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 • Hot paprika extraction
Capsicum annuum L.
Turn dried hot paprika into a vivid, food-grade oleoresin with COMERG equipment. Our cold, room-temperature, low-pressure process captures the deep red carotenoids that give paprika its colour, capsanthin and capsorubin, along with its natural warmth, without the heat that fades the pigment.
The spice
Hot paprika is the dried fruit of Capsicum annuum, prized for two things at once. Its vivid red comes from the carotenoid pigments capsanthin and capsorubin, while the warmth comes from capsaicin. Together they make paprika a natural colour and seasoning that is hard to match with anything synthetic.
The fruits are milled and processed cold, so the finished oleoresin keeps both the deep red colour and the natural heat. Nothing is added, and the pigments stay vivid because they are never cooked.
The extract
Run on COMERG equipment, hot paprika yields a standardised, deep-red oleoresin, batch after batch. Because the extraction is cold and solvent-light, with no high heat, the colour and warmth carry straight through to the finished oil. The figures below are typical of a standardised BHPa-15.1 grade.
The method
No heat, no leftover solvent. This is what happens inside a COMERG aerosol system, and why the oleoresin keeps its vivid colour and warmth.
Non-toxic liquefied R134a gas is introduced to the milled paprika at controlled, low pressure. There is no heat, the cycle begins and stays at room temperature.
The liquid gas gently dissolves the carotenoid pigments, the capsaicin and the fruit's oils, drawing them out together while the heat-sensitive colour stays vivid.
The R134a is fully recovered and recycled in a closed loop. What is left is a concentrated red paprika oleoresin, with under 0.1 g/kg residue.
Extract fingerprint
Beyond the colour pigments, the volatile and lipid fraction identified by GC-MS is led by fatty esters of the fruit's natural oil. Principal constituents above 1%.
The red colour comes from carotenoids (capsanthin, capsorubin), which sit in the wax and pigment fraction. Per-batch GC-MS report available on request.
Specification
Why paprika, why cold
Capsicum annuum, Bulgaria
Versus heated solvent extraction
Applications
The extract can be taken concentrated or diluted in vegetable oil to suit the colour and heat your product needs. Typical filling rates for the concentrated extract in food are 10 to 300 mg per kilogram of product.
Why the COMERG line
A vivid, stable colour is not an accident of the fruit alone, it is what the right equipment makes repeatable. Our line is engineered around the things that matter when pigment and heat both need protecting.
Why it wins
Against hexane solvent and CO2, cold R134a extraction gives a vivid paprika oleoresin with a clean residue profile and protected colour.
| Feature | COMERG R134a | Solvent (hexane) | CO₂ supercritical | Steam distillation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Process temperature | < 25 °C (room temp) | 50-70 °C | 31-80 °C | 100-150 °C |
| Colour preservation | Vivid, protected | Good | Good | Faded |
| Capsaicin warmth | Carried through | Carried through | Carried through | Largely lost |
| Carotenoid recovery | High | High | Good | Low |
| Solvent residue | < 0.1 g/kg | Needs post-purge | None | None |
| Energy use | 85% less vs solvent | Medium-high | Very high | High |
| Special facility | Not required | Required | High-pressure safety | Not required |
From fruit to oleoresin
A complete COMERG line takes paprika from raw fruit to a finished oleoresin. These are the core stages, each available as standalone equipment.
The heart of the line. Liquefied-gas systems that pull paprika oleoresin cold, below 25 °C, from 10 l pilot units up to 2000 l.
Room temp • vivid colourDries the paprika fruit to even, low moisture before milling, so each batch of oleoresin draws cleanly and keeps a consistent colour.
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 hot paprika oleoresin, product code BHPa-15.1. It is a deep red extract carrying the carotenoid colour and natural capsaicin warmth of the fruit, with no additives.
Liquefied food-grade gas extraction at room temperature, below 25 °C, and low pressure. Because there is no high heat, the colour pigments stay vivid and solvent residue stays below 0.1 g/kg.
Paprika's value is its red colour and its warmth, and the carotenoid pigments fade with heat. Cold R134a extraction protects the colour and carries the capsaicin through, without the hexane residue of traditional oleoresin.
Roughly 1 kg of extract represents around 40 to 60 kg of dried, milled paprika fruit.
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.
It is produced with a food-grade solvent per Directive 97/60/EC. It is a raw material for formulation, not intended for direct consumption or undiluted topical use, and users are responsible for compliance with applicable legislation.
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 colour. We will recommend the right system, share a yield estimate for your paprika fruit, 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 paprika line
The machines below make up the paprika line, the equipment that takes the fruit through to a finished oleoresin. Request a quote on any unit and we will reply with pricing and lead time.
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