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Meat

Q: Is Meat natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Not a natural perfumery extract. Meat-flavor chemicals (2-methyl-3-furanthiol, bis(2-methyl-3-furyl) disulfide) are manufactured for the food industry but not standardly used in perfumery..

MUSK, AMBER, ANIMALIC SMELLS / warm · savory · animalic

Meat

Category	MUSK, AMBER, ANIMALIC SMELLS
Subcategory	warm · savory · animalic
Origin
Volatility	Base Note
Botanical	N/A — conceptual accord, not derived from a single plant
Appearance	N/A — conceptual accord
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	N/A — conceptual accord used in animalic compositions
Pyramid	Base

Savory, bloody, umami-rich. Raw or cooked animal protein — iron-rich, faintly sulfurous, with the Maillard crust of seared flesh.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Savory, iron-rich, with umami depth and either a raw-bloody or cooked-crusted character depending on construction. Raw meat is metallic-sulfurous; cooked meat is Maillard-browned, smoky, and slightly sweet. Both share an unmistakable animal-protein quality that is antithetical to most perfumery conventions.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Iron-metallic, faintly sulfurous, savory

After a few hours

Warm, smoky-Maillard character if cooked variant

After a few days

Persistent savory residue, unsettling if perceptible

The Full Story

Meat as a fragrance note refers to the savory, umami-rich smell of animal protein — both raw (blood-iron, faintly metallic) and cooked (Maillard-crusted, caramelized, smoky). The distinction matters: raw meat smells of hemoglobin (iron-metallic), myoglobin, and faint sulfurous compounds; cooked meat smells of hundreds of Maillard and Strecker degradation products.

Key aroma compounds in cooked meat include 2-methyl-3-furanthiol (roasted-meaty), bis(2-methyl-3-furyl) disulfide (intensely meaty), and various pyrazines (roasted-nutty). The seared crust is produced by the Maillard reaction between amino acids and sugars at temperatures above 140 degrees C.

In perfumery, meat is an extreme niche note belonging to the animalic, savory, and provocative categories. It challenges the assumption that perfume should smell pleasant or beautiful, and belongs firmly to the conceptual-artistic end of the spectrum.

Explore all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

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Related: Aldambre · Ambrarome · Ambrein · Ambreine · Ambrettolide · Ambronova · Ammonia · Animal Notes

Did You Know?

Did you know?

The smell of blood (and raw meat) is primarily caused by trans-4,5-epoxy-(E)-2-decenal, an aldehyde produced by the oxidation of lipids by iron in hemoglobin. The metallic 'taste of blood' is actually an olfactory perception — the iron-rich lipid oxidation products stimulate the nose retronasally.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Not a natural perfumery extract. Meat-flavor chemicals (2-methyl-3-furanthiol, bis(2-methyl-3-furyl) disulfide) are manufactured for the food industry but not standardly used in perfumery.

Molecular Formula	N/A — olfactory accord evoking raw or cooked meat notes
CAS Number	N/A — olfactory accord, not a single molecule
Botanical Name	N/A — conceptual accord, not derived from a single plant
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	animalic, flesh, savory
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Lasting Power	> 200 hours
Appearance	N/A — conceptual accord

In Perfumery

Meat is an extreme conceptual note used only in provocative and avant-garde compositions. Built from sulfurous materials (at extreme dilution), iron-metallic notes, smoky materials, and Maillard-type synthetics. Functions as a shock element in compositions exploring carnality, mortality, and the boundary between attraction and repulsion. Not a functional perfumery ingredient.