Benzyl Cinnamate is a 16-carbon ester (cinnamic acid benzyl ester) commonly used in the food industry as a flavor enhancer in non-alcoholic beverages, baked goods, and candy. It is a white-to-pale-yellow solid insoluble in water. It has a sweet, balsam, floral, fruity, cherry odor and is used in perfume and personal care products as a fragrance or masking agent. It also exhibits antiseptic properties that are effective against bacteria and fungi.
As a food flavoring additive, Benzyl Cinnamate has been assessed by the Expert Committee of the USA Flavour and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) under the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, section 201 (s), to be generally recognized as safe (GRAS) under current conditions of use.
The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives has assessed Benzyl Cinnamate as presenting no safety concerns at current intake levels when used as a flavoring agent. The daily per capita intake is estimated at 1 μg/kg bw/day in the USA and 0.7 μg/kg bw/day in Europe. The Council of Europe Committee of Experts on Flavoring Substances has also defined it as a flavoring substance that may be used as foodstuffs at an upper level of 5 mg/kg for foods.
Benzyl Cinnamate appears on the list of “Permitted Additives to Tobacco Products in the United Kingdom" (Department of Health, 2003) at a maximum permitted level of 0.15 % w/w tobacco in cigarettes.Benzyl cinnamate is a common cosmetic ingredient. However, the EU Cosmetics Directive states that the substance must be indicated in the list of ingredients when its concentration exceeds 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products. It is a mild dermal irritant, non-mutagenic, and non-toxic (Oral acute toxicity: 3760-5530 mg/kg).
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