Clove Bud Extract
Clove bud extract is a concentrate of the dried unopened flower bud of Syzygium aromaticum, an evergreen tree of the Myrtaceae family native to the Maluku islands and now grown principally in Indonesia, Madagascar, Tanzania and Sri Lanka. Clove is the most volatile oil rich spice in commerce, with the bud carrying fifteen to twenty percent oil, which is why the extract is such a concentrated material.
The oil is dominated by eugenol, usually between seventy and eighty five percent, with eugenyl acetate and beta caryophyllene making up most of the remainder. Eugenol is a phenol, and that single structural fact decides almost everything about the ingredient: it gives the extract its warm, sweetly medicinal aroma, its numbing effect on oral tissue, its strong antimicrobial and antioxidant behaviour, and its solubility in dilute alkali as well as in ethanol and oils.
Commercial forms are steam distilled essential oil, a pale yellow liquid that darkens to brown on storage as the eugenol oxidises, and solvent extracted oleoresin, a viscous dark brown liquid carrying the volatile oil together with non volatile bud material and tannins. Both are oil soluble and require emulsification for aqueous systems, and both are dosed at very low levels because the aroma dominates a formulation quickly. Eugenol darkens on contact with iron, so stainless steel handling is standard.
We source bulk Clove Bud Extract 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
- Plant extract
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Viscous dark brown liquid |
| Botanical Source | Syzygium aromaticum dried flower bud |
| Odour and Taste | Characteristic warm, sweet and medicinal spicy |
| Volatile Oil | ≥ 70 mL/100 g |
| Eugenol | 75% to 88% of volatile oil (GC) |
| Eugenyl Acetate | 4% to 15% of volatile oil (GC) |
| Refractive Index (20 °C) | 1.528 to 1.540 |
| Specific Gravity (25 °C) | 1.030 to 1.070 |
| Solubility | Soluble in ethanol and edible oil, insoluble in water |
| Loss on Drying | ≤ 2.0% |
| Residual Ethanol | ≤ 50 mg/kg |
| Lead | ≤ 2.0 mg/kg |
| Arsenic | ≤ 1.0 mg/kg |
| Total Plate Count | ≤ 1,000 cfu/g |
| Yeast and Mould | ≤ 100 cfu/g |
| Escherichia coli | Negative in 1 g |
| Salmonella | Negative in 25 g |
Common Markets Grades
Essential oil is specified on eugenol by gas chromatography, typically 75 to 88 percent for bud oil, together with refractive index, specific gravity and optical rotation. Bud oil is a distinct commercial item from leaf oil and stem oil of the same tree, which are cheaper, higher in total eugenol but coarser in aroma, and are the usual feedstock for isolated eugenol rather than for flavour work. Oleoresin is quoted on volatile oil content, commonly 65 to 90 millilitres per hundred grams, alongside the eugenol figure.
Isolated eugenol at 98 or 99 percent is traded separately, recovered from clove leaf oil by alkali washing and redistillation, and is a defined chemical rather than a spice extract. Powdered flavour grades are made by emulsifying the oil or oleoresin with a carrier and spray drying, and are quoted on oil loading. Supplement grades of clove extract are traded on total phenolics or eugenol content instead. Supercritical carbon dioxide extracts are separate items carrying a fresher profile and no residual solvent, and organic certified material is available in all forms.
Applications
- Bakery and confectionery, where the oleoresin replaces ground clove in spiced doughs, biscuits and fruit preparations
- Meat curing and processed meat, a long established outlet where clove works alongside pepper and nutmeg
- Pickles, sauces and condiments, in which the antimicrobial behaviour of eugenol contributes as well as the flavour
- Spice blends including garam masala, Chinese five spice and mulling mixes
- Beverages such as mulled wine bases, chai concentrates and spiced spirits
- Oral care products, where eugenol has a long history in toothpaste, mouthwash and dental preparations
- Chewing gum and mints, dosed at very low levels for a warm spicy note
- Natural preservation and antioxidant systems for fats, oils and surface treatments
- Fine fragrance and personal care, where clove is a classic spice note in oriental accords
China Manufacturers of Clove Bud Extract
Top Clove Bud 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, cloves are generally recognised as safe as a spice under 21 CFR 182.10, and the listing of essential oils, oleoresins and natural extractives of spices under 21 CFR 182.20 covers clove bud oil and oleoresin. Clove preparations and eugenol are recognised flavouring materials of the Flavour and Extract Manufacturers Association. Eugenol is also used as an active ingredient in dental products regulated as drugs rather than as food. Extraction solvents are controlled as secondary direct food additives under 21 CFR 173.
In the European Union clove oil and oleoresin are flavouring preparations under the flavourings regulation, and eugenol appears in the Union list of flavouring substances, so no E number applies since these are not food additives. Eugenol is also a regulated fragrance allergen under the cosmetics regulation, requiring declaration on the label above defined thresholds in cosmetic products, which matters for personal care use of the oil. Extraction solvents are governed by the Union directive on extraction solvents used in the production of foodstuffs. Codex addresses clove through spice commodity work and the flavourings framework, and JECFA has evaluated eugenol and related hydroxyallylbenzene flavouring substances.
Manufacturing Process
Dried buds are cleaned by aspiration and screening to remove stems, and are milled immediately before processing since a ground clove loses volatile oil rapidly. For essential oil the milled bud is charged to a still and steam distilled, the vapours condensed and the oil separated in a decanter. Because eugenol is denser than water and appreciably soluble in it, the aqueous distillate is cohobated back into the still or solvent extracted to recover the dissolved fraction, which is a significant part of the yield. The combined oil is dried over a desiccant, filtered and stored under nitrogen away from light.
For oleoresin the milled bud is extracted with ethanol, acetone or supercritical carbon dioxide in a battery of extractors. The miscella is drained and the solvent removed in a falling film evaporator followed by a thin film evaporator under high vacuum, held at a temperature low enough that the volatile oil remains in the product. The stripped oleoresin is standardised for volatile oil and eugenol by blending across batches, homogenised, tested for residual solvent by gas chromatography and filled under nitrogen into lined drums. Powdered flavour grades are produced by emulsifying the oil with a carrier and spray drying to a glassy encapsulated solid.
