His experiments focused on elucidating the nature of amygdalin, the poisonous compound found in bitter almonds, the fruit of Prunus dulcis.

[8] Further work on the oil by Pierre Robiquet and Antoine Boutron Charlard, two French chemists, produced benzaldehyde.

Numerous other methods have been developed, such as the partial oxidation of benzyl alcohol, alkali hydrolysis of benzal chloride, and the carbonylation of benzene (the Gatterman-Koch reaction).

[14] Benzaldehyde is easily oxidized to benzoic acid in air at room temperature,[15] causing a common impurity in laboratory samples.

Benzaldehyde is commonly employed to confer almond flavor to foods and scented products, including e-cigarette liquids.

[16] In industrial settings, benzaldehyde is used chiefly as a precursor to other organic compounds, ranging from pharmaceuticals to plastic additives.

[19] As used in food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soap, benzaldehyde is "generally regarded as safe" (GRAS) by the US FDA[20] and FEMA.

[16] Toxicology studies indicate that it is safe and non-carcinogenic in the concentrations used for foods and cosmetics,[16] and may even have anti-carcinogenic (anti-cancer) properties.

[6] An acceptable daily intake of 15 mg/day has been identified for benzaldehyde by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.