In short
Ethyl methylphenylglycidate, sold as aldehyde C-16 although it is not an aldehyde, has a sweet strawberry note.
What Ethyl Methylphenylglycidate (Aldehyde C-16) smells like
Strawberry aldehyde (ethyl methylphenylglycidate, 'aldehyde C-16', though not an aldehyde) smells of strawberry preserve rather than fresh strawberry: sweet, waxy-fruity and jammy. Wikipedia lists sweet, fruity, strawberry, floral, honey and fatty; a chemical reference notes a strong fruity odour suggestive of strawberry on dilution. It is used in candy, ice cream and other flavours.
- Leading note
- Strawberry jam
- Clear facets
- Sweet candy
- Faint facets
- Honey, waxy, fatty
- Character
- Sweet, jammy, candy-like
What makes Ethyl Methylphenylglycidate (Aldehyde C-16) distinctive
Cooked strawberry: the jam-and-candy strawberry of sweets and ice cream, rather than the fresh fruit.
Concentration and dilution
Its strawberry character shows clearly on dilution.
How Ethyl Methylphenylglycidate (Aldehyde C-16) is used
Used in strawberry and red-fruit accords and gourmand compositions, and widely in flavours.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Ethyl Methylphenylglycidate (Aldehyde C-16) differs from similar materials
- Fraistone
- Fraistone is fresher and tarter, with apple and plum; strawberry aldehyde is the jammy, candy strawberry.
- Methyl Cinnamate
- Methyl cinnamate is a balsamic, cinnamic strawberry with cherry; strawberry aldehyde is sweeter and jammier.
- Furaneol
- Furaneol is ripe, caramelised strawberry and pineapple; strawberry aldehyde is a candy-jam strawberry with waxy, honeyed notes.
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
The "aldehyde" name is historical.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Aroma chemical
- Origin
- Synthetic
- Odour family
- Fruity / Gourmand
- Note position
- Heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Also known as
- Aldehyde C-16, Strawberry aldehyde
- CAS number
- 77-83-8
- Molecular formula
- C12H14O3
- Molecular weight
- 206.24 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- ethyl 3-methyl-3-phenyloxirane-2-carboxylate
The CAS number, formula and molecular weight are taken from PubChem compound 6501, whose own record lists this CAS number; checked 19 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 (1,918 reports): H317 may cause an allergic skin reaction (79% of reports); H411 toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects (79% of reports); H412 harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects (17.6% of reports). 22 of the reports find it does not meet the hazard criteria. A skin sensitiser classification concerns handling the neat material and the dose in a finished product; the IFRA Standards, where they apply, set the limits. 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
-
Methyl Cinnamate
Aroma chemical · Fruity / Amber — strawberry, fruity, balsamic, sweet
-
Raspberry Ketone
Aroma chemical · Fruity / Gourmand — raspberry, fruity, sweet, jammy
Ethyl Methylphenylglycidate (Aldehyde C-16) is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Fraistone.
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 14 published formulas
Ethyl Methylphenylglycidate (Aldehyde C-16) is an ingredient in 1 perfume formula, 11 accords and 2 bases in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Ethyl Methylphenylglycidate (Aldehyde C-16)
Is Ethyl Methylphenylglycidate (Aldehyde C-16) natural or synthetic?
Ethyl Methylphenylglycidate (Aldehyde C-16) is synthetic — it is made by chemical synthesis.
What is the CAS number of Ethyl Methylphenylglycidate (Aldehyde C-16)?
77-83-8. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Ethyl Methylphenylglycidate (Aldehyde C-16)?
Ethyl Methylphenylglycidate (Aldehyde C-16) is used in 14 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including Açaí Accord, Blackberry Accord and Blueberry Accord. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — compound 6501, checked 19 October 2026.
- PubChem — GHS classification (the ECHA C&L Inventory notifications and any harmonised EU entry), read 26 October 2026.
- Wikipedia — Ethyl methylphenylglycidate — published perfumery reference.
- Premiere Peau — Aldehyde C-16 (strawberry) — published perfumery reference.
- ChemicalBook — ethyl methylphenylglycidate (CAS 77-83-8) — odour database.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 20 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.