Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Vanillyl ethyl ether
Vanillyl ethyl ether is an ether in the vanilla family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3815 (CAS 13184-86-6). Its odor is sweet, creamy, vanilla, floral, warm.
- FEMA
- 3815
- CAS
- 13184-86-6
- JECFA
- 887
- EU FL
- 04.094
- Formula
- C10H14O3
- EC
- 236-136-4
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 17. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 13184-86-6.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Phenol, 4-(ethoxymethyl)-2-methoxy-, p-Cresol, α-ethoxy-2-methoxy-, 4-(Ethoxymethyl)-2-methoxyphenol, 4-Hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl ethyl ether, Ethyl vanillyl ether, Ethyl 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl ether, Vanillyl alcohol ethyl ether, 4-(ethoxymethyl)-2-methoxyphenol, phenol, 4-(ethoxymethyl)-2-methoxy-, ethyl vanillyl ether, ethyl 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl ether, alpha-ethoxy-2-methoxy-p-cresol.
Can Vanillyl ethyl ether be labeled natural?
The process decides for vanillyl ethyl ether. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic vanillyl ethyl ether is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic vanillyl ethyl ether 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
Vanillyl ethyl ether is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3815. 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 04.094, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 887, 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. Vanillyl ethyl ether appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 13184-86-6, where EPA names it Phenol, 4-(ethoxymethyl)-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, floral, warm.
Where it is used
Vanillyl ethyl 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 ethyl 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 butyl ether | 3796 | 89% | In nature |
| 2-Methoxy-4-propylphenol | 3598 | 86% | In nature |
| Vanillin propylene glycol acetal | 3905 | 75% | In nature |
| Vanillin erythro- & threo-butan-2,3-diol acetal | 4023 | 73% | Not determined |
| Isoeugenol | 2468 | 71% | In nature |
More ethers in this index
Vanillyl butyl ether · 1,1-Dipropoxyethane · o-Methylanisole · Methyl hexyl ether · Digeranyl ether · Isoeugenyl ethyl ether
Vanillyl ethyl ether FAQ
Is vanillyl ethyl ether on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 3815 covers vanillyl ethyl ether. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for vanillyl ethyl ether?
The FEMA number for vanillyl ethyl ether is 3815 and its CAS registry number is 13184-86-6. Its flavor category is vanilla.
What is vanillyl ethyl ether used for?
Vanillyl ethyl ether is described as sweet, creamy, vanilla, floral, warm. It shows up in beverage, confection, bakery, dairy and flavoring.
What did JECFA conclude about vanillyl ethyl ether?
JECFA evaluated vanillyl ethyl ether at the 57th meeting in 2001 under JECFA number 887. The panel concluded: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Is vanillyl ethyl ether approved in the EU?
Yes. FL 04.094 is the Union List entry for vanillyl ethyl ether, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Is vanillyl ethyl ether natural or artificial?
Nature makes vanillyl ethyl ether, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial vanillyl ethyl ether, same molecule. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
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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 VANILLYL ETHYL ETHER under CAS 13184-86-6 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.