Data Loading...
Essential Oils Widely Used in Flavors and Fragrances Flipbook PDF
Specialty Plant Products Essential Oils Widely Used in Flavors and Fragrances Essential oils and their derivatives are w
125 Views
30 Downloads
FLIP PDF 489.79KB
Specialty Plant Products
Essential Oils Widely Used in Flavors and Fragrances Essential oils and their derivatives are widely used as flavors and fragrances, a market estimated to be worth $9 billion. In 1994, the United States exported essential oils valued at $176.1 million, while importing$206.7 million. U.S. productionof peppermint and spearmint oils in 1994 were 7.4 and 2.2 millionpounds, respectively. Supplies of orange oiland d-limonene, which are highly dependent upon orange juice production in Brazil and the United States, could continue to be tight into 1996. Essential oils, also called volatile or ethereal oils, refer to a large class of natural aromatic substances found in various flowers, leaves, seeds, roots, bark, wood, resin, and the rinds of some fruits. These substances resemble oils in appearance, but they are generally light, non-greasy, and highly volatile-meaning they evaporate readily. Essential oils, therefore, are chemically distinct from, and should not be confused with, fatty oils.
remains tight for many oils. While most users of essential oils are companies in Europe, the United States, and Japan, essential oil production occurs throughout the world. Though the United States is a large consumer of essential oils, U.S. production of major essential oils is limited mainly to byproducts of the citrus, wood, and pulping industries. Peppermint and spearmint are the only major oils that are produced as primary products from crops grown in the United States.
Essential oils are typically named after the plants from which they are derived-for example, peppermint oil and orange oil-and are called "essential" because they tend to represent the natural "essence" of the plant based on various characteristics such as odor and taste. Essential oils and their derivatives are widely used as flavors and fragrances, and some are used for their chemical or biological activity.
High costs of production and stiff competition from existing producers are major barriers to market entry. Production requires large amounts of raw material to yield significant quantities of oil and often requires large capital investments to process, extract, and store the oil. In addition, a new producer will often face fierce price competition from existing producers, both foreign and domestic. Some foreign countries even have special government-subsidized programs designed to promote the essential-oil industry by helping to absorb certain costs. Also, most essential oils have established buyer-seller relationships. Buyers and users of essential oils
Essential oils are used in a wide variety of products including foods, beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, bug repellents, solvents, and more. In some cases, the oil itself may be the final product sold to consumers. It is hard to determine how many oils are commercially traded, but nearly 70 are listed
Table 15-Essential oils: Estimated world production and value,
in the CTFA Cosmetic Ingredient Handbook (1), and it is
top 20 oils
likely many more are sold in markets throughout the world. Production figures for most essential oils are hard to come by, but Brian M. Lawrence, a noted authority on essential oils, has estimated the world's top 20 oils by volume (table 15).
Essential oil
Volume Tons
Value $1,000
Orange Cornmint
26,000
58,500
Essential Oils Face Growing Markets and Stiff Competition Essential oils are an important component of the worldwide flavors and fragrances markets, now estimated to be worth nearly $9 billion (2). One recent study done by the Business Communications Company estimates that sales of chemicals used in finished cosmetic and toiletry products will reach $3.7 billion by 1998. Essential oils are the largest and most expensive chemical ingredients used to make these products (3). Two factors that are likely driving demand upward are: the "green revolution" and improving standards of living in many developing economies. The "green revolution" has many
consumers in developed countries increasingly interested in products with natural ingredients, while rising standards of living and increased international trade are opening new mar-
kets for many personal-care products. While strong worldwide flavor and fragrance markets continue to provide outlets for essential oils, market competition Industrial Uses/IUS-5/September 1995
Peppermint
4,300 3,728 2,830 2,367
Lemon Eualyptus, Clove leaf itronellaltype Cedarwood (U.S.) Litsea cubeba Sassafras (Brazil) Lime, distilled (Brazil) Native spearmint Cedarwood (Chinese) Lavandin Sassafras (Chinese) Sassafras(Chinese)
2,158 2,092 1,915 1,640 1,005 1,000 973 851 800 768 750 750
Eucalyptus, cineole-type
Citronella
Coriander Grapefruit Patchouli
710 694 563
34,400 29,800 10,800 28,400
21,600 7,300 7,700 9,800 17,100
4,000 7,300 17,000 3,200 6,100 3,000 3,600
49,700 13,900 6,800
Source: Brian M.Lawrence, "APlanning Scheme to Evaluate New Aromatic Plants for the Flavor and Fragrance Industries,' New Crops: Exploration, Research, and Commercialization, Jules Janick and James E.Simon, Editors, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, NY, 1993, p. 620.
29
often have product formulas that are dependent on certain oil qualities and characteristics. Buyers, therefore, look for producers who can supply consistent and sufficient quantities of quality oils, and are reluctant to change. Extraction Methods Vary Chemically, essential oils are mostly tropanes, poly-isoprenoid units, aromatics, heterocyclics, and terpenes. The oils are generally located in specialized glands or cells of the plant, and can be extracted from plant material using various methods including direct steam distillation, water distillation, water and steam distillation, solvent extraction, and mechanical pressing. Other specialty methods of essential oil extraction may be used to produce some exotic and often more expensive oils. The specific method used depends upon the plant material and the desired characteristics of the end product. Direct steam distillation or water and steam distillation are the most common extraction methods for most high-volume essential oils, such as the mint oils, eucalyptus oils, citronella, cedarwood, distilled lime, coriander, and patchouli. Prior to distillation, the plant material is often field cured, dried, and/or partially disintegrated in order to expose as many oil glands as possible to the steam. In a basic steam distillation unit, steam releases the volatile oil from the plant material, and the steam and oil then pass through a cold-water condenser to a collection container, where the volatile oil will float on top of the water and can be removed.
Solvent extraction is often used for more delicate plant materials such as flower petals, where high-temperature steam distillation would alter the chemical composition of the essential oil. The solvent chemically extracts the essential oil from the plant material, and then the solvent and the oil are separated. Various solvents can be used, but if the product is destined for human consumption in some form, alcohol (methyl or ethyl) is usually used because of possible solvent residue. U.S. essential oil trade was at record-high levels for both imports and exports in 1994 (tables 16 and 17). The United States exported a total of 12.3 million kilograms of essential oils valued at $176.1 million, while importing 25.4 million kilograms worth $206.7 million. Record exports were largely attributed to gains in peppermint, spearmint, and orange oils. Record imports were due mostly to an increase in orange oil. Mint and citrus oils (including bergamot) continue to be the most important export oils for the United States, accounting for 55 and 27 percent, respectively, of the total essential-oil export value in 1994. Major foreign markets for U.S. mint oils include the United Kingdom, Japan, and France, while major markets for U.S. citrus oils include the United Kingdom, Japan, and Canada. Citrus oils were also a significant portion of U.S. essential oil imports, accounting for 33 percent of total import value. Major foreign suppliers are Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and Italy.
Most citrus oils, except distilled lime, are recovered from the fruit rinds by mechanical expression, and are largely a byproCitrus Oil Supply Dependent on Juice Production duct of the juice industry. Depending on the type of equipdument, juice industry. can Depending oilplace type or Citrus oilswith are four likelyof the most widelylemon, used essential in ment, ofoiltheextraction extraction can take take place before, before, duringhe during, or afterquipafter the world, them-orange, lime, and oils grapejuice extraction. The basic cold-pressed, oil-recovery process the world, wit-ranking in thetop 20 in volume. Most citrus oils, involves rupturing (by mechanically pressing) the balloonfruit-ranking the top 20 m volume Most citrus oils shaped oil glands of the peel in water. The resulting mixture particularly bergamot and orange, are used as fragrance comis strained to remove large particles of peel and other debris, ponents in many cosmetic and personal-care products, such
and then is centrifuged to separate the oil and water.
as soaps, detergents, creams, lotions, and perfumes. Orange,
Table 16-U.S. essential oil imports, volume and value, selected oils, 1992-94 1992 1993 Essential oil Volume Value Volume Kilograms $1,000 Kilograms Peppermint Spearmint Other mint Bergamot Grapefruit Lemon Lime Orange Other citrus Cassia Cedarwood Citronella Geranium Lavender Patchouli Rose Sandalwood Other essential oils
40,704 240,265 116,015 42,362 205,981 1,721,645 1,037,955 9,989,360 231,612 445,091 365,855 567,597 53,074 484,628 246,352 3,140 28,716 3,835,030
Total 19,655,382 Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. 30
1994 Value $1,000
Volume Kilograms
Value $1,000
654.5 3,171.7 817.6 3,782.5 1,162.5 27,898.3 14,406.8 12,272.1 2,430.6 15,117.3 1,276.1 2,267.1 1,969.5 6,914.0 4,064.6 7,519.1 3,152.8 77,809.3
146,739 318,487 79,498 37,821 178,501 1,406,479 756,724 11,908,627 358,230 285,158 338,179 885,843 64,251 417,518 390,100 2,504 31,052 4,322,144
2,558.1 3,019.5 859.6 2,362.9 1,331.4 23,028.6 13,267.9 16,205.6 2,866.6 16,477.1 1,693.6 3,955.2 2,924.9 6,253.5 7,398.6 6,666.0 3,280.9 73,471.2
305,417 426,144 76,858 37,970 272,261 1,368,513 864,563 14,880,881 205,115 473,738 557,895 626,107 82,707 339,621 454,918 5,443 26,398 4,432,021
5,622.7 5,184.6 834.9 1,607.6 2,599.8 22,918.8 15,175.0 23,525.6 2,863.3 17,571.4 2,977.5 4,767.6 4,710.2 4,982.8 8,999.7 6,713.6 3,669.9 72,024.0
186,686.4
21,927,855
187,621.2
25,436,570
206,749.0
Industrial Uses/lUS-5/September 1995
Table 17-U.S. essential oil exports, volume and value, selected oils, 1992-94 1992 Essential oil Volume Value Kilograms $1,000 Peppermint Spearmint Other mint Bergamot Lemon Lime Orange Other citrus Cedarwood, Clove, and Nutmeg Geranium Jasmine Lavender Vetiver Other essential oils
1994 Value $1,000
Volume Kilograms
Value $1,000
1,568,728 644,246 308,393 185,331 868,772 231,407 3,407,916 647,530
52,613.3 21,254.9 7,640.8 2,914.3 10,526.7 5,052.3 10,195.5 6,272.7
1,655,168 700,752 164,177 180,162 841,422 196,528 3,665,228 727,524
53,278.9 22,601.6 4,236.0 3,540.0 11,834.4 4,057.5 11,965.2 10,083.0
2,115,696 739,792 228,689 112,176 818,210 282,917 4,207,009 906,093
66,925.3 24,207.0 5,307.3 1,907.2 11,928.2 4,607.7 17,142.6 12,532.5
649,976 58,786 22,813 76,481 15,933 1,546,812
5,236.7 1,565.9 62.4 1,431.7 434.8 21,700.7
823,367 18,130 8,603 59,983 10,507 2,164,095
5,347.4 671.2 135.2 1,358.3 431.7 24,829.8
883,910 39,450 4,739 73,944 12,570 1,899,838
4,736.2 977.4 152.5 1,712.6 503.3 23,503.4
146,902.7
11,215,646
154,370.2
12,325,033
176,143.2
Total 10,233,124 Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census.
lemon, lime, grapefruit, and to a lesser extent bergamot, are also used extensively as flavoring agents in many food products, including alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, frozen dairy products, candy, baked goods, gelatins and puddings, meat and meat products, and others. In large part, the current market situation for orange oil is very dependant on juice production and markets in major producing countries, such as Brazil and the United States. Large orange juice production often translates into large oil production. Last year's drought in Brazil resulted in lower quantities of oil available from Brazil, and has led to increased prices for both U.S. and Brazilian oils. Since the beginning of the 1994 processing crop in Brazil, spot prices for California orange oil have doubled, while Florida and Brazilian oils have more than tripled (table 52). Early indications are for a strong orange crop in Brazil this year, but early juice output forecasts are down 9 percent from last year due to expected lower juice yields and increased domestic demand for fresh oranges. In addition, last year's drought delayed bloom and fruit set for the 1995 crop, and full-scale processing did not get underway until August. U.S. juice production will not be in full swing until December 1995. If supplies of juice from Brazil are indeed lower, it could be an indication of even higher orange oil prices to come. D-Iimonene Used for Adhesives Most citrus essential oils are high in terpene content, and particularly the monoterpene hydrocarbon d-limonene, which accounts for 90 percent or more of the constituents in orange and grapefruit oils. These terpenes often are removed or reduced in order to inhibit spoilage, with the resulting oils used specifically as flavoring agents. The terpenes themselves are often a valuable commodity, and much orange oil is produced for its d-limonene content. Total production estimates for d-limonene are not available, but 19.5 million pounds were produced in Florida in 1993/94 (table 18).
Industrial Uses/IUS-5/September 1995
1993 Volume Kilograms
Table 18--Florida d-limonene production, 1970/71-199394 Year Production Pounds 1970/71 1971/72 1972/73 1973/74 1974/75 1976/77 1977/78 1978/79 1979/80
8,019,654 9,456,725 23,833,544 21,216,553 24,165,034 19,225,002 17,091,624 17,341,935 19,629,004
1980/81 1981/82 1982/83 1983/84 1984/85 1985/86 1986/87 1987/88 1988/89 1989/90
16,720,845 13,519,036 13,927,503 13,721,626 11,130,493 12,107,458 13,482,525 14,563,104 19,131,638 15,138,111
1990/91 1991/92
15,489,732 14,493.036
1993/94 source: Florida Citrus Processors Association.
19,548,481
1992193
19,830,922
The largest market for both 1- and d-limonene is in the production of tackifying resins for the adhesive industry, taking as much as 65 percent of limonene produced. The letters I and d are indicators of the optical activity of the limonene. For commercial use, the optical activity is of no significance except when specific taste and odor are an important factor. In this regard, it is d-limonene that must be used (along with other chemicals) to synthetically produce 1-carvone, an important flavoring agent found naturally in spearmint oil. Pro-
31
duction of 1-carvone consumes about 3 million pounds of d-limonene per year. As with tackifying resins, optical activity is not important for the other major uses of limonene-as a solvent to replace petroleum distillates and chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's), and as an odorant for petroleum-derived solvents. With its pleasant odor and its perceived safety, limonene has found a place in many specialty cleaning products. Currently, these specialty markets account for about 25 to 30 percent of limonene
seen, but all terpenes may become increasingly important when the manufacture of CFC's and chlorinated solvents becomes illegal in the United States and 42 other countries in January 1996. With last year's Brazilian drought and decreased quantities of orange oil, there has been a shortage of d-limonene, resulting in price increases of over 300 percent from last September (table 50). This shortage will likely continue until the Brazilian orange crop is processed. If Brazilian processing is low, d-limonene supplies could remain tight, with high prices for the remainder of the year. U.S. production will not begin until CFC phaseouts until about about December December 1995, 1995, just just as as CFC phaseouts become become mandatory. Many companies are already beginning to look prices for d-limonene may force some users to look for other, lower cost alternatives, such as other terpenes and synthetic Table 19-U.S. peppermint oil: Supply, use, and price, 1970-94 Supply Year Production Imports Total 1/ 2/ --1,000 pounds-
cleaners. However, if supply is good and prices can be lowered when the CFC phaseout begins, d-limonene could have
excellent market opportunities. U.S. Mint Industry Centered in the West Mint oils are among the most widely used essential oils in the world. The three main varieties of mint grown for commercial use are peppermint, spearmint, and cormint (also called Japanese mint). Each oil is unique in its general chemical composition, and, therefore, has certain specialized uses. Both spearmint and peppermint oils are used extensively as
flavoring agents in chewing gums, candies, beverages, ice
creams, baked goods, oral hygiene products, and various pharmaceutical preparations. Spearmint is typically milder in flavor and fragrance, and is perhaps more widely used in products that require a milder taste or odor. Peppermint oil tends to have more antiseptic and local anesthetic qualities and, consequently, is more widely used in cold, cough, and other medicinal preparations. Cornmint oil has a very high menthol content, and is produced primarily for menthol production. Both menthol and peppermint oil are used to flavor tobacco. Limited information on mint-oil marketing makes it difficult to asses the exact utilization of U.S. oils by various industries. However, it is likely that the traditional mint-oil products such as gums, candies, toothpastes, and mouthwashes likely account for the largest quantities of both peppermint and spearUtilization Exports 2/
Total
Season-avg price Current Constant dollars 1987 1/ dollars 3/ $/pound
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
5,007 3,746 3,004 3,173 3,302 3,753 3,700 4,409 5,557 4,713
5.0 16.0 8.0 4.0 7.0 9.0 33.0 18.0 6.6 6.6
5,012 3,762 3,012 3,177 3,309 3,762 3,733 4,427 5,564 4,720
1,951.0 2,540.0 2,227.0 2,409.0 2,197.0 1,603.0 2,194.0 2,023.0 2,506.7 2,755.8
3,061 1,222 785 768 1,112 2,159 1,539 2,404 3,057 1,964
3.68 4.10 5.25 7.89 13.80 12.60 14.80 14.30 10.60 9.91
10.48 11.08 13.49 19.10 30.73 25.61 28.30 25.58 17.58 15.11
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
4,611 4,191 3,668 3,867 4,334 4,317 4,328 4,495 5,360 6,652
11.0 6.6 6.6 15.4 6.6 8.8 101.4 158.7 37.5 15.4
4,622 4,198 3,675 3,882 4,341 4,326 4,429 4,654 5,397 6,667
2,206.8 2,085.6 2,389.8 2,169.3 1,880.5 1,869.5 2,356.7 2,658.8 2,709.5 3,313.5
2,415 2,112 1,285 1,713 2,460 2,456 2,073 1,995 2,688 3,354
9.40 9.39 9.24 10.10 10.80 10.20 10.70 11.70 15.90 13.10
13.11 11.90 11.03 11.58 11.87 10.81 11.04 11.70 15.30 12.07
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994
6,953 6,561 7,383 6,027 7,434
34.2 55.8 89.7 323.5 673.3
6,987 6,617 7,473 6,351 8,107
3,495.7 3,695.9 3,458.4 3,649.0 4,664.3
3,492 2,921 4,014 2,701 3,443
13.90 13.30 12.80 13.30 14.60
12.27 11.31 10.59 10.77 11.56
1/ Source: USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. 2/ Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. 3/ Deflated by the GDP implicit price deflator.
32
Industrial Uses/lUS-5/September 1995
Table 20-U.S. spearmint oil: Supply, use, and price, 1970-94 Supply ProducYear Total Imports tion 2/ 1/ --1,000 pounds--
Utilization Exports 2/
Total
Season-avg price Constant Current 1987 dollars dollars 3/ 1/ $/pound
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
2,126 2,008 1,511 1,348 1,455 1,778 1,686 2,329 3,244 1,921
--------0.0 4.4
2,126 2,008 1,511 1,348 1,455 1,778 1,686 2,329 3,244 1,925
632.0 838.0 842.0 1,101.0 982.0 861.0 1,167.0 996.0 1,040.6 1,353.6
1,494 1,170 669 247 473 917 519 1,333 2,203 572
4.64 4.18 5.14 8.22 10.70 10.40 12.30 12.40 7.46 8.72
13.22 11.30 13.21 19.90 23.83 21.14 23.52 22.18 12.37 13.29
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
2,139 2,177 1,355 1,596 2,019 2,317 2,658 2,060 1,745 1,846
17.6 61.7 105.8 55.1 163.1 26.5 24.3 180.8 152.1 134.5
2,157 2,239 1,461 1,651 2,182 2,343 2,682 2,241 1,897 1,980
1,183.9 1,029.6 901.7 749.6 857.6 809.1 910.5 822.3 985.5 1,393.3
973 1,209 559 902 1,325 1,534 1,772 1,418 912 587
9.61 9.42 12.60 12.30 12.60 11.70 11.40 12.10 12.80 13.90
13.40 11.94 15.04 14.11 13.85 12.39 11.76 12.10 12.32 12.81
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994
2,565 3,108 3,640 2,722 2,213
327.8 410.4 529.7 702.1 939.5
2,893 3,518 4,170 3,424 3,152
1,446.6 1,492.3 1,420.3 1,544.9 1,631.0
1,446 2,026 2,749 1,879 1,522
14.90 13.90 12.80 12.30 12.30
13.15 11.82 10.59 9.96 9.74
- = Not available.
/ Source: USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. 2/ Source: U.S. Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census. 3/ Deflated by the GDP Implildt price deflator.
mint oils produced in the United States. Mint oils, particularly spearmint, also are used in various cosmetic and toiletry products. Growth in natural ingredients in these areas could mean expanded usage of mint oils as fragrances. In addition, exports traditionally have accounted for a large portion of U.S. mint oil production. During the 1990's, exports of U.S. peppermint and spearmint oil equaled 55 and 53 percent of production, respectively. Changes in U.S. mint oil production, particularly peppermint, may be highly dependent on growth in export markets. In the United States, the mint industry is relatively small compared with most other agricultural commodity sectors. There are only about a half dozen major buyers of peppermint and spearmint oils. These buyers purchase much of the oil produced in the United States, and often contract for acreage and price prior to the growing season. Buyers are often the flavor formulators for end users, and may contract with a certain end user, such as a chewing gum manufacturer, to provide t ie gum company with a certain blend of oils for their product. Because end-product manufacturers want a consistent tasting product, either they or their formula makers (buyers) seek consistent quality oils that can provide certain flavors. This often means a buyer is likely to purchase oil from certain growers that have a history of producing consistent-quality
Industrial Uses/IUS-5/September 1995
oils, despite slight changes in price. Because mint oils, like most essential oils, are very potent and usually require only small amounts in end products to produce the desired effects, the price of the oil is generally not a major component of the price of end products. For example, one pound of mint oil will flavor nearly 45,000 sticks of gum. For this reason, small to moderate changes in the price of mint oils often does not effect the purchase of these oils. The United States is the largest producer of peppermint and spearmint oils in the world. In 1994, U.S. peppermint production was 7.4 million pounds, and spearmint production was 2.2 million pounds (tables 19 and 20). Over time, production of both peppermint and spearmint oils has shifted westward, with the Far Western States-primarily Idaho, Oregon, and Washington-accounting for 87 and 78 percent, respectively, of total U.S. production. Spearmint oil production in the Far West has a marketing order, which has been in place since 1980. The order is a volume-control program that regulates the marketing of oil through annual sales allotments. The overall goal is to control grower stocks of oils in order to create more stable grower prices from year to year. There is no marketing order for peppermint. [Charles Plummer, (202) 219-0717]
33
1. CTFA Cosmetic Ingredient Handbook. The Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association, Inc., Washington, DC, 1992. 2. Layman, Patricia L. "Flavors and Fragrances Business Marked by Growth, Mergers." Chemical and Engineering News. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, Vol. 72, No. 22, May 30, 1994, p. 10.
3. "Chemicals in Cosmetics and Toiletries See Modest Growth." Chemical Marketing Reporter. Schnell Publishing Company, New York, NY, Vol. 244, No. 10, September 6, 1993, p. 29. 4. McBride, Joseph J. "Limonene-A Versatile Chemical." 1993 Citrus EngineeringConference, Vol. XXXIX. Florida Section of American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Lakeland, FL, 1993.
Industrial Uses/IUS-5/September 1995