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Anise

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COMERG • Anise extraction

Anise Seed

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.

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93% trans-anethole

The spice

Pure, sweet licorice

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.

Raw material

Botanical namePimpinella anisum L.
FamilyApiaceae
Plant partSeeds
ConditionDried, ground
OriginBulgaria
AvailabilityAll year

The extract

What the process delivers

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.

93%trans-Anethole
≥85%Volatile oil v/w
8.32DPPH IC50 mg/ml
<25 °CExtraction temp
~32 kgSeeds per kg extract
<0.1 g/kgSolvent residue

The method

Cold extraction, in three steps

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.

1

Pressurised R134a flooding

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.

2

Selective aromatic dissolution

The liquid gas gently dissolves the anethole and the seed's aromatic oil, lifting the pure licorice note cleanly away from the spent seed.

3

Recovery and pure extract

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

The compound fingerprint

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.

trans-Anethole
93%
Methyl chavicol
2%
cis-Anethole
<0.1%
0%30%60%93%

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

BAni-85.1 at a glance

Identity & origin

Botanical namePimpinella anisum L.
Plant partSeeds
OriginBulgaria
Product codeBAni-85.1
CAS No.84775-42-8
EINECS No.283-872-7

Production

MethodLiquefied-gas extraction
TemperatureBelow 25 °C
SolventFood-grade (Dir. 97/60/EC)
Solvent residue< 0.1 g/kg
StandardisationDeclared volatile oil
Concentration1 kg ≈ 30-35 kg seeds

Physical

AppearanceBrown-green oily liquid
Volatile oil85-88% v/w (ASTA)
INCI namePimpinella Anisum Extract
Density980-990 g/l
Refractive index1.5524
Acid value2.0 mg KOH/g

Solubility & output

In oilsFully soluble
In 40% alcoholPartial
In waterInsoluble
Ester value1.8-2.2 mg KOH/g
Flash point> 84 °C
Shelf life2 years

Why anise, why cold

A pure note, captured whole

A concentrated seed

Pimpinella anisum, Bulgaria

Plant partSeeds, milled
Seeds per kg extract~30-35 kg
Volatile oil≥ 85% v/w
AntioxidantDPPH IC50 8.32 mg/ml

Captured cold

Versus heat-based methods

trans-Anethole93% kept
Licorice noteClean, not bitter
Process temperature< 25 °C
Sweet topPreserved

Applications

What you can make

Bakery & biscotti Confectionery & candy Anise spirits & liqueurs Beverages Meat & savoury foods Perfumery & cosmetics

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

Built for clean, pure spices like anise

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.

Room temperatureR134a aerosol extraction works cold and at low pressure, so the sweet anethole note is never cooked into a bitter one.
A clean noteBecause almost all the aroma is one compound, cold extraction delivers an exceptionally pure, focused licorice character.
Fully automatedClosed-loop systems run the cycle for you, so results stay consistent and one operator can handle the line.
High-strength yieldLow-pressure extraction is quick and recovers up to 97% of the seed's oil, for a concentrated extract over 85% volatile oil.
Scales with youFrom a 10 l pilot unit to 2000 l production, the same method grows from R&D batches to full output.
Clean and economicalIt uses around 85% less energy than solvent methods and needs no special hazardous-location facility.

Why it wins

Compared to the alternatives

Against steam distillation, solvent and CO2, cold R134a extraction gives a clean, high-strength anise with no residual hydrocarbon solvent.

FeatureCOMERG R134aSteam distillationSolventCO₂ supercritical
Process temperature< 25 °C (room temp)100-150 °C40-70 °C31-80 °C
Aromatic preservation95%+70-85%~85%~85%
Licorice purityClean, sweetCan turn bitterGoodGood
Compound recoveryup to 97%75-88%80-90%85-92%
Solvent residue< 0.1 g/kgNoneNeeds post-purgeNone
Energy use85% less vs solventHighMedium-highVery high
Special facilityNot requiredNot requiredRequiredHigh-pressure safety

From seed to extract

The machines for anise

A complete COMERG line takes anise from raw seed to a finished extract. These are the core stages, each available as standalone equipment.

View all equipment
Product specificationFull composition, properties, packaging and handling for anise extract BAni-85.1.
Download PDF

Questions

Anise extraction, explained

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.

Set up your anise line

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

Equipment for processing anise

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.

  • 1000L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    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.

  • 100L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    100L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    A commercial-scale low-pressure aerosol system that gently extracts essential oils and aromatics from any botanical at room temperature, with no residue.

  • 10L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    10L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    An entry-level, fully automated low-pressure aerosol system that gently extracts essential oils and aromatics from virtually any botanical at room temperature, with no residue.

  • 10T Conveyor Dryer System

    10T Conveyor Dryer System

    A continuous belt dryer that gently dries freshly harvested botanical biomass on a four-layer, 12 m mesh belt at an adjustable 0-90 °C, fed and discharged automatically.

  • 150L Fully Automated Compound Remediation System

    150L Fully Automated Compound Remediation System

    A production-scale system that refines large lots of botanical extract to a fixed specification at room temperature, with no thermal damage to the active profile.

  • 2000L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    2000L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    Our largest aerosol extraction platform, built for maximum-volume industrial production with the same gentle, residue-free low-pressure process.

  • 200L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    200L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    A high-capacity commercial low-pressure aerosol system for room-temperature, residue-free extraction of essential oils and aromatics from any botanical.

  • 20L Aerosol Extraction System

    20L Aerosol Extraction System

    A compact production-scale low-pressure aerosol system that gently extracts essential oils and aromatics from any botanical at room temperature, with no residue.

  • 20L MAX HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    20L MAX HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    A dual-vessel 20L MAX system that doubles throughput while keeping the same gentle, room-temperature, residue-free aerosol extraction for any botanical.

  • 25L Fully Automated Compound Remediation System

    25L Fully Automated Compound Remediation System

    A pilot-scale system that scales a validated remediation method to repeatable batches, stripping targeted impurities from extract while protecting the active profile.

  • 30L Ultrasonic Extraction System

    30L Ultrasonic Extraction System

    A 30L ultrasonic-assisted extraction system that uses 20 kHz cavitation to rupture plant cells and release oils into solvent quickly, at low temperature, with vacuum filtration.

  • 500L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    500L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    A large-scale industrial aerosol system delivering high-volume, room-temperature, residue-free botanical extraction at low pressure.

  • 500L Vacuum Drying Oven with Drawer

    500L Vacuum Drying Oven with Drawer

    A production-scale 18 cu ft vacuum oven with a pull-out drawer and integrated pump that purges and dries large batches of botanical extract at low temperature.

  • 50L Crystallization Reactor

    50L Crystallization Reactor

    A 50L jacketed reactor that crystallises high-purity botanical isolates from a distilled feed under precise temperature and agitation control, with repeated recrystallisation for maximum purity.

  • 50L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    50L HTE Fully Automated Aerosol Extraction System

    A floor-standing production-scale low-pressure aerosol system that gently extracts essential oils and aromatics from any botanical at room temperature, with no residue.

  • 50L Vacuum Drying Oven

    50L Vacuum Drying Oven

    A compact 2 cu ft vacuum oven that purges residual solvent and gently dries botanical extracts at low temperature under vacuum, protecting colour, aroma and actives.