Delta Dodecalactone

Synthetic Ingredient Overview

• 🏭 Manufacturer — Firmenich

• 🔎 Chemical name — 6-pentyloxan-2-one

• 📂 CAS N° — 705-86-2

• 📘 FEMA — 2631

• ⚖️ Molecular Weight — 170.25 g/mol

• 📝 Odor Type — Fruity → Lactonic

• 📈 Odor Strength — Medium

• 👃🏼 Odor Profile — Milky, creamy, buttery, coconut, peach-like with faint celery nuance. Tenacious lactone note with a rich, oily texture

• 👅 Flavor Profile — Coconut, fatty dairy, nutty, buttery, fruity. Supports creamy notes in mango, peach, and tropical flavors

• ⚗️ Uses — Used in floral, fruity, gourmand, aldehydic perfumes and food flavors. Adds dairy, creamy and tropical nuances to perfumery and edible products

• 🧴 Appearance — Colorless to pale yellow viscous liquid

What is Delta Decalactone?

Delta Decalactone, or δ-Decalactone, is a 10-carbon macrocyclic lactone belonging to the family of aliphatic γ- and δ-lactones. This molecule is widely used in both perfumery and flavor applications thanks to its natural creaminess and long-lasting fruity nuances. It features a very tenacious, rich coconut-butter profile with undertones reminiscent of peach skin and lactic sweetness. Its soft, fatty diffusion makes it a sought-after building block in gardenia, tuberose, and aldehydic florals.

It differs from its analog γ-Dodecalactone in being less musky and more directly creamy. Its low odor threshold (~100 ppb) and flavor character make it useful even in trace amounts.

Olfactory Behavior and Applications in Perfumery

Fragrance Behavior:

• Creamy, coconut, oily-fruity lactone effect

• Ideal for white florals (e.g., tuberose, gardenia, orange blossom)

• Lends roundness and sweetness to gourmand compositions

• Adds tropical realism to fruity blends (peach, mango, apricot)

• Balances aldehydes and green herbaceous top notes

Compatible with:

• Synthetic musks and ionones

• Coconut and peach accords

• Aldehyde blends (C10, C11)

• Vanilla, heliotropin, and coumarin

Typical usage levels:

• Fine fragrance: 0.05–1.0%

• Functional fragrance: 0.2–1.5%

• Flavoring: up to 37 ppm (frozen dairy); see below

Flavor and Industrial Uses

• Imparts a fatty-buttery note in dairy-type flavors (butter, cream, cheese)

• Used in tropical and stone fruit flavors (peach, mango, apricot)

• Applications include rum, beer, wine, Swiss cheese, milk powder, and oleomargarine

• Adds body and mouthfeel in confectionery and beverage systems

Natural Occurrence

Naturally present in:

• Coconut, butter, milk, cream

• Peach, mango, raspberry, apricot

• Beer, rum, cheese, starfruit, guava

• Swiss cheese and mutton fat

Its presence across diverse edible matrices makes it useful in naturalistic food-inspired perfumery and edible simulation accords.

Production Methods

• Microbial conversion of ricinoleic acid (from castor oil)

• Chemical synthesis via lactonization of decanoic acid

• Other routes include hexyl ethylene oxide + sodium malonic ester

These processes allow scalable production of high-purity δ-Decalactone suitable for both fragrance and food industries.

Regulatory and Safety Overview

• FEMA GRAS — FEMA No. 2631

• FDA Status — Approved as a food additive (21 CFR 172.515)

• JECFA — No safety concern at current usage levels (1997)

• EU Cosmetics — Not listed among allergens

• Toxicology — Low toxicity; not classified as sensitizer

• REACH — Registered; standard use restrictions apply to all lactones in high concentrations

• Storage — Store tightly sealed at ambient temperature, protect from oxidation

✅ Use within recommended limits and stabilize where oxidation risk may impact lactone purity.

Sources

• Arctander, S. (1961). Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin

• Burdock, G. A. (2010). Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients – 6th Ed.

• Rowe, D. (2005). Chemistry and Technology of Flavors and Fragrances

• Mosciano, G. P&F 21(3), 51 (1996)

• Firmenich Ingredient Sheet – δ-Decalactone

• Bedoukian Research Inc., Technical Description

• Fulvio Ciccolo, Creative Base Design Notes

• Formulation Stability Testing Notes – Scentspiracy Studio (2024)