Molecule · alcohol
3-methyl-2-pentanol
Found in 3 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
- C6H14O
- Mass
- 102.17 g/mol
- CAS
- 565-60-6
- PubChem
- 11261
- FEMA
- not listed
- Threshold
- 1,867 ppb
- Class
- alcohol
- Status
- —
01How little it takes
No published odour threshold on file for 3-methyl-2-pentanol.
02Where it turns up
- Fruit1
- Meat & fish1
- Other1
of the 3 ingredients that contain it, by food group
03What it travels with
Too few ingredients to say what it travels with.
What does 3-methyl-2-pentanol smell like?
We hold no odour description for 3-methyl-2-pentanol.
Which foods contain 3-methyl-2-pentanol?
We list 3 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-methyl-2-pentanol in it. ✓n = sources that recorded the link.
How strong is 3-methyl-2-pentanol?
Our working odour threshold is 1867.08 ppb, from 1 source (none by SIDA, so treat it as approximate).
Thresholds in published tables
| Medium | Median | Range | Values | Papers | Papers agree? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| air | 2515 µg/L air | 2.52e+03–2.52e+03 | 3 | 1 | one paper |
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.
- Volatility
- high
- Retention index
- 762
Is 3-methyl-2-pentanol 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-methyl-2-pentanol questions
Which foods contain 3-methyl-2-pentanol?
We list 3 ingredients that contain 3-methyl-2-pentanol.
How strong is 3-methyl-2-pentanol?
Our working odour threshold for 3-methyl-2-pentanol is 1,867 ppb.
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Cite this analysis
Compound Kitchen (2026). 3-methyl-2-pentanol compound data sheet. https://compkitchen.com/compound/3-methyl-2-pentanol. Accessed 2026-11-03.
@misc{compkitchen_compound_3_methyl_2_pentanol_compound_data_sheet_2026,
title = {3-methyl-2-pentanol compound data sheet},
author = {{Compound Kitchen}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://compkitchen.com/compound/3-methyl-2-pentanol},
note = {Accessed: 2026-11-03}
}
Methodology DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19719459 · CC BY 4.0 · Citations are a request, not a requirement.