Aroma molecule
3-ethylpyrazine
Smells ofmenthol
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.
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01How little it takes
- in water 1,300
ppb, log scale · tick = median of published values, bar = full range
02Where it turns up
- Meat & fish1
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-ethylpyrazine smell like?
Sources describe it as menthol.
Which foods contain 3-ethylpyrazine?
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-ethylpyrazine in it. ✓n = sources that recorded the link.
How strong is 3-ethylpyrazine?
Orthonasal, in clean water: 1300 ppb, from 1 published value.
Published thresholds
1 measured value from the literature, grouped by what was measured: a threshold smelled in clean water, tasted, or measured in a real food are different quantities and are not pooled.
| Threshold | Matrix | Source | Paper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1300 ppb | water_odor | Leffingwell | — |
Only values we can attribute are listed. Where a compendium’s licence does not permit public attribution its figures are omitted, so every number here traces to a citable source.
Is 3-ethylpyrazine 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 4633, published in GRAS 24. Check current FDA and EFSA guidance for your market and use level.
- FEMA number
- 4633 ? partial match
- Publication
- GRAS 24
- FEMA name
- 2-Ethoxy-3-ethylpyrazine
| Food category | Typical | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| baked goods | 0.02 | 0.1 |
| beverages (nonalcoholic) | 5 | 5 |
| gravies | 0.01 | 0.1 |
| jams/jellies | 0.01 | 0.1 |
| meat products | 0.01 | 0.1 |
| other grains | 0.01 | 0.1 |
| poultry | 0.01 | 0.07 |
| processed vegetables | 0.01 | 0.1 |
| snack foods | 0.01 | 0.1 |
| soups | 0.01 | 0.1 |
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-ethylpyrazine questions
What does 3-ethylpyrazine smell like?
Sources describe 3-ethylpyrazine as menthol.
Which foods contain 3-ethylpyrazine?
We list 1 ingredient that contain 3-ethylpyrazine.
How strong is 3-ethylpyrazine?
The median of 1 published odour thresholds in water is 1300 ppb.
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Cite this analysis
Compound Kitchen (2026). 3-ethylpyrazine compound data sheet. https://compkitchen.com/compound/3-ethylpyrazine. Accessed 2026-11-03.
@misc{compkitchen_compound_3_ethylpyrazine_compound_data_sheet_2026,
title = {3-ethylpyrazine compound data sheet},
author = {{Compound Kitchen}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://compkitchen.com/compound/3-ethylpyrazine},
note = {Accessed: 2026-11-03}
}
Methodology DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19719459 · CC BY 4.0 · Citations are a request, not a requirement.