Celery Seed Essential Oil
Celery seed essential oil is the volatile oil obtained by steam distillation of the small dried fruits, commercially called seed, of Apium graveolens, an umbelliferous plant grown for this purpose mainly in India, France and China. Its aroma is warm, sweet and unmistakably celery, quite different from the green vegetal note of the fresh stalk.
Chemically the oil is roughly two thirds monoterpene hydrocarbon, dominated by limonene at 60 to 75 percent with beta selinene as the principal sesquiterpene. The odour value, however, lies almost entirely in the phthalide fraction, which is only a few percent of the oil: sedanenolide, 3 n butylphthalide and sedanolide together carry the characteristic celery note and are detectable at very low thresholds. This is why the oil is dosed in parts per million and why phthalide content, not limonene, decides its trading value.
The oil is a mobile pale yellow to yellowish brown liquid that darkens with age. It is lighter than water, soluble in ethanol at 90 percent and above and in fixed oils, and essentially insoluble in water. The high limonene content oxidises readily to carvone and to resinous residue on exposure to air, heat and light, dulling the top and thickening the liquid, so the oil is stored cool in full nitrogen blanketed containers.
We source bulk Celery Seed Essential Oil from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Henan. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
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- Function
- Essential oil
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Clear mobile liquid, free from sediment |
| Colour | Pale yellow to yellowish brown |
| Odour and flavour | Warm, sweet, characteristic of celery seed |
| Limonene | 60.0 to 75.0 percent |
| Beta selinene | 10.0 to 20.0 percent |
| Total phthalides | Not less than 2.5 percent |
| Specific gravity at 25 degrees Celsius | 0.870 to 0.910 |
| Refractive index at 20 degrees Celsius | 1.4780 to 1.4900 |
| Optical rotation at 20 degrees Celsius | plus 48 to plus 78 degrees |
| Solubility in 90 percent ethanol | Soluble in 8 volumes |
| Water content | Not more than 0.3 percent |
| Non volatile residue | Not more than 3.0 percent |
| Heavy metals as Pb | Not more than 10 mg/kg |
| Lead | Not more than 2 mg/kg |
Common Markets Grades
The standard article is a whole steam distilled oil conforming to the Food Chemicals Codex monograph and to the relevant ISO monograph, sold against the usual physical constants and, in more demanding contracts, a minimum total phthalide figure determined by gas chromatography. Origin is quoted because Indian seed, which supplies most of the world market, gives a slightly different profile from European material.
Terpeneless and folded qualities are the other main grade. Removing part or all of the limonene by vacuum fractionation concentrates the phthalides several fold, giving a much stronger and more soluble product that is the preferred form for beverage and clear system work. Celery seed oleoresin, a solvent extracted product carrying the fixed oil and non volatile constituents as well, is a separate article used where a fuller and more rounded celery character is wanted. The oil is also sold as propylene glycol or triacetin dilutions and as spray dried encapsulates on modified starch for dry seasoning.
Applications
- Celery salt and dry seasoning blends, where the oil replaces ground seed and gives an even distribution of aroma
- Meat processing, particularly in corned beef, pastrami, sausage and pickled meat cures
- Tomato juice and vegetable juice blends, where celery is a defining note of the flavour
- Bloody Mary and savoury cocktail mixers, usually as a terpeneless quality for clarity
- Soup, stock and bouillon concentrates as part of the mirepoix background
- Pickle and relish brines, where the oil disperses through the liquor without sediment
- Snack seasoning and crisp toppings for savoury vegetable profiles
- Sauces, ketchups and barbecue bases as a rounding note behind onion and garlic
- Savoury flavour compounding, where the phthalides serve as a natural umami lifting top note
- Fragrance work in green, herbal and aldehydic accords at very low dosage
Brands Using Celery Seed Essential Oil
Widely-distributed consumer products that list Celery Seed Essential Oil on the ingredient label.
Brand names, product names and logos are the property of their owners. They appear here as published evidence that the ingredient is used, taken from the brand's own label or website. Their appearance is not an endorsement, and it does not mean the brand buys from us or from any manufacturer listed on this site.
China Manufacturers of Celery Seed Essential Oil
Top Celery Seed Essential Oil 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, the generally recognised as safe listing of essential oils, oleoresins and natural extractives in 21 CFR 182.20 covers celery seed oil, and 21 CFR 182.10 lists celery seed as a spice. The oil carries Flavour and Extract Manufacturers Association GRAS status as a flavouring substance and is the subject of a Food Chemicals Codex monograph. Celery is a labelled major food allergen in the United States only where it appears as such; in practice suppliers declare celery origin on the specification.
In the European Union the oil is a natural flavouring preparation obtained from a food source, permitted under Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 without individual authorisation and subject to the general safety requirements of that Regulation. Celery is a listed allergen in Annex II of the food information Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, so foods flavoured with celery seed oil must declare celery in the ingredient list. The Joint FAO WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives has evaluated the phthalide and hydrocarbon flavouring groups present in the oil without raising a safety concern at flavour use levels.
Manufacturing Process
Cleaned celery seed is graded to remove chaff, stalk and foreign seed, then coarsely crushed or flaked immediately before distillation to rupture the oil ducts without allowing volatile loss. The charge is loaded into a stainless steel still and distilled with direct steam, usually for six to ten hours. Because the phthalides are higher boiling than the limonene, distillation must be carried far enough to strip them; a run cut short gives a limonene rich oil with a weak celery character.
The condensate flows to a Florentine separator, the oil being lighter than water is drawn from the top, and the distillation water is cohobated back to the still to recover dissolved phthalides. Crude oil is dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate or vacuum stripped, then polish filtered. Terpeneless grades are produced by charging the whole oil to a packed vacuum column and taking off the limonene rich head fraction, leaving a phthalide concentrated heart. The finished oil is analysed by gas chromatography for the phthalide profile and filled under nitrogen into lined drums.
