hexadecanoic acid

PubChem CID 985Formula C16H32O2MW 256.4263 food sources

Cooking relevance

Hexadecanoic acid (palmitic acid, PubChem CID 985) is a saturated fatty acid that contributes to the texture and mouthfeel of foods. It plays a structural role in fat-based cooking applications, affecting how oils and fats behave during heating and food preparation.

aroma: minimal direct aroma contribution
culinary role: structural fatty acid affecting texture and cooking properties
mass spectra: 61 experimental · MoNA / MassBank

Odor — measured

Measured odor descriptors · sourced from olfactory literature

waxmeasuredwaxymeasureddairymeasuredfattymeasuredgrassmeasuredcreamymeasuredpopcornmeasuredodorlessmeasuredodor_activemeasured

Receptor binding

Measured in literature · peer-reviewed · how this compound interacts with biological receptors

hOR51E2olfactory (smell)agonistKd 9.8 nMM2OR

OR2A42olfactory (smell)inactiveM2OR

OR2A7olfactory (smell)inactiveM2OR

OR2L13olfactory (smell)inactiveM2OR

OR10S1olfactory (smell)inactiveM2OR

OR2W3olfactory (smell)inactiveM2OR

Research associations

Literature-derived · peer-reviewed sources only · not medical advice

cognition disordersFoodAtlas

fatty liverFoodAtlas

hepatomegalyFoodAtlas

infant deathFoodAtlas

inflammationFoodAtlas

insulin resistanceFoodAtlas

malaria, falciparumFoodAtlas

non-alcoholic fatty liver diseaseFoodAtlas

starvationFoodAtlas

vascular calcification

Foods containing this compound

Fat

preserved food of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt (Egyptian New Kingdom), 1425–1353 BCE, in the collection of Museo Egizio, Turin, Italy (S.8239)

Source

Compound data linked to PubChem CID 985, public domain via NCBI. Culinary context + ingredient mappings are maintained by Foodgeist's enrichment fleet and continuously re-matched by the pairings engine. PubChem CID 985

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The Geist can be wrong. Some flavor, taste, and pairing values are model-predicted, not lab-measured.