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Compound sheet · CK-10722

Aroma molecule · aldehyde

2-methylbenzaldehyde

Smells ofcherry

Found in 12 ingredients. We hold no measured concentration for it in any of them yet, so we cannot say where it is strong enough to smell.

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2D structure of 2-methylbenzaldehyde, C8H8O
2D structure · PubChem 10722
Formula
C8H8O
Mass
120.15 g/mol
CAS
529-20-4
PubChem
10722
Threshold
339,411 ppb
Class
aldehyde
Status
Aroma-active

01How little it takes

  • in a food 220,000

ppb, log scale · tick = median of published values, bar = full range, from open-access paper tables (not reviewed)

02Where it turns up

  • Herbs & spices5
  • Drinks4
  • Fruit1
  • Grains, nuts & fats1
  • Other1

of the 12 ingredients that contain it, by food group

03What it travels with

(+)-neomenthol 12 2,3-butanedione 12 2-methylbutyraldehyde 12 2-phenylethanol 12 3-methyl-2-butenal 12 2-methylbe…

line weight = ingredients carrying both, of 12 · only molecules found with it at least 1.5× as often as across all foods

What does 2-methylbenzaldehyde smell like?

Sources describe it as cherry.

Which foods contain 2-methylbenzaldehyde?

We list 12 ingredients that contain it, but presence is not the same as smell. What matters is how much is there compared with how little it takes to notice it. That ratio is the odour activity value (OAV): above 1, you can smell it.

Found in

Measured foods first, then real food profiles, then thin or composite records (marked). The figure beside each is how many compounds that ingredient has in total, not the amount of 2-methylbenzaldehyde in it. ✓n = sources that recorded the link.

How strong is 2-methylbenzaldehyde?

Our working odour threshold is 339411.25 ppb, from 1 source (none by SIDA, so treat it as approximate).

Thresholds in published tables

MediumMedianRangeValuesPapersPapers agree?
food matrix 2.2e+05 ppb 2e+05–2.4e+05 22 yes
unstated 9.6 ppb 9.6–9.6 22 yes

Numbers printed in open-access papers, grouped by the medium the table states. Median and full range; “agree” means two or more papers whose middle 80% of values sit within 100×. Not reviewed.

Volatility
high
Retention index
1612

What is it found with?

Of the 12 ingredients that carry 2-methylbenzaldehyde, 12 also carry (+)-neomenthol, 12 2,3-butanedione and 12 2-methylbutyraldehyde. These are the most frequent companions among molecules that turn up with 2-methylbenzaldehyde at least 1.5 times as often as they do across all foods; the very common molecules found nearly everywhere are left out because they say nothing about it.

Is 2-methylbenzaldehyde safe to eat?

Not in FEMA GRAS publications 1–33. Of 3,367 listed flavoring substances, none match this compound or its other names. It may still be food-safe under other regulatory routes (FDA 21 CFR 172, EFSA, JECFA); check femaflavor.org for the authoritative current list.

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2-methylbenzaldehyde questions

What does 2-methylbenzaldehyde smell like?

Sources describe 2-methylbenzaldehyde as cherry.

Which foods contain 2-methylbenzaldehyde?

We list 12 ingredients that contain 2-methylbenzaldehyde.

How strong is 2-methylbenzaldehyde?

Our working odour threshold for 2-methylbenzaldehyde is 339,411 ppb.

What molecules are found with 2-methylbenzaldehyde?

The molecules most often found in the same ingredients are (+)-neomenthol, 2,3-butanedione, 2-methylbutyraldehyde and 2-phenylethanol.

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Cite this analysis
Plain text
Compound Kitchen (2026). 2-methylbenzaldehyde compound data sheet. https://compkitchen.com/compound/2-methylbenzaldehyde. Accessed 2026-11-03.
BibTeX
@misc{compkitchen_compound_2_methylbenzaldehyde_compound_data_sheet_2026,
  title  = {2-methylbenzaldehyde compound data sheet},
  author = {{Compound Kitchen}},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://compkitchen.com/compound/2-methylbenzaldehyde},
  note   = {Accessed: 2026-11-03}
}

Methodology DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19719459 · CC BY 4.0 · Citations are a request, not a requirement.