E-numbers / Flavour enhancers / E1519
also: Phenylmethanol · Benzenemethanol
A naturally occurring aromatic alcohol used in tiny amounts as a carrier solvent for flavourings in confectionery, chocolate, and liqueurs.
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Benzyl alcohol (C6H5CH2OH) is a simple aromatic alcohol that occurs naturally in many fruits, essential oils, and plants.
3
of the 43,325 UK supermarket foods we checked declare E1519 in their ingredients
That is under 0.1%, counted by its code or its name.
Counted by NutraSafe from UK supermarket ingredient lists, September 2026. How we counted
Benzyl alcohol (C6H5CH2OH) is a simple aromatic alcohol that occurs naturally in many fruits, essential oils, and plants. As a food additive it is used primarily as a carrier solvent, dissolving and delivering flavouring substances rather than contributing a strong flavour of its own. It has a mild, faintly floral odour.
It dissolves flavouring compounds and helps distribute them evenly throughout a food product. The body converts it rapidly to benzoic acid, which then combines with glycine in the liver to form hippuric acid, which is excreted in urine. This metabolic pathway is the same in most mammalian species and is well established.
Found in confectionery (including chocolate and fine bakery products) and in liqueurs, aromatised wines, and cocktails. It also appears as a carrier in flavouring preparations used across a wide range of processed foods. On a label it appears as 'benzyl alcohol' or 'E1519'.
Laboratory and animal studies found that very large doses of benzyl alcohol caused lethargy in mice and lethargy or staggering in rats. These doses were hundreds of times higher than the amounts present in food. EFSA noted the findings but concluded they were not relevant at the dietary exposure levels observed in people.
Lethargy was observed in mice from 500mg/kg body weight per day and lethargy or staggering in rats from 800mg/kg body weight per day in oral short-term and subchronic studies.
Standard genotoxicity test batteries returned negative results. Long-term feeding studies in mice and rats found no carcinogenic effect at the highest doses tested. EFSA concluded benzyl alcohol does not raise a concern for cancer or DNA damage.
Benzyl alcohol was not carcinogenic in mice or rats at up to 200 and 400mg/kg body weight per day respectively, the highest doses tested.
The panel concluded benzyl alcohol does not raise a safety concern with respect to genotoxicity, based on negative results in standard test batteries.
No dedicated reproductive toxicity studies existed at the time of EFSA's 2019 review. Two developmental screening studies in mice showed effects only at doses high enough to harm the mother, which limits how much can be concluded. EFSA noted this as a data gap but judged the exposure margin sufficient for the current approved uses. No subsequent EFSA follow-up opinion or call for data on this point has been published as of 2026.
No reproductive toxicity studies were available. Developmental effects in two mouse screening studies appeared only at maternally toxic doses, limiting interpretation.
EFSA set an ADI of 4mg/kg body weight per day. Across all age groups, including toddlers who tend to have higher relative exposures, dietary exposure from food additive use reached a maximum of 0.81mg/kg body weight per day at the high end of estimates. That is well below the ADI, giving a safety margin of roughly five times even for the most exposed group.
EFSA established an ADI of 4mg/kg body weight per day and found that estimated high-end dietary exposure in toddlers was 0.81mg/kg body weight per day, below the ADI for all population groups.
No group is specifically advised to avoid E1519 at the levels found in food. People who are sensitive to benzoic acid or benzoates (E210-E213) may wish to note that benzyl alcohol is metabolised to benzoic acid in the body, though the quantities from food additive use are small. Look for 'benzyl alcohol' or 'E1519' on the ingredients list.
Benzyl alcohol has been used in food for decades and occurs naturally in a wide range of fruits and plants, meaning people consume it from whole food sources as well as additive uses. The 2019 EFSA re-evaluation is the most thorough independent review to date. It found no evidence of carcinogenicity or genotoxicity, confirmed the ADI with a meaningful safety margin above realistic dietary exposure, and noted the neurotoxicity observed in animal studies occurred at doses orders of magnitude above what food contributes. The one honest caveat is that dedicated reproductive toxicity studies were not available at the time of the review, leaving a formal data gap. EFSA judged the existing safety margin sufficient, but the absence of those studies means reproductive safety rests on inference rather than direct evidence. No new EFSA opinion on this point has emerged since 2019.
No. E1519 is authorised for use in the UK under the retained version of EU Regulation 1333/2008, as confirmed by the UK Food Standards Agency. It is permitted as a carrier solvent in flavouring preparations used in confectionery, chocolate, fine bakery wares, liqueurs, and aromatised wines.
It is the same chemical, but the context and dose differ significantly. Benzyl alcohol is used as a preservative solvent in some injectable medicines and topical products, sometimes at much higher concentrations than those permitted in food. Reports of toxicity in medical settings (particularly in premature infants given large intravenous doses) relate to those much higher exposures, not to food additive use.
It appears in confectionery and chocolate products, fine bakery wares, liqueurs, aromatised wines, and cocktails. It is used as a carrier in flavouring preparations, so it can appear indirectly in a wider range of processed foods where flavourings are listed as ingredients.
Yes. Benzyl alcohol is a synthetic or plant-derived aromatic alcohol with no animal-derived ingredients and is considered suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
Last reviewed: 20 June 2026
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