Aroma molecule · acid
3-hydroxybenzoic acid
Smells ofphenolic, faint, honey
Found in 7 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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01How little it takes
No published odour threshold on file for 3-hydroxybenzoic acid.
02Where it turns up
- Fruit3
- Meat & fish2
- Grains, nuts & fats1
- Drinks1
of the 7 ingredients that contain it, by food group
03What it travels with
line weight = ingredients carrying both, of 7 · only molecules found with it at least 1.5× as often as across all foods
What does 3-hydroxybenzoic acid smell like?
Sources describe it as phenolic, faint, honey.
How this molecule is described
- solvent, chemical, honey FlavorDB 2.0
- apple, fatty, honey FlavorDB 2.0
- phenolic, faint, honey shown above Llm Adjudicated
- fatty Flavordb Odor Column
- apple Flavordb Odor Column
- solvent, chemical 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-hydroxybenzoic acid?
We list 7 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-hydroxybenzoic acid in it. ✓n = sources that recorded the link.
How strong is 3-hydroxybenzoic acid?
Our working odour threshold is 818107.57 ppb, from 1 source (none by SIDA, so treat it as approximate).
- Volatility
- high
What is it found with?
Of the 7 ingredients that carry 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, 6 also carry 1-decanol, 6 1-dodecanol and 6 1-heptanol. These are the most frequent companions among molecules that turn up with 3-hydroxybenzoic acid 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 3-hydroxybenzoic 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 4431, published in GRAS 24. Check current FDA and EFSA guidance for your market and use level.
- FEMA number
- 4431 ~ likely match
- Publication
- GRAS 24
- FEMA name
- 3-Hydroxybenzoic acid m-Hydroxybenzoic acid m-Salicylic acid
| Food category | Typical | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| beverages (nonalcoholic) | 300 | 500 |
| chewing gum | 500 | 2000 |
| confectionery frostings | 300 | 500 |
| soft candy | 300 | 500 |
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-hydroxybenzoic acid questions
What does 3-hydroxybenzoic acid smell like?
Sources describe 3-hydroxybenzoic acid as phenolic, faint and honey.
Which foods contain 3-hydroxybenzoic acid?
We list 7 ingredients that contain 3-hydroxybenzoic acid.
How strong is 3-hydroxybenzoic acid?
Our working odour threshold for 3-hydroxybenzoic acid is 818,108 ppb.
What molecules are found with 3-hydroxybenzoic acid?
The molecules most often found in the same ingredients are 1-decanol, 1-dodecanol, 1-heptanol and 1-hexanol.
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Cite this analysis
Compound Kitchen (2026). 3-hydroxybenzoic acid compound data sheet. https://compkitchen.com/compound/3-hydroxybenzoic%20acid. Accessed 2026-11-03.
@misc{compkitchen_compound_3_hydroxybenzoic_acid_compound_data_sheet_2026,
title = {3-hydroxybenzoic acid compound data sheet},
author = {{Compound Kitchen}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://compkitchen.com/compound/3-hydroxybenzoic%20acid},
note = {Accessed: 2026-11-03}
}
Methodology DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19719459 · CC BY 4.0 · Citations are a request, not a requirement.