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  • cleaning
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Benzyl acetate

CAS 140-11-4 · 60/100 · High conf.

Benzyl acetate chemical structure

Concern score

60/100High concern based on regulatory listings.
High confidence

Benzyl acetate in plain language

What it is

Also known as Acetic acid phenylmethyl ester · Benzyl ester acetic acid · Phenylmethyl ester acetic acid · NCI-C06508 · (Acetoxymethyl)benzene · Acetate de benzyle

Show all 22 names

Benzyl ester of acetic acid · Benzyl ethanoate · Benzyl-23456-d5 Acetate · Benzylester kyseliny octove · Methyl Phenylacetate; Methyl alpha-Toluate · Phenylmethyl acetate · Phenylmethyl ethanoate · Plastolin I · acetato de bencilo · acetic acid benzyl ester · acetic acid benzylester · acetic acid phenylmethylester · alpha-Acetoxytoluene · benzyl · benzylacetat · tetra sodium edta

What it does

Used in cosmetics as a fragrance ingredient. Benzyl Acetate is the ester of benzyl alcohol and acetic acid.

  • Perfuming
  • Fragrance
  • Flavouring agent
  • Flavouring
  • Deodorant
Is it a concern?
High concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

Why it's flagged

EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 841 composition records across product categories including Cleaning products and household care, Landscape/yard, Laboratory supplies.

The score describes this ingredient's chemical identity — its hazard profile from published classifications and regulatory status — not the safety of any product it appears in.

Regulation

No restrictions found. Benzyl acetate appears in these published regulatory listings.

Recorded in these product areas

  • Found in consumer products
  • Beauty
  • Cleaning
  • Industrial
  • EUEFSAEFSA opinion3 entries
    • Flavouring Group Evaluation 54, Revision 1 (FGE.54Rev1): Consideration of benzyl derivatives evaluated by JECFA (57th meeting) structurally related to benzyl alcohols, benzaldehydes, a related acetal, benzoic acids and related esters evaluated by EFSA in FGE.20Rev1 (2009) (EFSA CEF)Source →
    • Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of benzyl alcohols, aldehydes, acids, esters and acetals (chemical group 23) when used as flavourings for all animal species (EFSA FEEDAP)Source →
    • Flavouring Group Evaluation 54 (FGE.54): Consideration of benzyl derivatives evaluated by JECFA (57th meeting) structurally related to benzyl alcohols, benzaldehydes, a related acetal, benzoic acids and related esters evaluated by EFSA in FGE.20 (2005). Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Food Additives, Flavourings, Processing Aids and Materials in Contact with Food (EFSA AFC)Source →
  • EUCosIngActiveBenzyl Acetate is the ester of benzyl alcohol and acetic acid. It conforms to the formula
    • Benzyl Acetate is the ester of benzyl alcohol and acetic acid. It conforms to the formulaSource →
  • GLOBALJECFAEvaluatedJECFA evaluation record.
  • GLOBALJECFA0-5 mg/kg bw (1996)JECFA evaluation lists ADI 0-5 mg/kg bw (1996). Functional class: flavouring agent.
    • JECFA evaluation lists ADI 0-5 mg/kg bw (1996). Functional class: flavouring agent.Source →
  • USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 841 composition records across product categories including Cleaning products and household care, Landscape/yard, Laboratory supplies. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Fragrance, Deodorizer, Processing aids not otherwise specified.
    • EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 841 composition records across product categories including Cleaning products and household care, Landscape/yard, Laboratory supplies. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Fragrance, Deodorizer, Processing aids not otherwise specified.Source →
  • USFDAlisted in openFDA substanceopenFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.
    • openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.Source →

Expert safety opinions

Independent scientific assessments cited by the records we hold, with the year and link where the record gives one.

  • SCCS

    EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety

    No SCCS opinion on file.

  • CIR

    Cosmetic Ingredient Review (US expert panel)

    No CIR safety assessment on file.

  • EFSA

    European Food Safety Authority

    • Flavouring Group Evaluation 54, Revision 1 (FGE.54Rev1): Consideration of benzyl derivatives evaluated by JECFA (57th meeting) structurally related to benzyl alcohols, benzaldehydes, a related acetal, benzoic acids and related esters evaluated by EFSA in FGE.20Rev1 (2009) (EFSA CEF)

      2009 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →

    • Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of benzyl alcohols, aldehydes, acids, esters and acetals (chemical group 23) when used as flavourings for all animal species (EFSA FEEDAP)

      2012 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →

    • Flavouring Group Evaluation 54 (FGE.54): Consideration of benzyl derivatives evaluated by JECFA (57th meeting) structurally related to benzyl alcohols, benzaldehydes, a related acetal, benzoic acids and related esters evaluated by EFSA in FGE.20 (2005). Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Food Additives, Flavourings, Processing Aids and Materials in Contact with Food (EFSA AFC)

      2008 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →

  • JECFA

    Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives

    • JECFA evaluation record.

      Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →

    • JECFA evaluation lists ADI 0-5 mg/kg bw (1996). Functional class: flavouring agent.

      Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →

Evidence & sources

No graded research studies for Benzyl acetate yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.

8 data sources

Where this comes from

  • CosIng

    regulatory · updated 2026-09-23

    Open →

  • EFSA OpenFoodTox

    regulatory · updated 2026-10-04

    Open →

  • EPA Chemical and Products Database

    exposure · updated november 6, 2019

    Open →

  • EPA DSSTox Identifiers

    chemistry · updated 2025-12-29

    Open →

  • FDA GSRS UNII

    registry · updated 2026-02-26

    Open →

  • WHO JECFA Database

    regulatory · updated 2026-10-04

    Open →

  • openFDA Substance

    registry · updated 2026-05-24

    Open →

  • PubChem Live Enrichment

    chemistry · updated 2026-05-17

    Open →

Suitability

Context-specific fit derived from published classifications and the current ingredient evidence profile.

Food use

Food-use source coverage is present in the current record.

Good fit

The ingredient appears in food-oriented source coverage or allowed-use references, which makes food use easier to support than a context with no domain signal at all.

Fragrance avoidance

Not a strong fit for fragrance avoidance because it carries Fragrance.

Avoid

The ingredient itself is a fragrance-linked signal, so it is better treated as an avoid case when fragrance exposure is the main concern.

Where it has been recorded

How often EPA CPDat has listed Benzyl acetate in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

841

Named organisations

6

Cleaning products and household careLandscape/yardLaboratory suppliesVehiclePersonal carePet and animal care

Typical roles

PerfumingFragranceFlavouring agentFlavouringDeodorant
See products using Benzyl acetate →

Catalog

Found in these products

Their ingredient lists include Benzyl acetate; each product's own rating depends on its whole formula, so it is shown on the product page, not here.

See all 23 →Find products without it →