2-methylbutanal (2-methylbutyric aldehyde)

What does 2-methylbutanal (2-methylbutyric aldehyde) smell like?

The key-food-odorant survey describes it as malty.

It is a key food odorant (generalist): identified in the meta-analysis of 227 food samples as one of 16 generalist odorants, which appear in more than 25% of foods, typically from generic Maillard, lipid-oxidation or fermentation pathways. Source: Dunkel et al. 2014, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 53, 7124–7143

Which foods contain 2-methylbutanal (2-methylbutyric aldehyde)?

We list 1 ingredient 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 suggests it may be noticeable; it is a screening indicator, not a guarantee.

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-methylbutanal (2-methylbutyric aldehyde) in it. ✓n = sources that recorded the link.

• rye cereal 258 cmpds

How strong is 2-methylbutanal (2-methylbutyric aldehyde)?

We hold no published odour threshold for 2-methylbutanal (2-methylbutyric aldehyde), so we cannot say how little of it you could smell.

Is 2-methylbutanal (2-methylbutyric aldehyde) 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.