Aroma molecule · oxygenated compound
3-methylbutyl decanoate
Smells ofwaxy, banana, fruity, sweet, cognac
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
- C15H30O2
- Mass
- 242.40 g/mol
- CAS
- 2306-91-4
- PubChem
- 75320
- FEMA
- not listed
- Threshold
- 3,000 ppb
- Class
- oxygenated compound
- Status
- Aroma-active
01How little it takes
- in a foodpapers disagree 3,000
- in alcohol 5,000
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-methylbutyl decanoate smell like?
Sources describe it as waxy, banana, fruity, sweet, cognac, green.
Which foods contain 3-methylbutyl decanoate?
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-methylbutyl decanoate in it. ✓n = sources that recorded the link.
How strong is 3-methylbutyl decanoate?
Our working odour threshold is 3000.0 ppb.
Thresholds in published tables
| Medium | Median | Range | Values | Papers | Papers agree? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| air | 5000 µg/L air | 5e+03–5e+03 | 1 | 1 | one paper |
| ethanol solution | 5000 ppb | 5e+03–5e+03 | 3 | 3 | yes |
| food matrix | 3000 ppb | 3e+03–3e+03 | 1 | 1 | one paper |
| unstated | 5000 ppb | 5e+03–5e+03 | 3 | 3 | 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.
- Volatility
- low
Is 3-methylbutyl decanoate 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-methylbutyl decanoate questions
What does 3-methylbutyl decanoate smell like?
Sources describe 3-methylbutyl decanoate as waxy, banana, fruity, sweet and cognac.
Which foods contain 3-methylbutyl decanoate?
We list 2 ingredients that contain 3-methylbutyl decanoate.
How strong is 3-methylbutyl decanoate?
Our working odour threshold for 3-methylbutyl decanoate is 3,000 ppb.
Look up another compound — search by name, CAS number, PubChem CID, or FEMA #.
Get a molecule-level pairing breakdown each week — which ingredients share a compound, and why it matters at the table. Free, no spam.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.
Try the pairing tools to see which ingredient combinations rely on 3-methylbutyl decanoate, or compare two ingredients side by side.
Cite this analysis
Compound Kitchen (2026). 3-methylbutyl decanoate compound data sheet. https://compkitchen.com/compound/3-methylbutyl%20decanoate. Accessed 2026-11-03.
@misc{compkitchen_compound_3_methylbutyl_decanoate_compound_data_sheet_2026,
title = {3-methylbutyl decanoate compound data sheet},
author = {{Compound Kitchen}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://compkitchen.com/compound/3-methylbutyl%20decanoate},
note = {Accessed: 2026-11-03}
}
Methodology DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19719459 · CC BY 4.0 · Citations are a request, not a requirement.