Trans-2, cis-6-Nonadienal (CAS: 557-48-2) is a naturally occurring unsaturated fatty aldehyde found in a variety of fruits, vegetables, and foods, and is the primary contributor to the characteristic aroma of cucumber and violet leaves. With a chemical formula of C₉H₁₄O, it appears as a colorless to pale yellow clear oily liquid. The unique conjugated dienal skeleton in its molecular structure imparts an extremely intense, fresh “cucumber-violet” composite scent, accompanied by melon and green leafy nuances. This distinctive sensory profile makes it irreplaceable in premium food flavoring, daily chemical fragrances, and fine chemical intermediates. Its production primarily relies on chemical synthesis, and market demand is closely linked to consumption upgrading, the pursuit of natural flavors, and the popularization of personalized fragrance products. Based on the industrial attributes and application characteristics of this compound, this article systematically analyzes its global market dynamics, focusing on core application scenarios, technical process essentials, regulatory differences, and future trends, aiming to provide strategic references for industry participants.
(I) Core Application Fields, Properties, and Synthesis Processes
The market demand for trans-2, cis-6-nonadienal is highly concentrated in three major fields: food flavoring, daily chemical fragrances, and organic synthetic intermediates. Its natural occurrence, extremely low sensory threshold (detection threshold as low as 0.01 ppb), and unique fresh “cucumber-violet-melon” aroma are the core advantages driving demand growth.
In terms of core properties:
Firstly, it has a distinctive and powerful aroma character. Even at high dilution, it presents a natural, fresh aroma reminiscent of cucumber, violet leaves, and melon, with a hint of fatty and rindy notes, making it a key top note component for constructing “aquatic,” “green,” and “melon” scent profiles.
Secondly, it has wide natural sources. It has been reported to occur naturally in cucumbers, melons, peas, tomatoes, green tea, fish, and other natural products, which provides a basis for its regulatory compliance as a “nature-identical” or “artificial” flavoring substance.
Thirdly, it is chemically reactive. As an α,β-unsaturated aldehyde, its aldehyde group and conjugated double bonds can participate in various addition, redox, and cyclization reactions, providing a foundation for synthesizing other high-value flavor compounds or fine chemicals. Research indicates that under certain conditions (e.g., in fish oil oxidation systems), it may also contribute to unpleasant “fishy” off-flavors.
Synthesis Processes:
The industry currently primarily employs chemical synthesis. One mainstream process involves the oxidation of 2,6-nonadien-1-ol using oxidants like chromium trioxide. Alternatively, synthesis can start from natural starting materials such as hexenol. Due to the compound’s sensitivity to air and the need for extremely high purity in standard materials to ensure consistent and stable aroma, its production process (especially for high-purity pharmaceutical/food-grade standards) must be conducted under strict quality control systems. This includes using advanced purification techniques (e.g., molecular distillation) and stable storage conditions (recommended refrigeration under nitrogen and sealing).
(II) Product Market Pattern and Regional Characteristics
The global market demand for trans-2, cis-6-nonadienal exhibits a pattern of “global R&D and consumption, with high-end markets leading innovation and emerging markets following growth.” Its industrial division of labor is significantly influenced by the development levels of the food & beverage, perfume & cosmetics, and high-end consumer goods industries in various countries.
Regions like Europe, the United States, and Japan dominate the high-end innovative application market. These regions are home to global flavor and fragrance giants (e.g., Givaudan, Firmenich, IFF) and leading food and beverage companies, creating strong demand for ingredients that can create unique flavor and olfactory experiences. Regulatory systems (e.g., EU’s EC) and industry self-regulatory organizations (e.g., FEMA in the US) have clear permissions and usage limits for its use in food (FEMA No.: 3377), which serves as both a market access threshold and a guarantee of standardization and safety. Consequently, markets in these regions have extremely stringent requirements for product purity, isomer ratio, aroma quality, and compliance documentation.
China and the Asia-Pacific region are both significant production and supply bases and rapidly growing consumer markets. China possesses a complete chemical industry chain and numerous fine chemical manufacturers capable of supplying products in various specifications (e.g., purities ≥95%, 96%, 98%) to meet demands ranging from industrial to food grades. With the expansion of the middle class and consumption upgrading in the Asia-Pacific region, local food & beverage and personal care brands are increasingly demanding high-end flavors and fragrances, driving procurement of characteristic raw materials like trans-2, cis-6-nonadienal.
The global R&D and trade network gives the supply chain for this product a distinctly globalized character. Professional chemical distributors and standard suppliers (e.g., BOC Sciences, Parchem, MuseChem in the US) have established worldwide warehousing and logistics systems, providing R&D institutions, university laboratories, and small-to-medium manufacturers with small-batch, multi-lot, high-purity products, accelerating its application in new product development.
(III) Regulatory, Environmental, and Safety Considerations
As a flavor and fragrance ingredient widely used in food and daily chemicals, the production, trade, and use of trans-2, cis-6-nonadienal are regulated by the laws of major consumer markets.
In the US market, it has been evaluated as safe by the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) and is listed on the Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) list with FEMA number 3377 for use in food. Manufacturers and users must comply with relevant FDA regulations.
In the EU market, it is likely approved as a flavoring substance and must comply with relevant EU regulations. Companies need to ensure products meet purity, specification, and usage scope limits.
In other markets, manufacturers and exporters must refer to the food additive and flavor regulations of the target country for compliance declarations.
Safety and Storage/Transportation:
Health Hazards: According to safety data, the substance is irritating to eyes, respiratory system, and skin and may cause skin allergy. Oral toxicity is low (rat oral LD50 >5 g/kg).
Physical Hazards: Flash point is approximately 181°F (83°C), classifying it as a flammable liquid.
Storage & Transportation Requirements: Due to its sensitivity to air, commercial products typically require storage refrigerated at 2-8°C, sealed, and protected from light. Bulk transportation may need to be conducted under an inert atmosphere. International trade transport must comply with relevant dangerous goods transport regulations based on its flash point and other properties for compliant packaging and labeling.
Environmental Aspects: As a fine chemical, solvent use, wastewater treatment, and VOC emissions during its production are environmental concerns. Leading companies are committed to adopting greener synthesis routes and solvent recovery technologies to reduce environmental impact.
(IV) Future Outlook
The market prospect of trans-2, cis-6-nonadienal is closely tied to three major trends: healthy clean-label food & beverages, high-end personalized fragrances, and natural origin claims.
Demand-side Drivers:
Food & Beverage Innovation: Consumer pursuit of “fresh,” “natural,” and “plant-based” flavors is driving the popularity of cucumber, melon, and leafy vegetable notes, promoting the use of this raw material in beverages, dairy products, snacks, and other fields.
Flavor & Fragrance Industry Upgrading: The growing demand for unique, memorable “niche scents” in perfumes, skincare products, and home fragrances sustains the popularity of “aquatic” and “green” accords, cementing its role as a key building block.
Natural & Sustainable: Although primarily synthetic currently, its widespread natural occurrence record makes it more readily accepted by the market. In the future, producing “natural” sources of this compound through biotechnology (e.g., fermentation) may become a new direction for technological development and market demand.
Key challenges facing the industry include:
Stability Challenges: As an unsaturated aldehyde, it is sensitive to light, heat, and oxygen, prone to oxidation and polymerization. Maintaining its fresh, authentic flavor in final products is a significant technical difficulty.
Application Technology Barriers: Its aroma is extremely potent with a very low sensory threshold, requiring highly precise dosage control in formulations. Overuse can easily produce unpleasant “green/grassy” or “fatty” odors.
Regulatory Complexity: Differences in the management regulations for food flavorings across global markets increase the compliance costs for global product sales.
Response Strategies: Enterprises need to focus on three key areas:
Technological Level: Develop more stable and environmentally friendly synthesis and purification processes; research formulation technologies like microencapsulation to improve its stability in final products; explore its application as a chiral intermediate in higher value-added fields like pharmaceuticals.
Application Level: Strengthen collaboration with downstream flavor & fragrance companies and end brands, providing flavor or fragrance solutions centered on this ingredient rather than merely selling raw materials.
Supply Chain & Compliance Level: Establish stable, high-quality production capacity and build a global compliance information database and service team to respond quickly to regulatory requirements in different regions.
Conclusion: Trans-2, cis-6-nonadienal, as a flavor and fragrance compound with a unique aroma and clear functionality, creates distinctive sensory differentiation and high-quality associations for products. Despite challenges related to stability and application technology, its market prospects remain positive under the macro trends of consumption upgrading and the pursuit of personalized experiences. In the future, enterprises with exquisite synthesis and purification technology, profound application insight, and global compliance service capabilities will be better positioned to capture growth opportunities in this niche market.
(V) In-depth Analysis of the Domestic Chinese Market
As a crucial link in the global fine chemicals and flavor & fragrance industry chain, China has developed into a diversified market for trans-2, cis-6-nonadienal characterized by a “solid production and supply foundation, rapidly growing consumer demand, and huge potential for innovative applications.” Its development dynamics deeply reflect the trends of consumption upgrading and industrial transformation in China.
Structural Growth in Market Demand:
Food & Beverage Sector:
This is currently the most significant growth pole. With the booming development of new-style tea drinks, non-alcoholic beverages, healthy snacks, and premium dairy products, brand owners’ pursuit of “fresh and natural,” “plant-based,” and “innovative flavors” has reached an unprecedented level. The authentic cucumber, melon, and green leafy notes provided by trans-2, cis-6-nonadienal have become a key flavor component in creating differentiated hit products. Demand has shifted from early reliance on imports to being driven by formulation design led by domestic flavor companies.
Daily Chemical Fragrance Sector:
Demand is in a phase of rapid ascent. The rise of domestic perfume brands, niche personal care products, and home fragrances has spurred demand for high-quality, distinctive fragrance raw materials. The “aquatic green” accord that this compound excels in aligns perfectly with the current market preference for natural, stress-relieving scents, with applications extending from high-end perfumes to mass-market personal care products.
Exploration of Emerging Applications:
Tentative applications are also emerging in areas such as pet food flavor enhancement, environmental fresheners, and some e-liquid flavorings, demonstrating the breadth of the market.
Supply Chain Structure and Competitive Landscape:
Production End:
China hosts the world’s most active production clusters for fine chemical intermediates. Supply is polarized: on one end are numerous small and medium-sized enterprises capable of large-scale production of industrial and standard food-grade products, meeting mid-to-low-end market demands with cost advantages and flexible supply; on the other end are a few technologically leading enterprises focusing on conquering the synthesis and purification technologies for high-purity (e.g., ≥98%), high sensory quality products, and exploring natural extraction pathways, aiming to penetrate the high-end market and compete with international brands.
Consumer End:
Customers are also clearly stratified. The branches of large international flavor & fragrance companies in China, leading domestic flavor enterprises, and the R&D centers of emerging consumer brands constitute the core demand group for highly compliant, high-quality raw materials. Their scrutiny of suppliers is increasingly stringent, focusing not only on price but more on quality stability, technical support, and full traceability.
Policy and Investment Environment:
The guidance in the “14th Five-Year Plan” for the consumer goods industry to “increase variety, improve quality, and build brands,” coupled with the continuous improvement of food safety regulations, objectively encourages downstream companies to choose higher-quality and safer food flavoring ingredients.
The sustained attention of capital markets to the “beauty economy,” “olfactory economy,” and innovation in food and beverage provides financial support for the upgrading of local brands and the development of new products, indirectly stimulating the market for upstream specialty fragrance raw materials.
In summary, the Chinese market has transformed from a mere “world factory” into a composite market integrating production, consumption, and innovation. For suppliers of trans-2, cis-6-nonadienal, the key to winning the market lies in the ability to provide product solutions that combine superior quality, stable supply, flexible service, and compliance with both local regulations and market demands in China.
(VI) Reasons to Choose Shanghai XinChem Chemical Co., Ltd.
In the increasingly competitive Chinese market, Shanghai XinChem Chemical Co., Ltd., leveraging its profound expertise in organic synthesis and fine chemicals, has become a reliable partner for trans-2, cis-6-nonadienal . Choosing XinChem means selecting a comprehensive value platform that integrates technological assurance, reliable quality, and localized service.
Technology R&D and Process Advantages:
Specialized Synthesis Technology:
To address the characteristics of trans-2, cis-6-nonadienal—its sensitivity to air and the difficulty in controlling isomers—we have developed a proprietary integrated process of catalytic oxidation and distillation purification. By employing a self-selected mild oxidation system and multi-stage precision molecular distillation, side reactions are effectively suppressed, ensuring a high proportion of the target isomer (cis,trans isomer ratio is controllable), authentic aroma, and excellent batch-to-batch consistency.
Comprehensive Purity and Specifications:
We can stably supply a full range of specifications from 95% (suitable for daily chemical fragrances), 98% (suitable for premium food flavors) to 99%+ (suitable for reference standards and stringent research). For food-grade products, we have established strict impurity profile control standards to ensure compliance with domestic and international food safety regulations.
Rigorous Quality and Compliance System:
Full-Chain Quality Control:
We implement a quality management system throughout the entire process, from traceability and qualification of key raw materials, to online monitoring of the production process, and finally to multi-index testing of finished products before shipment (including GC purity, sensory evaluation, moisture, acid value, etc.).
Compliance Assurance:
We conduct in-depth research on Chinese GB standards, US FEMA, and EU-related regulations, ensuring our product production and documentation systems can meet the market access requirements of different clients. Detailed product analysis reports (COA), safety data sheets (SDS), and transportation-required identification documents can be provided with shipments.
Stable Supply Chain and Localized Service:
Production Capacity Guarantee:
We operate dedicated production lines complying with GMP standards in East China, with an annual production capacity of tens of tons, capable of supporting clients’ smooth transition from R&D samples to large-scale commercial orders, ensuring supply security.
Professional Application Support:
We go beyond selling products to provide value-added services. Our experienced technical team can offer technical consultation and solutions for challenges clients face in food flavoring and daily chemical fragrance formulation development, assisting them in optimizing application results.
Rapid Response Mechanism:
Relying on our local presence, we can achieve agile logistics distribution and efficient after-sales communication, quickly responding to various client needs and jointly addressing market changes.
Sustainability and Safety Philosophy:
We actively adopt environmentally friendly solvents in our production processes and equip them with efficient recovery systems, committed to reducing carbon emissions and waste during production.
We have strict specifications for product storage and transportation (e.g., recommended refrigeration, under nitrogen, protected from light), ensuring product quality throughout the entire journey from our factory into the clients’ hands
Contact us now to start a cooperative journey!
Official Website: www.xinchem.com
Email: sales1@xinchem.com
WhatsApp: +86 18049800532
Post time: Feb-10-2026