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P-anisic acid

CAS 1335-08-6 · 40/100 · High conf.

Also registered as 1 other CAS number

100-09-4

P-anisic acid chemical structure

Concern score

40/100Moderate concern based on regulatory listings.
High confidence

P-anisic acid in plain language

What it is

Also known as 4-Methoxybenzoic acid · 4-Anisic acid · Anisic acid · Draconic acid · p-METHOXYBENZOIC ACID · 4-Acetylanisole

Show all 16 names

4-Methoxy benzoic acid · Para anisic acid · Acide p-anisique · Benzoic acid, 4-methoxy- · Dermosoft 688 · Kyselina 4-methoxybenzoova · Methoxybenzoic acid · P-Methoxy Benzoic Acid · acido p-anisico · para-anisic acid

What it does

Used in cosmetics as a fragrance ingredient.

  • Fragrance
  • Flavouring agent
  • Flavouring
  • Deodorant
Is it a concern?
Moderate 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 310 composition records across product categories including Personal care.

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. P-anisic acid appears in these published regulatory listings.

Recorded in these product areas

  • Found in consumer products
  • Beauty
  • Cleaning
  • EUEFSAEFSA opinion2 entries
    • Scientific Opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation 96 (FGE.96): Consideration of 88 flavouring substances considered by EFSA for which EU production volumes / anticipated production volumes have been submitted on request by DG SANCO. Addendum to FGE. 51, 52, 53, 54, 56, 58, 61, 62, 63, 64, 68, 69, 70, 71, 73, 76, 77, 79, 80, 83, 84, 85 and 87 (EFSA CEF)Source →
    • Flavouring Group Evaluation 52 (FGE.52): Consideration of hydroxy- and alkoxy substituted 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) (Commission Regulation (EC) No 1565/2000 of 18 July 2000) (EFSA AFC)Source →
  • EUCosIngActiveListed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.
    • Listed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.Source →
  • GLOBALJECFANo safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agentJECFA evaluation lists ADI No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent. Functional class: flavouring agent.
    • JECFA evaluation lists ADI No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent. Functional class: flavouring agent.Source →
  • GLOBALJECFAEvaluatedJECFA evaluation record.
  • USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 310 composition records across product categories including Personal care. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Deodorizer, Flavouring and nutrient, Fragrance.
    • EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 310 composition records across product categories including Personal care. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Deodorizer, Flavouring and nutrient, Fragrance.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

    • Scientific Opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation 96 (FGE.96): Consideration of 88 flavouring substances considered by EFSA for which EU production volumes / anticipated production volumes have been submitted on request by DG SANCO. Addendum to FGE. 51, 52, 53, 54, 56, 58, 61, 62, 63, 64, 68, 69, 70, 71, 73, 76, 77, 79, 80, 83, 84, 85 and 87 (EFSA CEF)

      2011 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →

    • Flavouring Group Evaluation 52 (FGE.52): Consideration of hydroxy- and alkoxy substituted 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) (Commission Regulation (EC) No 1565/2000 of 18 July 2000) (EFSA AFC)

      2008 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →

  • JECFA

    Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives

    • JECFA evaluation lists ADI No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent. Functional class: flavouring agent.

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

    • JECFA evaluation record.

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

Evidence & sources

No graded research studies for P-anisic acid 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 September 2018

    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 P-anisic acid in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

310

Named organisations

6

Personal care

Typical roles

FragranceFlavouring agentFlavouringDeodorant
See products using P-anisic acid →

Catalog

Found in these products

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

See all 157 →Find products without it →