3-Mercapto-2-Butanone (CAS 40789-98-8) | Food-Grade Meat & Savory Flavor Ingredient

3-Mercapto-2-butanone (CAS 40789-98-8) is a potent and versatile sulfur-containing flavor compound, highly prized in the flavor and fragrance industry for its exceptional ability to impart authentic, savory meaty notes. As a key flavor ingredient with FEMA GRAS status, it is extensively used to create, enhance, and round off the profile of a wide range of savory food products.

Its primary function is to deliver a convincing roasted, grilled, or boiled meat character, reminiscent of beef, pork, and chicken. This makes it an indispensable component in the formulation of reaction flavors , savory snacks (chips, crackers, and extruded products), ready-to-eat meals, soups, sauces, gravies, and bouillon cubes. Beyond pure meatiness, it contributes desirable onion-like and sulfurous nuances at higher concentrations, which are crucial for replicating the full complexity of alliums (onions, garlic, leeks) and certain vegetables like cabbage. Even at very low usage levels (often in the parts-per-million range), it acts as a powerful flavor enhancer, adding depth, richness, and a lingering mouthfeel to savory systems, preventing flavors from tasting flat or synthetic.

For flavorists and food technologists, 3-Mercapto-2-butanone is a fundamental building block for crafting natural-tasting savory experiences. It provides the crucial “browning” and “cooked” sensory cues that consumers associate with high-quality, flavorful meat products and savory applications.