4-Hexylresorcinol
136-77-6 · 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 · E586 · 4-HEXYLRESORCINOL · 586 · 4-hexylbenzene-1,3-diol · 4-Hexylresorcinol · 4-Esilresorcinolo · 4-EŻILRESORĊINOL · 4-Eżilreżorċinol · 4-heksilresorcinol · 4-heksilrezorcinol · 4-heksilrezorcinolis · 4-heksilrezorcīns · 4-heksylorezorcynol · 4-heksyyliresorsinoli · 4-heksüülresortsinool · 4-hexil-rezorcin · 4-hexilresorcinol · 4-hexilrezorcinol · 4-Hexylresorcin · 4-hexylresorcinol · 4-Hexylrezorcinol · 4-εξυλορεσορκινόλη · 4-хексилрезорцинолE number E586INS 586CAS 136-77-6
Listed as a preservative, an antioxidant and a colour retention agent by Canada and Codex.
Listed as preservatives (CA) · antioxidants (Codex) · colour retention agents (Codex)
- Canada: Preservative — Health Canada, List of Permitted Preservatives (List 11)
- Codex Alimentarius: Antioxidant — CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 586
- Codex Alimentarius: Colour retention agent — CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 586
4-Hexylresorcinol is used on prawns and shrimp to prevent blackspot, the enzymatic darkening of the head and shell after harvest. It is an alternative to the sulphites traditionally used for the same purpose.
Where it is and isn’t permitted
| Jurisdiction | Status | Scope and limits | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia and New Zealand | Permitted | 1 food category no numerical limit (good manufacturing practice) | Food Standards Code, Schedule 15, S15—5, item 9.1.2, INS 586retrieved 2026-10-17 |
| Canada | Permitted, with conditions | no numerical limit (good manufacturing practice) In: Crustaceans. Purpose: Preservative. Limit: Good Manufacturing Practice. Residue not to exceed 1.0 ppm in the edible portion of the uncooked food. | Health Canada, List of Permitted Preservatives (List 11), item H.1retrieved 2026-10-17 |
| European Union | Permitted, with conditions | 1 food category highest permitted level 2 mg/kg ML = 2 mg/kg. only fresh, frozen or deep-frozen crustaceans. Note 90: As a residue in the meat. | Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II, as amended by (EU) No 2015/0647retrieved 2026-10-18 |
| Great Britain | Permitted, with conditions | 1 food category highest permitted level 2 mg/kg or mg/l ML = 2. Only fresh, frozen or deep-frozen crustaceans. Note (90): As a residue in the meat. | Assimilated Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II (as at 28 June 2024)retrieved 2026-10-18 |
| Japan | No listing matchedThis site imports only Japan’s list of designated additives (Appended Table 1 to the Regulations for Enforcement of the Food Sanitation Act), matched by English name. Existing additives, natural flavouring agents and ordinary foods used as additives are permitted outside that list and are not imported, so an empty row does not show that Japan does not permit the substance. | ||
| South Korea | No listing matchedThis site imports Part III of South Korea’s Standards and Specifications for Food Additives, matched by CAS number, then INS number, then exact name. Mixed preparations and sanitisers are not imported, and an entry whose identifiers disagreed with a page’s is held for review, so an empty row does not show that South Korea does not permit the substance. | ||
| United States | Not listedDoes not appear on this jurisdiction’s permitted list. That is not the same as being prohibited. | ||
| Codex Alimentarius | Permitted, with conditions | 2 food categories highest permitted level 50 mg/kg Show every food category and its notes
| CXS 192-1995 Table One, INS 586and 1 further provisionretrieved 2026-09-07 |
How much is permitted
A listing usually limits the quantity as well as the food. Only one of the forms that takes is a figure: quantum satis and good manufacturing practice permit the amount the technological effect requires and no more, which is a limit rather than the absence of one. Figures below are the range across every food category this page is listed in, and categories differ between regulators — see how much is permitted.
| Australia and New Zealand | — | 1 GMP |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | — | 1 GMP |
| European Union | 2 mg/kg | 1 numeric limit |
| Great Britain | 2 mg/kg | 1 numeric limit |
| Codex Alimentarius | 50 mg/kg | 2 numeric limit |
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
Compare other additives on the dietary indexes.
- CAS registry number
- 136-77-6
- InChIKey
- WFJIVOKAWHGMBH-UHFFFAOYSA-N
- PubChem
- CID 3610
The two specifications, compared
The European Union sets identity and purity by regulation; JECFA publishes its own through FAO, advisory until a country adopts it. Both documents are below in full. These are the parameters each puts a number on.
| Parameter | European Union | JECFA |
|---|---|---|
| Assay | no less than 98 % | no less than 98 % |
| Sulphated ash | no more than 0.1 % | no more than 0.1 % |
| Lead | no more than 2 mg/kg | no more than 2 mg/kg |
| Mercury | no more than 3 mg/kg | no more than 3 mg/kg |
The two documents state the same figures for every parameter compared here.
How the EU defines it
The legal specification an additive must meet to be sold as this E number in the EU — what it is, how it may be made, and the purity it must reach. From Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012.
E 586 4-hexylresorcinol
Synonyms: 4-Hexyl-1,3-benzenediol; Hexylresorcinol
Assay, identification and purity criteria
Description and assay
- Einecs
- 205-257-4
- Chemical name
- 4-Hexylresorcinol
- Chemical formula
- C₁₂H₁₈O₂
- Molecular weight
- 197,24
- Assay
- Not less than 98 % on the dried basis (4 hours at room temperature)
- Description
- White powder
Identification
- Solubility
- Freely soluble in ether and acetone; very slightly soluble in water
- Nitric acid test
- To 1 ml of a saturated solution of the sample, add 1 ml of nitric acid. A light red colour appears
- Bromine test
- To 1 ml of saturated solution of the sample, add 1 ml of bromine TS. A yellow, flocculent precipitate dissolves producing a yellow solution
Purity criteria
- Melting range
- 62 to 67 °C
- Acidity
- Not more than 0,05 %
- Sulphated ash
- Not more than 0,1 %
- Resorcinol and other phenols
- Shake about 1 g of the sample with 50 ml of water for a few minutes, filter, and to the filtrate add 3 drops of ferric chloride TS. No red or blue colour is produced
- Nickel
- Not more than 2 mg/kg
- Lead
- Not more than 2 mg/kg
- Mercury
- Not more than 3 mg/kg
How JECFA defines it
The international specification for identity and purity, prepared by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives and published by FAO. It is a different document from any above, written by a different body and revised on its own cycle; it is advisory, and a country adopts it or does not.
4-Hexylresorcinol
Synonyms: 4-Hexyl-1,3-benzenediol, Hexylresorcinol 4-Hexyl-1,3-benzenediol; Hexylresorcinol
Assay, identification and purity criteria
Description and assay
- Specification history
- Prepared at the 51st JECFA (1998), published in FNP 52 Add 6 superseding specifications prepared at the 44th JECFA, published in FNP 52 Add 3 (1995). ADI "treatment of crustacea at concentrations of up to 50 mg/l, resulting in residue levels of approximately 1 mg/kg in edible portion, is not of toxicological concern", established at the 44th JECFA in 1995.
- Chemical names
- 4-Hexylresorcinol
- C.A.S. number
- 136-77-6
- Chemical formula
- C 12 H 18 O 2
- Formula weight
- 197.24
- Assay
- Not less than 98.0% on the dried basis
- DESCRIPTION
- White powder
- FUNCTIONAL USES
- Antioxidant, colour retention agent
- METHOD OF ASSAY
- Indicator solution Mix 1 g of soluble starch with 10 mg of mercuric iodide and sufficient cold water to make a thin paste. Add 200 ml of boiling water, and boil for 1 min with continuous stirring. Cool and use only the clear solution. Procedure Accurately weigh into a 250-ml iodine flask 70-100 mg of the sample, previously dried for 4 hours at room temperature over silicagel, and dissolve the sample in 10 ml of methanol. Add 30.0 ml of bromide/bromate TS, then quickly 5 ml of hydrochloric acid and insert the stopper in the flask immediately. Cool the flask under running water to room temperature, shake vigorously for 5 min, then set aside for 5 min. Add 6 ml of potassium iodide TS around the stopper, cautiously loosen the stopper, again insert the stopper tightly, and swirl gently. Add 1 ml of chloroform, and titrate the liberated iodine with 0.1N sodium thiosulfate, adding 3 ml of Indicator solution as the end point is approached. Perform a blank determination. Content of C 12 H 18 O 2 is where B = ml of 0.1N sodium thiosulfate used for the blank S = ml of 0.1N sodium thiosulfate used for the sample W = mg of the weighed sample
Identification
- Solubility (Vol. 4)
- Freely soluble in ether and acetone; very slightly soluble in water
- Nitric acid test
- To 1 ml of a saturated solution of the sample, add 1 ml of nitric acid. A light red colour appears.
- Bromine test
- To 1 ml of a saturated solution of the sample, add 1 ml of bromine TS. A yellow, flocculent precipitate is formed. Add 2 ml of ammonia TS, and the precipitate dissolves producing a yellow solution.
- Infrared absorption
- The infrared spectrum of the sample contained in a sodium chloride cell or between salt plates corresponds to the infrared spectrum below.
Purity criteria
- Melting range (Vol. 4)
- 62 - 67º
- Acidity
- Not more than 0.05% Dissolve 250 mg of the sample in water, add methyl red TS, and titrate with 0.02 N sodium hydroxide. No more than 1.0 ml is required for neutralization.
- Sulfated ash (Vol. 4)
- Not more than 0.1%
- Resorcinol and other phenols
- Shake about 1 g of the sample with 50 ml of water for a few min, filter, and to the filtrate add 3 drops of ferric chloride TS. No red or blue colour is produced.
- Nickel (Vol. 4)
- Not more than 2 mg/kg Dissolve 2 g of the sample in sufficient methanol to produce 20 ml and continue as directed in the Limit Test, beginning with "add 3 ml of bromine TS ...".
- Mercury (Vol. 4)
- Not more than 3 mg/kg
- Lead (Vol. 4)
- Not more than 2 mg/kg Determine using an atomic absorption technique appropriate to the specified level. The selection of sample size and method of sample preparation may be based on the principles of the method described in Volume 4, “Instrumental Methods.”
- Infrared spectrum
- 4-Hexylresorcinol
Every name it appears under
84 recorded names. A label may use any of them.
E number
- E586
INS number
- 4-HEXYLRESORCINOL
- 586
CAS registry number
- 136-77-6
As it appears in regulation
- 4-Hexylresorcinol
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
What assessing bodies concluded
Each conclusion is paraphrased in the body's own framing, from the published opinion linked beneath it. Where bodies differ, both stand; this site does not adjudicate between them or add a view of its own.
EFSA 2014
The ANS Panel agreed with the SCF that the data did not allow an ADI to be set for 4-hexylresorcinol (E 586), but considered the margin of safety sufficient and concluded it was toxicologically acceptable for preventing melanosis in shrimps and related crustaceans provided residues do not exceed 2 mg/kg. It said any increase in permitted use would require reproductive toxicity studies and recommended monitoring of residue levels.
Common questions
Assembled from what is above, in the words the questions are usually asked in. Each answer is the same statement the relevant section makes, with the same citations behind it.
- What is E 586?
- E 586 is 4-Hexylresorcinol. 4-Hexylresorcinol is used on prawns and shrimp to prevent blackspot, the enzymatic darkening of the head and shell after harvest. It is an alternative to the sulphites traditionally used for the same purpose.
- What is 4-Hexylresorcinol used for in food?
- It is listed as a preservative, an antioxidant and a colour retention agent — the role Canada and Codex assign it. This page shows every function each regulator records, with the citation for each.
- Where is 4-Hexylresorcinol permitted?
- Of the seven regulators this site reads, Australia and New Zealand, Canada, the EU, Great Britain and the Codex standard permit it. Each permission is for named foods at named levels, not a blanket one; the table on this page gives them with citations.
- Is 4-Hexylresorcinol vegan?
- Yes. 4-Hexylresorcinol is not derived from animals, and is suitable for vegetarians. This page says what it is made from and how.
Sources for this page
- anz retrieved 2026-10-17
- ca retrieved 2026-10-17
- eu retrieved 2026-10-18
- gb retrieved 2026-10-18
- gsfa retrieved 2026-09-07
- euspecs retrieved 2026-10-18
- jecfaspecs retrieved 2026-09-23
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