Aroma molecule · phenol
3,4,5-trimethylphenol
Smells ofspicy, sweet, smoky, honey, pine
Found in 1 ingredient. We hold no measured concentration for it in any of them yet, so we cannot say where it is strong enough to smell.
Working on a formulation or a product line? This compound data is available by API for R&D teams.
- Formula
- C9H12O
- Mass
- 136.19 g/mol
- CAS
- 527-54-8
- PubChem
- 10696
- FEMA
- not listed
- Threshold
- 332 ppb
- Class
- phenol
- Status
- Aroma-active
01How little it takes
No published odour threshold on file for 3,4,5-trimethylphenol.
02Where it turns up
- Other1
of the 1 ingredient that contain it, by food group
03What it travels with
Too few ingredients to say what it travels with.
What does 3,4,5-trimethylphenol smell like?
Sources describe it as spicy, sweet, smoky, honey, pine.
How this molecule is described
- spicy, sweet, smoky, honey, pine shown above FlavorDB 2.0
- spicy, sweet, smoky Flavordb Odor Column
- honey, pine Flavordb Odor Column
Ordered by how many independent descriptor streams give each wording, then by how often it appears. The bar is replication (one source copied onto many ingredients scores high), not corroboration.
Which foods contain 3,4,5-trimethylphenol?
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, 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 3,4,5-trimethylphenol in it. ✓n = sources that recorded the link.
Measured concentrations
| Food | Concentration (ppb) | OAV | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| strawberry | 934,000.0 | 2,813 | DOI |
OAV = measured concentration ÷ odour threshold (332.0 ppb). OAV ≥ 1 = perceptible. Concentrations from open-access papers; a row whose food is not one of the ingredients above is listed here but not placed on the ruler.
How strong is 3,4,5-trimethylphenol?
Our working odour threshold is 332.0 ppb, from 1 source (none by SIDA, so treat it as approximate).
- Volatility
- high
- Retention index
- 1325
Is 3,4,5-trimethylphenol 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.
3,4,5-trimethylphenol questions
What does 3,4,5-trimethylphenol smell like?
Sources describe 3,4,5-trimethylphenol as spicy, sweet, smoky, honey and pine.
Which foods contain 3,4,5-trimethylphenol?
We list 1 ingredient that contain 3,4,5-trimethylphenol.
How strong is 3,4,5-trimethylphenol?
Our working odour threshold for 3,4,5-trimethylphenol is 332 ppb.
Look up another compound — search by name, CAS number, PubChem CID, or FEMA #.
Get a molecule-level pairing breakdown each week — which ingredients share a compound, and why it matters at the table. Free, no spam.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.
Try the pairing tools to see which ingredient combinations rely on 3,4,5-trimethylphenol, or compare two ingredients side by side.
Cite this analysis
Compound Kitchen (2026). 3,4,5-trimethylphenol compound data sheet. https://compkitchen.com/compound/3%2C4%2C5-trimethylphenol. Accessed 2026-11-03.
@misc{compkitchen_compound_3_4_5_trimethylphenol_compound_data_sheet_2026,
title = {3,4,5-trimethylphenol compound data sheet},
author = {{Compound Kitchen}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://compkitchen.com/compound/3%2C4%2C5-trimethylphenol},
note = {Accessed: 2026-11-03}
}
Methodology DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19719459 · CC BY 4.0 · Citations are a request, not a requirement.