In short
Homofuraneol is the ethyl homologue of furaneol, a caramel-sweet furanone found in soy sauce and fruit. It exists as a mixture of two tautomers.
What Homofuraneol smells like
Suppliers describe homofuraneol as sweet, fruity, caramel and butterscotch; one gives sweet, caramel, fruity and bread-like for the tautomer mixture, and Flavornet lists caramel. It is reported in soy sauce, cheese, melon, coffee, strawberry and pineapple, and PubChem links it to natural-product databases.
- Leading note
- Caramel
- Clear facets
- Butterscotch
- Supporting facets
- Fruity
- Faint facets
- Bready
- Character
- Sweet, warm
What makes Homofuraneol distinctive
A caramel furanone with more butterscotch and bread than strawberry.
How Homofuraneol is used
Used for caramel, cooked-sugar and fruity-sweet effects in gourmand accords.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Homofuraneol differs from similar materials
- Furaneol
- Furaneol is caramel with cooked strawberry and pineapple; homofuraneol, its ethyl homologue, leans more to butterscotch and bread.
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.
Formulation considerations
A tautomeric mixture; often used diluted (one formula gives it at 20%).
Identity and classification
- Type
- Aroma chemical
- Origin
- Occurs in nature
- Odour family
- Gourmand / Fruity
- Note position
- Heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Also known as
- 2-Ethyl-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone, Ethyl furaneol
- CAS number
- 27538-10-9
- Molecular formula
- C7H10O3
- Molecular weight
- 142.15 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- 2-ethyl-4-hydroxy-5-methylfuran-3-one
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 33931, whose own record lists this CAS number; checked 24 October 2026.
Safety and compliance
The IFRA Standards Library lists a Standard covering Homofuraneol:
- "Ethyl and Methyl furaneol" — Restriction, 51st Amendment, published 2023-06
Limits differ by product category and are set out in the Standard itself; this page does not reproduce them. The list above reflects the library as read on 19 October 2026.
Hazard classification of the neat substance, as PubChem summarises it, read 26 October 2026. Companies notifying the ECHA C&L Inventory classify it (550 reports): H302 harmful if swallowed (85.5% of reports); H315 causes skin irritation (71.5% of reports); H319 causes serious eye irritation (71.5% of reports). 80 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
-
Cyclotene
Aroma chemical · Gourmand / Woody — maple, caramel, nutty, sweet
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 7 published formulas
Homofuraneol is an ingredient in 4 perfume formulas and 3 accords in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Homofuraneol
Is Homofuraneol natural or synthetic?
The molecule occurs in nature. Commercial Homofuraneol 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 Homofuraneol?
27538-10-9. It was checked against PubChem on 24 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Homofuraneol?
Homofuraneol is used in 7 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including Banana Bread, Cherry Lacquer and Fig Jam Brioche. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Is Homofuraneol covered by an IFRA Standard?
Yes. The IFRA Standards Library lists a Standard covering it: "Ethyl and Methyl furaneol" — Restriction, 51st Amendment. The limits depend on the product category; read the Standard itself before formulating.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 33931, checked 24 October 2026.
- PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
- IFRA — Standards Library, read 19 October 2026.
- ChemicalBook — Homofuraneol (27538-10-9) — odour database.
- Flavornet — 27538-10-9 — odour database.
- FooDB — Homofureanol — odour database.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 24 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.