Oleoresins & Extracts FAQs
What are oleoresins made of?
Typically, oleoresins are the natural extractives or oil from a plant, herb, or seed. Paprika Oleoresins are the result of extraction of carotenoid pigments from matured capsicum fruit. This can be done using an organic solvent (typically hexane) or oil. The extracted pigments (extractives) are then concentrated using centrifuge. To standardize the pigments, vegetable oil is usually added to the concentrates until the desired color (extractable ASTA color) is achieved.
How do you use oleoresins?
Usually used in industrial applications where a ground spice paprika was needed to achieve a desired redness in a formulation or recipe, but the amount of paprika required to attain that color would add too much solid material. The concentrate achieves the color without the added bulk. It is also used in beverages where strong color is needed, but particulates are not desired.
What does oleoresin mean?
It is a natural or artificial mixture of essential oils and a resin, e.g. balsam.
How to steam distill oleoresins?
This process is more for essential oils. A ground up plant or herb medium is heated and the volatile oils are extracted, captured, and condensed via steam distillation
How is oleoresin extracted?
Typically a solvent is used under heat to extract fatty oils from a medium (like paprika)
What is the difference between essential oils and oleoresins?
Essential oils are less dense volatile oil compounds that can be extracted via steam distillation. Oleoresins are typically a heavier compound and a solvent is used for extraction.