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Raspberry ketone is a naturally occurring phenolic compound that is the primary aroma compound of red raspberries. It occurs in a variety of fruits, including raspberries, cranberries, and blackberries. The smell of raspberries is due to lots of molecules, but raspberry ketone is the "impact molecule" associated with their particular smell. Over 200 molecules have been identified in raspberry flavour. Strawberry emissions are dominated by esters, up to 90% in some cultivars, whereas terpenoids, ketones and aldehydes make up the majority of emissions from raspberries. In wild raspberries, the amount of raspberry ketone was found to be three times higher than in cultivated varieties, although the amount of α- and β-ionone was 1.5-2 times lower.

The Molecules Behind the Berry Note

Raspberry ketone has the preferred IUPAC name 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)butan-2-one and the CAS number 5471-51-2. It is also known as frambinone, rheosmin and oxyphenylon. Among the compounds with smells characteristic of ripe fruit in raspberry flavour are α- and β-ionone, β-damascenone, linalool and geraniol. The ionones are derived from the degradation of carotenoids. β-Ionone has the CAS number 79-77-6. Among the most intense odor-active compounds found in samples of the Meeker raspberry cultivar were strawberry furanone, hexanal and β-ionone.

cis-3-Hexen-1-ol, also known as leaf alcohol, is a colorless oily liquid with the CAS number 928-96-1. It is produced in small amounts by most plants. Among the raspberry volatiles, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, 1-hexanol, hexanal and (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate are commonly produced by plants and are generally indicated as leaf compounds.

Ethyl methylphenylglycidate (CAS 77-83-8) is commonly known as strawberry aldehyde and as Aldehyde C-16. It contains ester and epoxide functional groups but, despite its common name, lacks an aldehyde group. It is a colorless liquid that is insoluble in water.

Because of their low odor thresholds and attractive odor qualities, 4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanones are considered exceptional aroma compounds. The furanone HDMF has been isolated from fresh fruits such as strawberry and raspberry.