5-Methyl Furfural
5-Methyl Furfural is a pale yellow to amber liquid aroma chemical with the formula C₆H₆O₂ and CAS number 620-02-0. It carries a warm caramel, almond, and toasted bread profile with a soft Maillard sweetness.
The compound forms naturally during the heating of sugar-rich foods and is one of the most commonly detected aldehydes in caramel, baked goods, coffee, and aged spirits. Use levels in finished food are typically in the low parts-per-million range.
We source bulk 5-Methyl Furfural from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Shandong. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
Please send the grade you need, the volume and your destination port, and we will come back with a solution and a price.
or call +86-21-6858 0751
- Packaging
- 250 kg plastic drum or 1,000 kg IBC tote
- ISO 9001
- HACCP
- Halal
- Kosher
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Pale yellow to amber liquid |
| Odour | Characteristic caramel, almond, toasted bread |
| Assay (GC) | ≥ 98.0% |
| Aldehyde Content (as C₆H₆O₂) | ≥ 97.0% |
| Identification (IR) | Conforms to reference spectrum |
| Specific Gravity (25/25°C) | 1.100-1.120 |
| Refractive Index (20°C) | 1.5240-1.5320 |
| Boiling Range | 185-190°C |
| Acid Value | ≤ 3.0 mg KOH/g |
| Water (Karl Fischer) | ≤ 0.5% |
| Solubility in Alcohol | 1 mL dissolves in 3 mL of 60% ethanol, clear solution |
| Heavy Metals (as Pb) | ≤ 10 mg/kg |
| Lead | ≤ 2 mg/kg |
| Arsenic | ≤ 3 mg/kg |
| Shelf Life | 24 months in sealed original container |
Common Markets Grades
The trade sells 5-Methyl Furfural as a neat liquid in two main grades.
The standard commercial grade is 98 percent minimum assay by gas chromatography, packed in amber glass or lined steel drums under nitrogen.
A higher-purity 99 percent grade is produced for fine flavour compounding and analytical reference work.
Pre-diluted solutions at 10 percent in propylene glycol, triacetin, or ethanol are also stocked for liquid flavour benches.
FCC and FEMA GRAS conforming material is the routine specification for food work. Kosher and Halal certifications are widely available.
Applications
- Caramel and toffee flavours as a core sweet-bready note
- Bread, biscuit, and bakery flavours for an authentic baked top
- Almond, marzipan, and amaretto compounds for nutty depth
- Coffee flavours as a caramelized layer
- Cocoa and chocolate flavours for a baked nutty lift
- Maple, brown sugar, and molasses flavours for added body
- Cooked-fruit flavours including baked apple, prune, and dried fig
- Aged spirit reconstructions for whisky, rum, and brandy
- Beer, malt, and roasted barley flavours
- Honey and sugar candy flavours as a warming accent
- Tobacco casing flavours for a sweet baked top
- Fine fragrance gourmand accords for caramel and almond themes
China Manufacturers of 5-Methyl Furfural
Top 5-Methyl Furfural manufacturers in China.
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
How We Help Source 5-Methyl Furfural
Direct Factory Sourcing
We run the whole process: selecting the manufacturer from the top Chinese food ingredient producers, negotiating the price, verifying quality, and coordinating the logistics. You deal with us instead of with several factories at once.
Original Packaging and Documents from the Manufacturer
The manufacturer sends your 5-Methyl Furfural out of its own factory in the original packing, through to your destination port. The COA, COO, MSDS, TDS and any certifications reach you from the manufacturer as well.
Free Samples and Lead Time
We send 100 to 500 g free for your own laboratory to test and you cover only the courier, usually within 2 to 3 working days. ETD is usually within 7 to 15 days once the order is confirmed, and we check that date against the factory's own manufacturing schedule before we give it to you.
Combined Shipment
We can load 5-Methyl Furfural together with other ingredients such as Capsicum Oleoresin, Ethyl Maltol and White Pepper into one 20' FCL. If your quantity is small, we can also ship LCL.
Regulatory Status
5-Methyl Furfural is approved as a flavouring substance in the major regulated markets.
It carries FEMA GRAS number 2702 in the Flavour and Extract Manufacturers Association inventory.
The European Union lists it in the Union list of flavourings as FL number 13.012, permitted for general flavour use under good manufacturing practice.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recognises it as a synthetic flavouring substance under 21 CFR 172.515. The Council of Europe and JECFA have both reviewed the furan-aldehyde flavouring group and concluded no safety concern at current use levels.
Material conforms to the Food Chemicals Codex monograph for 5-Methyl Furfural. Kosher and Halal certifications are routinely provided.
Manufacturing Process
5-Methyl Furfural is produced both synthetically and through processing of biomass-derived sugars.
The dominant industrial route is the acid-catalysed dehydration of fructose, glucose, or hexose-rich biomass hydrolysates. Under controlled heating with mineral or organic acids, the sugar loses three molecules of water and rearranges to give 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, which is then hydrogenolyzed or thermally converted to the methylated furfural.
An alternative laboratory and pilot route is direct methylation of furfural at the 5-position, though the dehydration of sugars is more economical at scale.
Crude product is purified by vacuum distillation, since the molecule can darken under prolonged heating in air. The finished liquid is filtered and packed under nitrogen in light-shielded containers.
