An old boss once advised me, “Don’t throw away your old shoes before you’re certain your new shoes fit.” Good advice, but advice we all probably find hard to put into practice. Flavor chemicals can be a little like old shoes. In the dim and distant past γ-nonalactone (FEMA #2781, CAS #104-61-0), frequently, but oddly, misnamed as “Aldehyde C18”, was the main driver behind all coconut flavors. Aldehyde C18 was an excellent example of chemically driven research.
