Furaneol

Identity

Furaneol is formally a derivative of furan. It is soluble in water and organic solvents. Furaneol has two enantiomers, (R)-(+)-furaneol and (S)-(-)-furaneol. The (R)-form is mainly responsible for the smell.

Occurrence

Furaneol is found in strawberries and a variety of other fruits, and it is partly responsible for the smell of fresh pineapple. It is also an important component of the odours of buckwheat and tomato. Furaneol accumulation during ripening has been observed in strawberries and can reach a high concentration of 37 μg/g. It is a major contributor to the aroma of strawberry fruit. It has also been reported in guava, grapes, raspberry, rye bread, cocoa, coffee and beer. It is also found naturally in malt.

Formation and history

Deoxysugars such as L-rhamnose are efficient precursors of furaneol in the Maillard reaction. In fruit, D-fructose-1,6-diphosphate was identified as its natural progenitor. In strawberry, the last step of its biosynthesis is catalyzed by strawberry quinone oxidoreductase. Furaneol was reported for the first time in 1960 as a product of the Maillard reaction. It was discovered in pineapples in 1965.

Uses

Because of its low odour threshold, furaneol is used in the food industry as an aroma component and flavour enhancer for baked goods. It is also a component of meat essence compositions. The acetate ester of furaneol is also known as caramel acetate and strawberry acetate. Flavorists favor it for a fatty toffee taste, and in perfumery it is used in traces to add a sweet gourmand note.

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