3-Mercaptohexanol
Volatile alcohol with fruity, sulfurous aroma; used in flavoring.
No policy
No HigherBar policy on this ingredient.
Approved in 3 of 7 tracked registries, no published record in 4.
3-Mercaptohexanol is a potent thiol compound with grapefruit and passion fruit notes; it's also a key contributor to the aroma of Sauvignon Blanc wine. Because its odor threshold is extremely low, it's used in tiny amounts to impart fresh, tropical character to flavor formulations.
What each registry publishes about 3-mercaptohexanol.
Every row comes from a published regulator source, linked so you can read it yourself. "Prohibited" means a regulator has affirmatively banned it; "not authorized" means it has never been cleared for that use there. The two are not the same thing, so we never collapse them.
Approved in 3 of 7 tracked registries, no published record in 4. Last verified Oct 1, 2026.
| Registry | Status | Published record |
|---|---|---|
| United States (FDA) | Approvedgras | Technical effect: FLAVORING AGENT OR ADJUVANT |
| European Union (EFSA) | Approvedflavor | |
| United Kingdom (FSA) | Approvedflavor | |
| Codex Alimentarius (JECFA) | No published data | Our sources hold no evidenced record here. That is not a clearance and not a ban. |
| Japan (CAA) | No published data | Our sources hold no evidenced record here. That is not a clearance and not a ban. |
| Australia & New Zealand (FSANZ) | No published data | Our sources hold no evidenced record here. That is not a clearance and not a ban. |
| Canada (Health Canada) | No published data | Our sources hold no evidenced record here. That is not a clearance and not a ban. |
We publish only evidenced regulatory rows, each with its source. Coverage is uneven across registries, and a missing row is reported as missing.
Check a whole label, not just one ingredient.
Paste a product's full ingredient list and get this same record for every ingredient we can identify, plus an honest "not recognized" for the rest.