Abalone Extract
Abalone extract is the concentrated soluble fraction obtained by cooking or enzymatically hydrolysing the muscle and viscera of abalone, gastropod molluscs of the genus Haliotis, most commonly the farmed species Haliotis discus hannai and Haliotis diversicolor. It is traded both as a savoury flavour base and as a nutraceutical ingredient in East Asian markets.
The flavour derives from the free amino acid and nucleotide profile of the muscle. Glutamic acid supplies umami, and the sweetness characteristic of abalone comes from a high content of glycine, alanine and arginine together with the unusual sugar-alcohol and betaine fraction of marine molluscs. Taurine is present at high levels, as it is in most shellfish. The nutraceutical positioning rests on the peptide and polysaccharide fraction, with sulphated polysaccharides and abalone glycosaminoglycans the constituents most often named.
Powdered extract is a hygroscopic light tan to brown solid with a distinct marine, faintly sweet aroma, and it dissolves readily in hot water. It withstands the temperatures of retorting, though the volatile marine top notes are lost on prolonged heating. Abalone is a mollusc and the extract is therefore an allergenic ingredient.
We source bulk Abalone Extract from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Fujian. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
Please send the grade you need, the volume and your destination port, and we will come back with a solution and a price.
or call +86-21-6858 0751
- Function
- Plant extract
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Light tan to brown free-flowing powder with marine odour |
| Flavour | Clean savoury abalone profile, free from ammoniacal or rancid notes |
| Total nitrogen | 9.0 percent minimum |
| Amino nitrogen | 3.0 percent minimum |
| Protein and peptides (N x 6.25) | 55.0 percent minimum |
| Taurine | 1.0 percent minimum |
| Sodium chloride | 18.0 percent maximum |
| Loss on drying | 6.0 percent maximum |
| Total ash | 25.0 percent maximum |
| Species identity | Conforms to declared Haliotis species by DNA testing |
| Lead | 1.0 mg/kg maximum |
| Arsenic (inorganic) | 0.5 mg/kg maximum |
| Total plate count | 10000 cfu/g maximum |
| Salmonella | Absent in 25 g |
Common Markets Grades
The trade distinguishes extract made from whole abalone, from the trimmed muscle, and from the viscera and processing liquor left after canning. The last is the cheapest and the most variable. Physical grades are liquid at 40 to 50 percent solids, paste at 60 to 80 percent, and spray-dried powder, usually with maltodextrin or salt as a drying aid.
Beyond form, the distinctions are thermal extract against enzymatically hydrolysed extract, and plain extract against reaction-flavoured grades taken through a Maillard step. The hydrolysed extract has a higher degree of hydrolysis, more free amino acids and a stronger but flatter savoury profile. Salt content is a defining specification, and low-sodium desalted grades are produced. Nutraceutical grades are specified additionally on peptide molecular weight distribution or on polysaccharide content. Species declaration and DNA authenticity testing are increasingly specified, since abalone is a high-value species and substitution with cheaper gastropods is documented.
Applications
- Concentrated soup and broth bases in Chinese and Japanese cuisine
- Abalone-flavoured sauces, including the thickened braising sauces sold in retail
- Instant noodle and congee seasoning sachets in higher-priced ranges
- Retort and canned soups, where the extract survives sterilisation
- Seafood-flavoured snack seasonings applied as a dry topical blend
- Frozen ready meals and dumpling fillings requiring a marine savoury note
- Nutraceutical capsules and drinks sold on peptide and taurine content
- Health tonic drinks in East Asian markets, often combined with ginseng and cordyceps
- Reaction flavour manufacture as an amino acid and nucleotide source
China Manufacturers of Abalone Extract
Top Abalone Extract manufacturers in China.
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
Regulatory Status
In the United States abalone extract is a food ingredient derived from a conventional food and is used as a flavouring and flavour enhancer without a specific food additive regulation. Two sets of obligations bear on it. The seafood hazard analysis and critical control point requirements apply to fish and fishery products including molluscan shellfish, and cover the sourcing of raw material from approved harvest areas. The allergen labelling rules apply because crustacean shellfish must be declared, and responsible manufacturers declare molluscs as well. Abalone species are also subject to fisheries and wildlife trade controls in some jurisdictions, and documentation of legal origin is part of normal purchasing.
In the European Union abalone extract is a food ingredient rather than an additive and carries no E number, though where it is presented as a flavouring it is handled under the flavourings regulation as a preparation obtained from food. Molluscs are on the list of allergens that must be emphasised in the ingredient list. Live and processed bivalve and gastropod molluscs are subject to specific hygiene rules covering production areas and marine biotoxin monitoring, and the general contaminant limits for cadmium and lead in molluscs apply. Codex has adopted standards and a code of practice for fish and fishery products covering raw material handling, and the general Codex provisions on contaminants and hygiene apply.
Manufacturing Process
Raw material is received chilled or frozen as whole abalone, trimmed muscle or the cooking liquor and viscera from a canning line. It is graded, washed and minced, and freshness at intake determines the amine content of the finished extract, so material is worked quickly. The mince is cooked in water at close to boiling, which coagulates the structural protein and drives the soluble amino acids, nucleotides, taurine and salts into the liquor.
Most plants follow the cook with a controlled enzymatic hydrolysis, dosing a protease at its optimum temperature and pH to break the residual protein into peptides and free amino acids, then inactivating the enzyme by heating. The mass is separated by decanter centrifuge and fine filtration into solids, a small oil fraction that is skimmed, and a clarified stock. The stock is concentrated by vacuum evaporation, with a membrane step where salt has to be reduced or the peptide fraction fractionated by molecular weight for a nutraceutical grade. Where a roasted profile is wanted the concentrate is taken through a Maillard reaction with reducing sugar. The concentrate is standardised on solids, nitrogen and salt, then spray dried with a carrier, sieved and packed in moisture barrier material.
