Benzyl Alcohol
The short version
A versatile flavor and color carrier solvent — naturally present in many fruit aromas.
It's widely considered safe at the amounts used in food, so we mark it green. The Safety section below has the details.
Where it comes from
Manufactured by hydrolysis of benzyl chloride. A natural component of many essential oils (jasmine, ylang-ylang, peach, apricot) where it contributes the characteristic floral-almond note.
How it's used
Carrier solvent for flavor and color concentrates in food, especially fat-soluble flavors that need a polar carrier. Also a preservative in some supplement liquids and pharmaceutical preparations (the long-running 'gasping syndrome' concern in neonates is a benzyl-alcohol-in-IV-flush issue, not a food-additive issue at any realistic exposure).
Safety profile
ADI of 0–5 mg/kg body weight (JECFA). Oxidized in the body to benzoic acid then conjugated to hippuric acid and excreted. Dietary exposure from foods naturally containing benzyl alcohol typically exceeds the additive contribution.
Physical & chemical properties
Colorless liquid with a faint sweet-almond odor. Moderately soluble in water (~4%); miscible with most organic solvents and oils.
Regulation worldwide
Permitted in the EU and US for specific flavor-and-color-carrier applications.
Educational information only. Not medical or dietary advice.