In short
5-Methylfurfural is a furan aldehyde formed when sugars are heated. JECFA describes it as spicy-sweet, warm and slightly caramellic.
What 5-Methylfurfural smells like
JECFA describes 5-methylfurfural as a colourless liquid with a spicy-sweet, warm and slightly caramellic odour. Sigma-Aldrich's food-grade listing gives caramel, maple, spicy and sweet as its organoleptic profile.
- Leading note
- Spicy-sweet
- Supporting facets
- Caramel
- Character
- Warm, sweet
What makes 5-Methylfurfural distinctive
Caramel sweetness with a spicy edge, rather than the fruity-strawberry sweetness of furaneol.
How 5-Methylfurfural is used
Its documented use is in flavours: JECFA evaluates it as a flavouring agent, and Sigma-Aldrich sells a food-grade material whose profile is caramel, maple, spicy and sweet. In perfumery it gives a trace of caramel-maple warmth to gourmand and tobacco accords.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How 5-Methylfurfural differs from similar materials
- 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran-3-one
- 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran-3-one is sweet, bready and caramellic in suppliers' descriptions, or wintergreen-like in JECFA's; 5-methylfurfural is the spicier caramel-maple.
- 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural
- 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural is buttery, fatty and musty beside its caramel; 5-methylfurfural is sweeter and spicier, a caramel-maple.
Each difference compares the published descriptions of the two materials. Smell varies with grade, supplier and dilution; compare them side by side on blotters before substituting one for another.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Aroma chemical
- Origin
- Occurs in nature
- Odour family
- Gourmand / Spicy
- Note position
- Heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Also known as
- 5-Methyl-2-furaldehyde, 5-Methylfuran-2-carbaldehyde
- CAS number
- 620-02-0
- Molecular formula
- C6H6O2
- Molecular weight
- 110.11 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- 5-methylfuran-2-carbaldehyde
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 12097, whose own record lists this CAS number; checked 24 October 2026.
Safety and compliance
Hazard classification of the neat substance, as PubChem summarises it, read 26 October 2026. Companies notifying the ECHA C&L Inventory classify it (430 reports): H315 causes skin irritation (11.4% of reports); H319 causes serious eye irritation (11.4% of reports); H335 may cause respiratory irritation (11.4% of reports). 380 of the reports find it does not meet the hazard criteria. Unless it is harmonised, this is the notifiers' own classification, not a binding one.
This page is general information, not a safety assessment or a specification. Confirm identity, composition, IFRA status and allergen content from your supplier's documents for the lot you hold.
Materials it works with
-
Furaneol
Aroma chemical · Gourmand / Fruity — strawberry, caramel, jammy, sweet
-
Maltol
Aroma chemical · Gourmand / Fruity — caramel, sweet, bready, cooked fruit
-
Vanillin
Aroma chemical · Gourmand / Amber — vanilla, sweet, creamy
5-Methylfurfural is also suggested as a partner on the pages for 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural.
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 11 published formulas
5-Methylfurfural is an ingredient in 1 perfume formula and 10 accords in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about 5-Methylfurfural
Is 5-Methylfurfural natural or synthetic?
The molecule occurs in nature. Commercial 5-Methylfurfural may be made by synthesis or obtained from natural sources, so check the supplier's specification if the distinction matters to you.
What is the CAS number of 5-Methylfurfural?
620-02-0. It was checked against PubChem on 24 October 2026.
Which published formulas use 5-Methylfurfural?
5-Methylfurfural is used in 11 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including Burnt Sugar Smoke Accord, Chocolate Accord and Cookies & Cream Accord. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 12097, checked 24 October 2026.
- PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
- PubChem — 5-Methylfurfural (CID 12097): JECFA organoleptic description — odour database.
- Sigma-Aldrich — 5-methylfurfural (W270202) — manufacturer's description.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 26 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.