What is oleoresin?
An oleoresin is a natural flavoring ingredient that is extracted from plants (flavorings) with a non-drinkable volatile solvent and then removed. Typical solvents used for extraction are acetone, CO2, ethyl acetate, dichloroethane, methanol and methylene chloride. India is the largest producer of oleoresin.
Oleoresin contains the following ingredients:
Essential oil
(Volatile compounds that provide aroma and flavor)
non-volatile
(Offering spicy or warm products)
Fixed oil
(Usually found in seeds)
pigment
(Chlorophyll and carotenoids)
Natural antioxidants
(Inhibits taste and color degradation)
Oleoresin is made from spices such as basil, cayenne pepper (used for heat, or cayenne pepper for red), cardamom, celery seed, and cinnamon
Bark, clove buds, fenugreek, ginger, nutmeg, Marjoram, nutmeg, parsley, pepper (black and white), bell pepper (aromatic), rosemary, sage, salty (summer and winter), thyme, turmeric (yellow), vanilla and Bay (West Indies).
The choice of solvent used in extraction is determined by the specific raw material or spice. Oleoresin is added to almost all food applications to enhance the properties of natural flavors such as taste, color or to act as natural antioxidants. Because oleoresin is highly concentrated, it is usually diluted before final use. They can be mixed with dry crystalline components such as salt, sugar or glucose, or with other vegetable oils. In water-based applications, such as beverages or pickling, oleoresin can be mixed with emulsifiers to make it water-dispersible.
The use of flavoring oleoresin has several advantages over abrasive flavoring. Oleoresin is natural, cost-effective, clean (no microbial growth) and has a long shelf life. Because they are concentrated, they are easier to store and transport.