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 • Sweet paprika extraction
Capsicum annuum L.
Turn dried sweet paprika into a vivid, food-grade colour oleoresin with COMERG equipment. Our cold, room-temperature, low-pressure process draws out the deep red carotenoids, capsanthin and capsorubin, with the mild, sweet flavour of the fruit and none of the heat, so the colour stays rich and true.
The fruit
Sweet paprika is the dried fruit of mild Capsicum annuum varieties, the same species as hot paprika but bred with almost no capsaicin. What stays is the colour, a deep red built from the carotenoid pigments capsanthin and capsorubin, and a gentle, sweet, faintly smoky flavour.
That makes it the go-to natural red for food. The fruits are milled and processed cold, so the pigments come through vivid and the sweet character is never cooked out. Nothing is added.
The extract
Run on COMERG equipment, sweet paprika yields a standardised, high-strength colour oleoresin, batch after batch. Because the extraction is cold and solvent-light, with no high heat, the red carotenoids carry straight through, and the antioxidant strength of this grade is exceptional. The figures below are typical of a standardised BSPe-75.1 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 sweet character.
Non-toxic liquefied R134a gas is introduced to the milled sweet 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 and the fruit's natural oils, drawing them out together while the heat-sensitive red colour stays vivid.
The R134a is fully recovered and recycled in a closed loop. What is left is a concentrated sweet paprika oleoresin, with under 0.1 g/kg residue.
The colour
Sweet paprika's value is its colour, and that colour is a family of natural carotenoid pigments concentrated in the fruit's skin. These are not volatile compounds, so they sit in the pigment and oil fraction of the oleoresin rather than in a GC-MS aroma profile.
The balance of red to yellow pigments sets the exact shade. A per-batch colour and carotenoid analysis is available on request.
Specification
Why sweet paprika, why cold
Capsicum annuum, Bulgaria
Versus heated solvent extraction
Applications
The extract can be taken concentrated or diluted in vegetable oil to reach the exact colour your product needs. Typical filling rates for the concentrated extract in food are 5 to 600 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 is the product.
Why it wins
Against hexane solvent and CO2, cold R134a extraction gives a vivid sweet 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 |
| Sweet flavour | 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 sweet paprika oleoresin, product code BSPe-75.1. It is a vivid red colour extract carrying the carotenoid pigments and the mild, sweet flavour of the fruit, with no additives and no real heat.
Both are Capsicum annuum, but sweet paprika comes from mild varieties with almost no capsaicin. You get the deep red colour and a gentle sweet flavour without the pungent heat.
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.
Sweet paprika is valued for colour, not aroma chemistry, so a volatile GC-MS profile is not determined for this grade. The pigments that matter, capsanthin and capsorubin, sit in the colour and oil fraction. A per-batch colour and carotenoid analysis is available on request.
Roughly 1 kg of extract represents around 30 to 35 kg of dried, milled sweet paprika fruit.
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.
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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