5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF)
compound / compound-hmf
5-ヒドロキシメチルフルフラール / 5-(hydroxymethyl)furan-2-carbaldehyde
5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a furanic compound produced by heating sugars (caramelization/Maillard reaction). Most frequently reported as a compound that contributes to the bitter taste of caramel models.
On this page (8 sections)
Reading the bitterness
A systematic review of 21 prior studies examining caramel and Maillard reaction models using heated sugars found that 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) was the most frequently detected furanic compound in the prior research on caramel models, followed by furfural and 5-methylfurfural. The review reports that these 3 furanic compounds contribute to the bitter taste of caramel models.
The introduction of a paper summarizing prior research on bitter-tasting compounds in roasted coffee states that HMF, along with furfuryl alcohol, various pyrazines, and 2,5-diketopiperazines, has been proposed as candidate bitter compounds, but that the contribution of these compounds to the overall bitter taste of coffee has not been confirmed to date.
There is an example in heated food where, even though HMF increased, it could not be determined to be the main cause of bitterness. In freeze-dried samples of atemoya pulp treated at 85°C for 30 minutes, HMF was 2838.51±13.02 ng/g (mean±standard deviation, 3 replicates). This is below the in-water bitterness threshold of 3780 ng/g that the paper cited from another study. However, because this is not a comparison that directly measured the threshold in atemoya, it is also not grounds for concluding that HMF makes no contribution.
Sources for this overview
Determination and analytical methods for furanic compounds in caramel models
Checked for this overview: Using the finding that HMF is the most frequently detected furanic compound.
Impact of Interactions between Melanoidins and Caffeine on the Bitter Taste of Coffee Beverages
Checked for this overview: Using the description that HMF's bitter taste contribution in roasted coffee remains unconfirmed.
Checked for this overview: Used for atemoya at 85°C for 30 minutes, HMF 2838.51±13.02 ng/g (mean±standard deviation, 3 replicates), the cited in-water threshold of 3780 ng/g, and the limitation that the threshold in the food itself was not measured.
Follow the connections
caramelization →contains→ 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF)
5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) →— perceived bitterness is a…→ bitterness →can be measured separately …→ astringency
burnt cream →contains→ 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF)
Structured claims — open a section to read each claim's confidence, evidence and limits
Composition and content (1)
Scope: Luo et al. 2024; homogenized pulp of Taiwan-grown atemoya; sealed and treated at 65/75/85°C for 30 minutes, then freeze-dried; quantified by HPLC-UV.
Note: The in-water threshold is a value cited from Li et al. 2021; this study did not measure a sensory threshold for HMF alone in atemoya. The difference in food matrix is not disregarded to conclude that there is no contribution.
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compound-hmf —has_measured_content_in→ "HMF in atemoya pulp treated at 85°C for 30 minutes was 2838.51±13.02 ng/g (mean±standard deviation, 3 replicates), below the 3780 ng/g that the same paper cited as the in-water bitterness threshold."Sensory (1)
Scope: Layer: Literature. Introduction section summarizing prior research on bitter-tasting compounds in roasted coffee.
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compound-hmf —has_perceived_bitterness_associated_with→ sensation-bitterHow processing and cooking change it (2)
Scope: Layer: Literature. A systematic review of 21 prior studies examining caramel and Maillard reaction models prepared by heating monosaccharides and disaccharides derived from sugar (with glucose being used most frequently).
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process-caramelization —contains→ compound-hmfScope: Chan et al. 2025 systematic review, a caramel/Maillard reaction model using sugars and amino acids (an aggregation of 21 prior studies).
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dish-creme-brulee —contains→ compound-hmf