Caproic acid also known as Hexanoic acid, is a carboxylic acid derived from hexane with chemical formula CH3(CH2)4COOH. It is a colorless oily liquid with cheesy, fatty, and waxy odor resembling goats and barnyard animals. This fatty acid is naturally found in fats and oils and is a chemical which provides decomposing fleshy seed coat of ginkgo indicating unpleasant odor. It is used for manufacturing its esters for artificial flavors or manufacturing hexyl derivatives such as hexylphenols. Esters and salts of caproic acid are known as caproates and hexanoates. The word caproic acid was derived from Latin word caper which refers goat. It was first isolated in 1816 by Chevreul M.E. from butter.
Dietary Sources
| Food name | Weight (g) | Caproic acid (g) |
| Feta cheese | 150 | 0.792 |
| Swiss cheese | 132 | 0.715 |
| Parmesan cheese | 100 | 0.559 |
| Mozzarella cheese | 112 | 0.5 |
| Provolone cheese | 132 | 0.488 |
| Ice creams | 148 | 0.462 |
| Sheep’s milk | 245 | 0.355 |
| Coconut milk | 226 | 0.273 |
| Ricotta cheese | 124 | 0.227 |
| Gruyere cheese | 28.35 | 0.176 |
| Coconut | 80 | 0.153 |
| Romano cheese | 28.35 | 0.144 |
| Cheshire cheese | 28.35 | 0.138 |
| Caraway cheese | 28.35 | 0.132 |
| Goat cheese | 28.35 | 0.131 |
| Edam cheese | 28.35 | 0.131 |
| Yogurt | 170 | 0.112 |
| Cheddar cheese | 19 | 0.107 |
| Blue cheese | 28.35 | 0.102 |
| Butter | 5 | 0.1 |