1000L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System
An industrial-scale aerosol extraction system for very high-volume, room-temperature, residue-free processing of any botanical.
COMERG • Anise extraction
Pimpinella anisum L.
Turn aniseed into a pure, food-grade licorice extract with COMERG equipment. Our cold, room-temperature, low-pressure process captures the sweet, clean anethole note that gives anise its place in baking, confectionery and classic anise spirits, with no heat to dull it.
The spice
Anise, Pimpinella anisum, is the small ribbed seed of a herb in the parsley family, the same family as fennel and coriander. Its sweet, clean, black-licorice scent comes almost entirely from a single compound, anethole, which is what makes the aroma of aniseed so focused and recognisable.
The seed is milled and processed cold, so the finished extract is a clear, concentrated licorice note rather than a cooked or bitter one. Anise is not the same plant as star anise, though both share the anethole that gives them their flavour.
The extract
Run on COMERG equipment, aniseed yields an exceptionally pure, standardised extract, batch after batch. Because the extraction is cold and solvent-light, with no high heat, the clean licorice note carries straight through to the finished oil. The figures below are typical of a standardised BAni-85.1 grade.
The method
No heat, no leftover solvent. This is what happens inside a COMERG aerosol system, and why the extract keeps the clean, sweet character of fresh aniseed.
Non-toxic liquefied R134a gas is introduced to the milled aniseed at controlled, low pressure. There is no heat, the cycle begins and stays at room temperature.
The liquid gas gently dissolves the anethole and the seed's aromatic oil, lifting the pure licorice note cleanly away from the spent seed.
The R134a is fully recovered and recycled in a closed loop. What is left is a concentrated anise extract, at least 85% volatile oil, with under 0.1 g/kg residue.
Aromatic profile
Principal constituents identified by GC-MS, each above 1%. Anise is unusual, a single compound, trans-anethole, makes up the great majority of the oil, which is exactly why its licorice note is so pure and clean.
A single dominant compound gives anise its clean licorice character. The remaining fraction is mostly fatty oil and other extractables. Per-batch GC-MS report available on request.
Specification
Why anise, why cold
Pimpinella anisum, Bulgaria
Versus heat-based methods
Applications
This anise extract is edible and can be used concentrated or diluted in a carrier oil to suit the application. Typical filling rates for the concentrated extract in food are 3 to 50 mg per kilogram of product.
Why the COMERG line
A pure licorice note depends on a process that lifts the anethole cleanly and leaves nothing behind. Our line is engineered around exactly that kind of precise, gentle extraction.
Why it wins
Against steam distillation, solvent and CO2, cold R134a extraction gives a clean, high-strength anise with no residual hydrocarbon solvent.
| Feature | COMERG R134a | Steam distillation | Solvent | CO₂ supercritical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Process temperature | < 25 °C (room temp) | 100-150 °C | 40-70 °C | 31-80 °C |
| Aromatic preservation | 95%+ | 70-85% | ~85% | ~85% |
| Licorice purity | Clean, sweet | Can turn bitter | Good | Good |
| Compound recovery | up to 97% | 75-88% | 80-90% | 85-92% |
| Solvent residue | < 0.1 g/kg | None | Needs post-purge | None |
| Energy use | 85% less vs solvent | High | Medium-high | Very high |
| Special facility | Not required | Not required | Required | High-pressure safety |
From seed to extract
A complete COMERG line takes anise from raw seed to a finished extract. These are the core stages, each available as standalone equipment.
The heart of the line. Liquefied-gas systems that pull anise oil cold, below 25 °C, from 10 l pilot units up to 2000 l.
Room temp • 97% recoveryCleans and separates the aniseed from stalk and chaff before milling, so only sound, aromatic seed reaches the extractor.
Prep stageFrom a 10 l pilot system to industrial 2000 l lines, the same cold process scales with your volume.
10 l - 2000 lQuestions
A 100% natural aniseed extract from Pimpinella anisum, product code BAni-85.1. It reaches at least 85% volatile oil, around 93% of which is trans-anethole, the pure licorice note, with no additives.
Liquefied food-grade gas extraction at room temperature, below 25 °C, and low pressure. Because there is no high heat, the sweet anethole note is preserved and solvent residue stays below 0.1 g/kg.
No. Anise (Pimpinella anisum) is a small seed from a herb in the parsley family, while star anise comes from a different plant entirely. They share the anethole that gives both their licorice flavour.
Roughly 1 kg of extract represents around 30 to 35 kg of aniseed, a high-strength yield typical of this seed.
Yes. It is produced with a food-grade solvent per Directive 97/60/EC. Typical filling rates are 3 to 50 mg per kilogram of food product. It is a raw material for formulation, not for direct or undiluted use.
Yes. The same cold process runs from a 10 l pilot unit to 2000 l production systems, so you can start small and grow without changing method.
Yes. A per-batch GC-MS analysis is available on request, and a Safety Data Sheet per 2006/1907/EC is supplied with the product.
Tell us your throughput and target product. We will recommend the right system, share a yield estimate for your aniseed, and reply with pricing and lead time, usually within 48 hours.
COMERG extracts are raw materials for product formulation. They are not intended for direct consumption or for undiluted topical application in cosmetics, perfumery or aromatherapy. This information is provided to the best of our knowledge and is not a substitute for prior testing of suitability for the intended use. Keep away from children.
The anise line
The machines below make up the anise line, the equipment that takes the seed through to a finished extract. Request a quote on any unit and we will reply with pricing and lead time.
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