Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Vanillyl butyl ether
Vanillyl butyl ether is an ether in the vanilla family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3796 (CAS 82654-98-6). Its odor is sweet, creamy, vanilla, smooth, warm.
- FEMA
- 3796
- CAS
- 82654-98-6
- JECFA
- 888
- EU FL
- 04.093
- Formula
- C12H18O3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 16. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 82654-98-6.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Phenol, 4-(butoxymethyl)-2-methoxy-, 4-(Butoxymethyl)-2-methoxyphenol, Hotact VBE, Vanillyl alcohol butyl ether, Sensehot, Vanillyl alcohol n-butyl ether, 4-(butoxymethyl)-2-methoxyphenol, butyl vanillyl ether, phenol, 4-(butoxymethyl)-2-methoxy-, vanillyl butyl ether [fhfi], vanillyl butyl ether [who-dd], vanillyl butyl ether [inci].
Can Vanillyl butyl ether be labeled natural?
Vanillyl butyl ether occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: vanillyl butyl ether won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized vanillyl butyl ether 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.
- 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 butyl ether is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3796. 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 04.093, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 888, evaluated at the 64th meeting in 2005. 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. Vanillyl butyl ether appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 82654-98-6, where EPA names it Phenol, 4-(butoxymethyl)-2-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 regulatory flags
| Flag | EPA definition | What it obliges |
|---|---|---|
| PMN | Indicates a commenced PMN substance. | Nothing new. The substance already went through premanufacture review and someone filed a notice of commencement, which is why it is on the Inventory. It is an existing chemical and needs no new premanufacture notice. Read more |
PMN does not establish: The flag records how the substance arrived, not what may be done with it. Check the flags beside it.
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, smooth, warm.
Where it is used
Vanillyl butyl ether 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 butyl ether by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanillyl ethyl ether | 3815 | 89% | In nature |
| 2-Methoxy-4-propylphenol | 3598 | 77% | In nature |
| Vanillin propylene glycol acetal | 3905 | 75% | In nature |
| Vanillin erythro- & threo-butan-2,3-diol acetal | 4023 | 72% | Not determined |
| Ethyl vanillin propylene glycol acetal | 3838 | 70% | In nature |
More ethers in this index
Vanillyl ethyl ether · Eucalyptol · l-Menthyl methyl ether · (2,2-Diethoxyethyl)benzene · Hydroquinone monoethyl ether · Dibenzyl ether
Vanillyl butyl ether FAQ
Does vanillyl butyl ether have FEMA GRAS status?
Vanillyl butyl ether holds FEMA GRAS status under FEMA number 3796. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
How do I cite vanillyl butyl ether by FEMA or CAS number?
Cite vanillyl butyl ether as FEMA 3796 or CAS 82654-98-6; both point to the same entry. FEMA files it in the vanilla flavor category.
Can vanillyl butyl ether be labeled a natural flavor?
Since vanillyl butyl ether is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when vanillyl butyl ether is synthesized. 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.
Can vanillyl butyl ether be used in the EU and UK?
Vanillyl butyl ether is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 04.093 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated vanillyl butyl ether?
Yes. JECFA number 888, evaluated at the 64th meeting in 2005. Conclusion: no safety concern at current levels of intake.
What does vanillyl butyl ether smell and taste like, and where is it used?
The odor of vanillyl butyl ether is sweet, creamy, vanilla, smooth, warm. Typical uses are beverage, confection, bakery, dairy and flavoring.
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 Vanillyl butyl ether 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 BUTYL ETHER under CAS 82654-98-6 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.