-Ethyl-1-hexanol · (E,Z)-3,6-Nonadien-1-ol · cis-4-Octenol · 3-Octanol · Heptan-2-ol · cis-5-Octen-1-ol
Vanillyl alcohol FAQ
Is vanillyl alcohol on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3737 covers vanillyl alcohol. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for vanillyl alcohol?
The FEMA number for vanillyl alcohol is 3737 and its CAS registry number is 498-00-0. Its flavor category is vanilla.
What is vanillyl alcohol used for?
Vanillyl alcohol is described as sweet, creamy, vanilla, floral, warm. It shows up in beverage, confection, bakery, dairy and flavoring.
What did JECFA conclude about vanillyl alcohol?
JECFA evaluated vanillyl alcohol at the 57th meeting in 2001 under JECFA number 886. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is vanillyl alcohol approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 02.213 is the Union List entry for vanillyl alcohol, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is vanillyl alcohol natural or artificial?
The process decides for vanillyl alcohol. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic vanillyl alcohol 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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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
Check Vanillyl alcohol 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 VANILLYL ALCOHOL under CAS 498-00-0 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.