4-Hexylresorcinol

E number E586INS 586CAS 136-77-6

Used as an antioxidant — Codex also lists it as colour retention agent.

4-Hexylresorcinol stops prawns and shrimp going black at the head and shell. That blackening is enzymatic, not spoilage — the animal is perfectly good to eat — but it looks wrong, and this additive replaced the sulphites once used for the job, which had to be declared as allergens.

Where it is and isn’t permitted

Status of 4-Hexylresorcinol by jurisdiction. Every jurisdiction this site covers is listed, including those where the substance does not appear.
JurisdictionStatusScope and limitsCitation
United StatesFood and Drug AdministrationNot listedDoes not appear on this jurisdiction’s permitted list. That is not the same as being prohibited.
Codex AlimentariusCodex Alimentarius Commission / JECFAPermitted, with conditions

2 food categories

highest permitted level 50 mg/kg

Show every food category
  • 09.1.2 Fresh molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms — 50 mg/kg
  • 09.2.1 Frozen fish, fish fillets, and fish products, including molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms — 50 mg/kg
CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 586and 1 further provisionretrieved 2026-09-07

What it is made from

Produced by chemical synthesis from resorcinol. It works by blocking the polyphenol oxidase enzyme that causes the darkening.

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
CAS registry number
136-77-6
InChIKey
WFJIVOKAWHGMBH-UHFFFAOYSA-N
PubChem
CID 3610

Every name it appears under

65 recorded names. A label may use any of them.

E number

  • E586

INS number

  • 4-HEXYLRESORCINOL
  • 586

CAS registry number

  • 136-77-6

Other names

  • 1, 4-hexyl-
  • 1,3-Benzenediol, 4-hexyl-
  • 1,3-Dihydroxy-4-hexylbenzene
  • 1,3-Dihydroxy-4-n-hexylbenzene
  • 1-(2',4'-Dihydroxyphenyl)hexane
  • 4 Hexylresorcinol
  • 4-(1-Hexyl)resorcinol
  • 4-hexyl resorcinol
  • 4-Hexyl-1,3-benzenediol
  • 4-Hexyl-1,3-dihydroxybenzene
  • 4-Hexyl-benzenediol
  • 4-hexylbenzene-1,3-diol
  • 4-Hexylresorcine
  • 4-Hexylresorcinol
  • 4-Hexylresorcinol, 8CI
  • 4-Hexylresorcinol, 98%
  • 4-n-Hexylresorcinol
  • Adrover
  • Antascarin
  • Ascaricid
  • Ascarinol
  • Ascaryl
  • BRN 2048312
  • Caprokol
  • CAS-136-77-6
  • CCRIS 888
  • Crystoids
  • Cystoids anthelmintic
  • E 586
  • EverFresh
  • Gelovermin
  • hexyl resorcinol
  • Hexylresorcin
  • Hexylresorcinol
  • Hexylresorcinol (Standard)
  • Hexylresorcinol (USP)
  • Hexylresorcinol CRS
  • Hexylresorcinol, BAN, USAN
  • Hexylresorcinolum
  • Hexylresorzin
  • Hidesol
  • HSDB 566
  • INS NO.586
  • INS-586
  • Kopnol
  • MUCINEX INSTASOOTHE
  • MUCINEX INSTASOOTHE SORE THROAT PLUS PAIN RELIEF
  • MUCINEX INSTASOOTHE SORE THROAT PLUS SOOTHING COMFORT
  • Mycoderm
  • Myxcin-C
  • Oxana
  • p-Hexylresorcinol
  • Prensol
  • R9QTB5E82N
  • Resorcinol, 4-hexyl-
  • Sucrets
  • terrasil First Aid Antiseptic Wound and Burn Care
  • terrasil First Aid Antiseptic Wound and Burn Care Kit
  • WLN: QR CQ D6
  • Worm-agen

Systematic names

  • 4-hexylbenzene-1,3-diol

Hazard reference values

No reference value for this substance in the sources we hold.

Evidence and how bodies read it

Studies, and the differing conclusions regulators drew from them, are curated by hand rather than machine-read, and none has been written for this substance yet.

Sources for this page

  • gsfa retrieved 2026-09-07

Full licence terms and publisher details on Sources. How this page is built and updated: Method.

Machine-readable:/api/v1/additives/4-hexylresorcinol.json