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Compound sheet

Molecule

3-carboxylic acid

Found in 2 ingredients. 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
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Mass
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CAS
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PubChem
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FEMA
4774 · GRAS · verify
Threshold
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Class
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Status
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01How little it takes

No published odour threshold on file for 3-carboxylic acid.

02Where it turns up

  • Meat & fish2

of the 2 ingredients that contain it, by food group

03What it travels with

Too few ingredients to say what it travels with.

What does 3-carboxylic acid smell like?

We hold no odour description for 3-carboxylic acid.

Which foods contain 3-carboxylic acid?

We list 2 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 3-carboxylic acid in it. ✓n = sources that recorded the link.

How strong is 3-carboxylic acid?

We hold no published odour threshold for 3-carboxylic acid, so we cannot say how little of it you could smell.

Is 3-carboxylic acid safe to eat?

A substance matching this name is listed by FEMA as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for use as a flavoring: FEMA number 4774, published in GRAS 26. Check current FDA and EFSA guidance for your market and use level.

FEMA number
4774 ? partial match
Publication
GRAS 26
FEMA name
4-Amino-5-(3-(isopropylamino)-2,2-dimethyl-3-oxopropoxy)-2-methylquinoline-3-carboxylic acid
Reported use levels (ppm by food category)
Food categoryTypicalMaximum
beverages, alcoholic1030
beverages, nonalcoholic830
breakfast cereals1230
chewing gum30300
condiments and relishes830
confections and frostings30300
fats and oils830
fruit ices1030
gelatins and puddings830
gravies830
hard candy1030
imitation dairy830
instant coffee and tea830
jams and jellies1030
milk products830
snack foods1230
soft candy1030
soups830
sweet sauces1530

Typical vs maximum reported addition levels in finished food. A regulatory ceiling reference; verify against the current GRAS publication for your product category.

Source: FEMA GRAS publications 1–33.

3-carboxylic acid questions

Which foods contain 3-carboxylic acid?

We list 2 ingredients that contain 3-carboxylic acid.

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Try the pairing tools to see which ingredient combinations rely on 3-carboxylic acid, or compare two ingredients side by side.

Cite this analysis
Plain text
Compound Kitchen (2026). 3-carboxylic acid compound data sheet. https://compkitchen.com/compound/3-carboxylic%20acid. Accessed 2026-11-03.
BibTeX
@misc{compkitchen_compound_3_carboxylic_acid_compound_data_sheet_2026,
  title  = {3-carboxylic acid compound data sheet},
  author = {{Compound Kitchen}},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://compkitchen.com/compound/3-carboxylic%20acid},
  note   = {Accessed: 2026-11-03}
}

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