Aroma molecule · phenol
4-methylsyringol
Smells ofsmoke
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.
Working on a formulation or a product line? This compound data is available by API for R&D teams.
- Formula
- C9H12O3
- Mass
- 168.19 g/mol
- CAS
- 6638-05-7
- PubChem
- 240925
- FEMA
- not listed
- Threshold
- 50,110 ppb
- Class
- phenol
- Status
- Aroma-active
01How little it takes
- in waterpapers disagree 220
ppb, log scale · tick = median of published values, bar = full range, from open-access paper tables (not reviewed)
02Where it turns up
- Drinks1
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 4-methylsyringol smell like?
Sources describe it as smoke.
How this molecule is described
- smoke shown above FlavorDB 2.0
- burnt, plastic, clove 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 4-methylsyringol?
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 4-methylsyringol in it. ✓n = sources that recorded the link.
How strong is 4-methylsyringol?
Our working odour threshold is 50110.0 ppb.
Thresholds in published tables
| Medium | Median | Range | Values | Papers | Papers agree? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| water | 220 ppb | 220–220 | 1 | 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
- medium
- Retention index
- 1449
Is 4-methylsyringol 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.
4-methylsyringol questions
What does 4-methylsyringol smell like?
Sources describe 4-methylsyringol as smoke.
Which foods contain 4-methylsyringol?
We list 1 ingredient that contain 4-methylsyringol.
How strong is 4-methylsyringol?
Our working odour threshold for 4-methylsyringol is 50,110 ppb.
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Try the pairing tools to see which ingredient combinations rely on 4-methylsyringol, or compare two ingredients side by side.
Cite this analysis
Compound Kitchen (2026). 4-methylsyringol compound data sheet. https://compkitchen.com/compound/4-methylsyringol. Accessed 2026-11-03.
@misc{compkitchen_compound_4_methylsyringol_compound_data_sheet_2026,
title = {4-methylsyringol compound data sheet},
author = {{Compound Kitchen}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://compkitchen.com/compound/4-methylsyringol},
note = {Accessed: 2026-11-03}
}
Methodology DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19719459 · CC BY 4.0 · Citations are a request, not a requirement.