Used primarily as a flavoring agent due to its fruity, creamy, and buttery aroma. Commonly found in food products to enhance flavor in dairy items such as butter, cream, and cheese. Also utilized in the fragrance industry for creating natural and artificial flavor compositions. Serves as a chiral building block in organic synthesis, particularly in pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals where stereochemistry is important. Its enantiomeric purity makes it valuable in asymmetric synthesis and development of bioactive molecules.