"Furaneol (CAS 3658-77-3), also known as strawberry furanone, is a natural strawberry and caramel aroma molecule, widely used in juice, candy, baking, daily chemical fragrance and other fields, in line with FEMA and JECFA certification, with high purity and good stability, is a popular natural flavor additive in food and flavor industry."
-Deshangchemical
In the vast world of food additives and flavors and fragrances industry today, consumers' pursuit of aroma experience is undergoing profound changes. They are no longer satisfied with a single, bland fragrance, but have a growing passion for the clearly perceptible and layered olfactory experience of natural aroma compounds . Under the guidance of this consumption trend, natural flavor molecules that can accurately restore the true smell of fruits and cleverly stimulate the pleasure of taste buds are like bright stars in the night sky, and are favored and sought after by the industry.
In the vast starry sky composed of many aroma active substances, Furaneol (4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone, CAS No. 3658-77-3) stands out with its unique charm. With its rich and lasting strawberry flavor and caramel aroma, it firmly occupies an indispensable and important position in the modern food flavor formula, becoming a well-deserved star ingredient in the field of natural aroma molecules.
"Strawberry Factor" from Nature: The Charm of Strawberry Furanone
Furaneol, also known as "strawberry furanone", is naturally present in many fruits, especially in strawberries, pineapples, tomatoes, lychees, blackberries, etc. It is not only a key component of the typical fruity aroma of strawberries, but also a core element for creating a sweet fruity aroma in many foods such as jams, juices, candies, and dairy products.
Its aroma characteristics are distinct, showing light strawberry and tropical fruity top notes at low concentrations, and releasing deep sweet aromas like caramel, milk and jam at high concentrations (sweet creamy base notes). Therefore, Furaneol is widely used in juice flavoring, candy baking, milk beverage formulation, functional food flavor construction and other scenarios, and is known as the "core base aroma of food aroma design".
Superior physicochemical properties and wide applicability
Furaneol exists in the form of colorless to light yellow crystalline powder, with a molecular weight of 128.13, a melting point of 73–77°C, and a boiling point between 188–216°C. It is a medium-volatility natural flavoring agent. Its excellent water solubility and fat solubility (good solubility in water and oil) make it widely applicable to various food matrices and liquid flavor systems, and it is a conventional high-performance raw material in food-grade aroma ingredient.
In flavor formulation, Furaneol is often used in conjunction with sweetness enhancers such as ethyl maltol and vanillin to enhance the roundness and authenticity of the overall flavor, giving the product a better "natural authenticity".
Widely used in multiple fields
Food industry
In the field of food manufacturing, Furaneol is a key component in many fruit flavor additives and natural food flavorings. Whether in jams, beverages, soft candies, dairy products or baked products, it can enhance the "fresh fruit feeling" and significantly improve consumers' taste experience and product appeal.
Daily chemical fragrances
In the fragrance design of cosmetics and personal care products, Furaneol gives the product a strawberry milk or dessert fragrance, which is suitable for strawberry-scented personal care products such as shower gels, skin care products, and body sprays, bringing a gentle and pleasant olfactory enjoyment.
Chewing gum
As a multinote aroma component, Furaneol plays the role of "extending sweetness" in chewing gum, and works with other flavors to create a complex taste of "fruity + caramel + baking".
Scientific research use
Furaneol is also widely used in olfactory research, aroma molecule synthesis, biotransformation experiments and food flavor modeling, and is an important model molecule in the field of food aroma research.
Safety and international regulatory standards
Furaneol's food-grade safety has been certified by many international authorities:
FEMA No.: 3174 (Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association)
JECFA No.: 1446 (Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives)
US FDA GRAS certification: listed as "Generally Recognized As Safe" food flavoring substances (Generally Recognized As Safe)
Although Furaneol is highly safe within the recommended concentration, it may produce an overly sweet or irritating taste when used in high doses. Therefore, it needs to be scientifically diluted and used accurately in the formula to ensure the best olfactory balance.
Market Trends and Global Prospects
Against the backdrop of the continued advancement of the "Clean Label", "Natural Ingredients" and "Plant-Based" trends, the global market demand for natural food flavor raw materials such as Furaneol is continuing to rise. Especially in the segments of plant-based beverages, natural snacks, clean label baked goods, and healthy functional foods, Furaneol is rapidly becoming the natural aroma building block that formulation engineers and brands focus on due to its advantages of "natural source + perceptible aroma + high safety".
At present, many raw material manufacturers around the world have launched high-purity (≥98%) Furaneol products, and have passed international certification systems such as GMP, ISO, and HACCP to ensure their compliance sales in high-standard markets such as Europe, the United States, Japan, and Southeast Asia.
