Molecule · thiol
3-mercapto-3-methylbutanol
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.
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- Formula
- —
- Mass
- 120.22 g/mol
- CAS
- 34300-94-2
- PubChem
- —
- FEMA
- not listed
- Threshold
- 17.5 ppb
- Class
- thiol
- Status
- —
01How little it takes
- in water 1.4
- in a food 3
- in oilpapers disagree 4
ppb, log scale · tick = median of published values, bar = full range, from open-access paper tables (not reviewed)
02Where it turns up
- Drinks2
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-mercapto-3-methylbutanol smell like?
We hold no odour description for 3-mercapto-3-methylbutanol.
Which foods contain 3-mercapto-3-methylbutanol?
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-mercapto-3-methylbutanol in it. ✓n = sources that recorded the link.
How strong is 3-mercapto-3-methylbutanol?
Our working odour threshold is 17.5 ppb, from 1 source (none by SIDA, so treat it as approximate).
Thresholds in published tables
| Medium | Median | Range | Values | Papers | Papers agree? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| air | 2.05 µg/L air | 1.3–2.8 | 2 | 1 | one paper |
| food matrix | 3 ppb | 2–4 | 2 | 2 | yes |
| oil | 4 ppb | 4–4 | 1 | 1 | one paper |
| unstated | 4 ppb | 4–4 | 1 | 1 | one paper |
| water | 1.4 ppb | 1.3–1.5 | 2 | 2 | yes |
Numbers printed in open-access papers, grouped by the medium the table states. Median and full range; “agree” means two or more papers whose middle 80% of values sit within 100×. Not reviewed.
Is 3-mercapto-3-methylbutanol 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-mercapto-3-methylbutanol questions
Which foods contain 3-mercapto-3-methylbutanol?
We list 2 ingredients that contain 3-mercapto-3-methylbutanol.
How strong is 3-mercapto-3-methylbutanol?
Our working odour threshold for 3-mercapto-3-methylbutanol is 17.5 ppb. Published values in oil are about 3 times higher than in water.
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Cite this analysis
Compound Kitchen (2026). 3-mercapto-3-methylbutanol compound data sheet. https://compkitchen.com/compound/3-mercapto-3-methylbutanol. Accessed 2026-11-03.
@misc{compkitchen_compound_3_mercapto_3_methylbutanol_compound_data_sheet_2026,
title = {3-mercapto-3-methylbutanol compound data sheet},
author = {{Compound Kitchen}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://compkitchen.com/compound/3-mercapto-3-methylbutanol},
note = {Accessed: 2026-11-03}
}
Methodology DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19719459 · CC BY 4.0 · Citations are a request, not a requirement.