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Annex II Entry 424 20/10/2010

Benzyl cyanide, when used as a fragrance ingredient

Benzyl cyanide, when used as a fragrance ingredient is listed in Annex II as a prohibited substance for cosmetic products placed on the EU market.

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Prohibited substance— Annex II, EU Regulation 1223/2009
Entry: 424

Chemical identity and properties

PubChem 2D chemical structure for CAS 140-29-4
CAS 140-29-4PubChem CID 8794

Phenylacetonitrile

Phenylacetonitrile is a nitrile that is acetonitrile where one of the methyl hydrogens is substituted by a phenyl group. It has a role as a pheromone and an animal metabolite. It is a nitrile and a member of benzenes. It is functionally related to an acetonitrile. — ChEBI

IUPAC name
2-phenylacetonitrile
Molecular formula
C8H7N
Molecular weight
117.15 g/mol
Exact mass
117.057849228 Da
XLogP3
1.6
Topological polar surface area
23.8 Ų
Hydrogen-bond donors
0
Hydrogen-bond acceptors
1
Covalent units
1
Defined stereocentres
0

Also known as

BenzeneacetonitrileBENZYL CYANIDEalpha-TolunitrileBenzyl nitrilealpha-Cyanotoluene(Cyanomethyl)benzeneBenzylnitrilePhenyl acetyl nitrile
16 more reported names
Acetonitrile, phenyl-USAF KF-21Benzylkyanidomega-CyanotoluenePhenacetonitrileAcetic acid, phenyl-nitrile23G40PRP93NSC-118418CHEBI:25979RefChem:6126TOLUENE, ALPHA-CYANO205-410-5benzylcyanidePhenyl-acetonitrile2-phenylethanenitrile.omega.-Cyanotoluene
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External database identifiers

Retrieved from NIH PubChem on 2026-08-31 by checksum-valid CAS matching. Chemical properties do not replace the regulatory decision on this page.

Record details

Chemical name

Benzyl cyanide, when used as a fragrance ingredient

Regulatory information

Regulation

(EC) 2009/1223

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SCCS opinions

Identified ingredients

Key data

CAS
140-29-4
EC
205-410-5
Annex
II
Entry number
424

Inventory links for Benzyl cyanide, when used as a fragrance ingredient

Direct matches are limited for this record, so nearby entries from Annex II are shown as well.

What Annex II means for Benzyl cyanide, when used as a fragrance ingredient

Benzyl cyanide, when used as a fragrance ingredient is listed as a prohibited substance under Annex II of EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 and must not be intentionally added. Article 17 separately addresses unintended small quantities that are technically unavoidable under good manufacturing practice and compatible with the Article 3 safety requirement.

Formulators must screen their ingredients and raw materials to ensure none contain this substance. Suppliers should provide documentation confirming absence when requested.

This record is linked to 1 CosIng inventory ingredient for name and identifier cross-reference. The page also surfaces 12 related annex records with overlapping identifiers, annex logic or naming patterns.

Compliance checklist

  • Verify this substance is absent from all raw materials and finished formulations.
  • Request absence confirmation or CoA from raw material suppliers.
  • Document the screening result in the Product Information File (PIF).

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Benzyl cyanide, when used as a fragrance ingredient is listed in Annex II of EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 and is prohibited as an intentionally added cosmetic ingredient. Article 17 provides a narrow exception for unintended small quantities that are technically unavoidable under good manufacturing practice, provided the product remains safe under Article 3.

CAS 140-29-4 is the unique numerical identifier assigned to Benzyl cyanide, when used as a fragrance ingredient by the Chemical Abstracts Service. In cosmetic compliance work, the CAS number is used to cross-reference the substance across regulatory databases, raw material specifications and safety assessment reports. Multiple EU annex entries may share the same CAS number if the same substance appears under different conditions or in different annexes.

Use the INCI Checker tool on this site to paste your full ingredient list (INCI) and scan it against all Annex II–VI entries. The tool highlights any ingredients that match restricted, prohibited or allergen-flagged records. This is useful for rapid compliance screening of finished product formulas or raw material declarations.
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Source note for Annex II record Benzyl cyanide, when used as a fragrance ingredient

This page summarizes one Annex II record for Benzyl cyanide, when used as a fragrance ingredient from public European Commission cosmetic materials and adds linked inventory or identifier matches when available.

Use this record page to review Annex II conditions for Benzyl cyanide, when used as a fragrance ingredient, but confirm any final regulatory decision against the current official annex wording and source files.

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