Flavor Bites: The Honeyed Power of Methyl Phenylacetate

Methyl phenylacetate (FEMA#2733, CAS# 101-41-7, COE# 2155, DG Sante# 09.783) is a powerful and economical bright honey note. It is especially useful in chocolate flavors, but also helps in savory, nut, brown and fruit categories.

Note that the dose rates given throughout this article are the levels suggested for use in flavors intended to be dosed at 0.05% in ready-to-drink beverages or in a simple bouillon.

Methyl phenylacetate (FEMA#2733, CAS# 101-41-7, COE# 2155, DG Sante# 09.783) is a powerful and economical bright honey note. Kemal Can at Pexels

Adding Depth to Savory Profiles

• Beef, roast:  Methyl phenylacetate can be used in many meat flavors. Roast beef is the most obvious choice. Levels are, as always, a question of creative opinion, but high levels, 500 ppm and up, can work well.
• HVP: Methyl phenylacetate is also highly compatible with HVP flavors. High levels are also effective, up to 1,000 ppm.
• Mushroom: Methyl phenylacetate has an interesting effect in all mushroom flavors, but is most at home in dried mushroom profiles at around 50 ppm.
• Soy sauce: The effect in soy sauce flavors is very similar to that in HVP flavors. The ideal level of use depends on the type of soy sauce that is targeted, but should be around 300 ppm.

Rounding Out Nut Flavors

• Almond: This ingredient is also effective in many nut flavors. Almond flavors are given attractive added depth by the addition of 10 ppm.
• Hazelnut: It is even more useful in hazelnut flavors. Twenty ppm works well, but higher levels can be interesting.
• Peanut: Ten ppm of methyl phenylacetate is just a cautious starting point in peanut flavors.
• Praline: This raw material harmonizes with both hazelnuts and chocolate, so it is not surprising that it is perfect in praline flavors. Sixty ppm is a reasonable level.
• Walnut: With walnut flavors we are back to more subtle additions of methyl phenylacetate, starting at around 10 ppm.

Adding Complexity to Fruit Flavors

• Apricot: Methyl phenylacetate can be surprisingly effective, deepening apricot flavors at the modest level of ten ppm.
• Blackberry: It is even more effective in blackberry flavors. Twenty ppm is a good starting point, adding depth and complexity.
• Blackcurrant: Five ppm of methyl phenylacetate is a useful addition to all styles of blackcurrant flavors, working equally well with buchu based flavors and with more realistic true to nature profiles.
• Cherry: The same comments also apply to cherry flavors. Twenty ppm of this ingredient is equally beneficial in benzaldehyde based formulations and also in more natural profiles.
• Fig: The dried character of fig flavors fits perfectly into the profile of methyl phenylacetate. Fifty ppm is a subtle level of addition, but higher levels can be very attractive.
• Lychee: Rose is normally the dominant note in lychee flavors. Methyl phenylacetate helps to broaden the profile, while still retaining the floral character. Ten ppm is a good starting point in lychee flavors.
• Peach: The effect of methyl phenylacetate in peach flavors is very similar to that in apricot flavors. Five ppm is a good level.
• Pineapple: Low levels of addition, in the region of 5 ppm are useful in fresh pineapple flavors, adding an extra element of depth. Higher levels are better in canned style profiles.
• Plum: Ten ppm of methyl phenylacetate also help to round out realistic plum flavors but higher levels can also be used. The obvious danger with higher levels is that they drift in a “dried” direction.
• Raspberry: Methyl phenylacetate is very much at home in raspberry flavors and combines particularly well with zingerone. Twenty ppm is a good level.

Methyl phenylacetate is very much at home in raspberry flavors and combines particularly well with zingerone.Polina Kovaleva at Pexels

Elevating Brown, Rich Flavor Profiles

• Butterscotch: Methyl phenylacetate is effective in butterscotch flavors at around 200 ppm, adding depth and an attractive floral nuance.
• Chocolate and cocoa: There is a clear connection between the predominantly honey note of methyl phenylacetate and the predominantly cocoa note of isoamyl phenylacetate. The two ingredients are perfect together in chocolate and cocoa flavors. One hundred ppm of methyl phenylacetate is a good starting level.
• Coffee: Coffee flavors are often in need of rounding out to counteract furfuryl mercaptan or similar sulfur notes. Twenty ppm of methyl phenylacetate works well in this context.
• Maple: Methyl phenylacetate has an interesting effect in all styles of maple flavors, adding useful depth. Levels of addition are subtle, around 5 ppm.
• Sugar, brown: Thirty ppm can be helpful in brown sugar and molasses flavors, adding depth and complexity.
• Tea: At first sight methyl phenylacetate might seem to be more suited to black tea flavors than green tea flavors, but the reverse is true.  Moderate additions, around 20 ppm, are all that is needed to fit in very well to the profile of black tea flavors. Much higher levels, nearer 200 ppm, work better in green tea.
• Vanilla: Methyl phenylacetate adds helpful depth to vanilla bean style flavors at around 10 ppm. In contrast higher levels, up to 80 ppm, fit ideally into the profile of “French” style vanilla flavors.

Coffee flavors are often in need of rounding out to counteract furfuryl mercaptan or similar sulfur notes. Twenty ppm of methyl phenylacetate works well in this context.Vitaly Gorbachev at Adobe Stock

• Brandy: Methyl phenylacetate can be helpful at low levels in many spirit flavors but it is especially appropriate in brandy flavors. Fifteen ppm is a good starting point.
• Honey: Here methyl phenylacetate really comes into its own when combined with ethyl phenylacetate. Four thousand ppm is ideal.
• Condensed milk: Condensed milk and dulce de leche flavors cover quite a range of different profiles. Methyl phenylacetate is most effective in the more processed styles of flavors at levels in the region of 40 ppm.
• Peppermint: Pushing cheap cormint oil in the direction of real peppermint oil is the holy grail of peppermint flavors. No single ingredient does the trick, but ten ppm of methyl phenylacetate goes a long way in the right direction.
• Rose: The combination of a modest honey note, derived from 100 ppm of methyl phenylacetate, and floral rose notes is very attractive.
• Rum: Of all spirit flavors, the most obvious connection to this ingredient is dark rum. Fifty ppm of methyl phenylacetate is excellent in both dark and light rum flavors.
• Wine: Methyl phenylacetate is not equally useful in all wine flavors. It does not help in bright white wine profiles, such as sauvignon blanc. Where it is useful is in red wine flavors and cask aged white wine flavors. Ten ppm works well.