Cumin Essential Oil
Cumin essential oil is the volatile oil steam distilled from the ripe dried fruit of Cuminum cyminum. Its character rests on cuminaldehyde, typically twenty to forty percent of the oil, which carries the penetrating, slightly green and sweaty note that is instantly recognisable as cumin, alongside gamma-terpinene, beta-pinene, para-cymene and a group of dihydrocuminaldehyde and cuminyl alcohol derivatives that give the oil its depth.
It is one of the most potent spice oils in the trade. Usage in finished food is measured in single-digit parts per million, and overdosing produces a harsh, animalic impression rather than a stronger spice character, so the oil is normally handled as a dilution in a carrier or in a compounded seasoning rather than dosed neat.
The oil is a pale yellow to brownish yellow liquid that darkens on ageing, practically insoluble in water and miscible with ethanol and vegetable oils. Cuminaldehyde is an aromatic aldehyde and oxidises readily to the corresponding acid, which dulls the top note and raises acid value, so the oil is stored cold in filled containers under nitrogen and protected from light. Water-dispersible emulsions and spray dried encapsulates are made for beverage and dry seasoning use.
We source bulk Cumin 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.
Please send the grade you need, the volume and your destination port, and we will come back with a solution and a price.
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- Function
- Essential oil
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Clear pale yellow to brownish yellow liquid |
| Odour and Flavour | Characteristic penetrating cumin, free from rancid notes |
| Botanical Source | Cuminum cyminum ripe dried fruit |
| Cuminaldehyde Content | 20.0% to 40.0% by gas chromatography |
| gamma-Terpinene Content | 10.0% to 25.0% by gas chromatography |
| Specific Gravity (20 degrees Celsius) | 0.905 to 0.935 |
| Refractive Index (20 degrees Celsius) | 1.495 to 1.508 |
| Optical Rotation (20 degrees Celsius) | Plus 3 to plus 8 degrees |
| Solubility in 80% Ethanol | Soluble in 2 volumes, clear solution |
| Acid Value | ≤ 3.0 mg KOH/g |
| Heavy Metals (as Pb) | ≤ 10 mg/kg |
| Lead | ≤ 2 mg/kg |
| Arsenic | ≤ 1 mg/kg |
| Pesticide Residues | Complies with destination market limits |
Common Markets Grades
The oil is traded by cuminaldehyde content and by origin, with Indian, Iranian, Turkish, Egyptian and Chinese material differing in the aldehyde level and in the balance of the terpene hydrocarbons. A declared cuminaldehyde range is the standard specification point, since it is the direct measure of flavour strength.
Crude distilled oil is offered alongside redistilled and rectified grades produced by vacuum distillation to lighten colour and remove heavy residue, and terpeneless grades in which the hydrocarbon fraction is stripped to concentrate the aldehyde and improve solubility in dilute alcohol. Cumin oleoresin, which carries the fixed oil and non-volatile components as well as the volatiles, is a separate article with a different flavour balance and is not a substitute for the essential oil. Organic certified material is available from the main growing origins.
Applications
- Curry powder, garam masala and South Asian seasoning blends, replacing part of the ground spice with a standardised volatile fraction
- Mexican and Tex-Mex seasoning, in chilli powder blends, taco seasoning and salsa
- Middle Eastern and North African seasoning, in falafel, hummus, harissa and tagine profiles
- Meat processing, in sausage, kebab, merguez and marinade seasoning
- Savoury snacks and extruded products, where the oil is applied on a topical seasoning carrier
- Sauces, chutneys, pickles and condiments requiring a standardised cumin note
- Bakery, in flatbreads, savoury biscuits and cheese breads
- Cheese and dairy, in spiced cheeses such as Leyden style products
- Digestive and carminative herbal preparations, in traditional flavouring use
- Feedstock for the isolation of natural cuminaldehyde as a single flavour compound
Brands Using Cumin Essential Oil
Widely-distributed consumer products that list Cumin 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 Cumin Essential Oil
Top Cumin 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, 21 CFR 182.20 lists cumin oil among the essential oils, oleoresins and natural extractives generally recognised as safe for their intended use in food, and it carries FEMA GRAS status as a flavouring substance. Products using it are labelled as natural flavour. Cumin as a commodity has been the subject of adulteration alerts in the United States and elsewhere, so identity and authenticity testing of the raw material is a standing requirement.
In the European Union cumin essential oil is a natural flavouring preparation under Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 on flavourings, which frames its use and the maximum levels of certain biologically active principles in flavourings of botanical origin. No E number applies. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives has evaluated cuminaldehyde and related benzyl and aromatic aldehyde flavouring agents and publishes specifications for them, and Codex maintains standards covering spices and culinary herbs including cumin.
Manufacturing Process
Cumin is harvested when the fruit is fully ripe, threshed, and cleaned of stalk, chaff and soil, since field debris carries both microbiological load and off notes into the still. Cleaned seed is stored dry and is crushed or coarsely milled immediately before distillation, because the oil is held in vittae within the fruit wall and intact seed gives a slow, incomplete extraction while long storage after milling loses top notes.
Milled seed is charged into a stainless steel still and extracted by steam distillation over several hours. The vapour is condensed and the oil separated from the distillation water in a Florentine flask, and the aqueous phase is cohobated to recover the dissolved oxygenated fraction. Crude oil is decanted, dried over a desiccant and filtered. Vacuum rectification follows where a lighter coloured, low-residue grade is required, and fractional distillation is used for terpeneless material. The finished oil is profiled by gas chromatography against a reference, blended to a standard cuminaldehyde specification, and filled into lined drums under nitrogen.
