An aroma chemical profile: Linalool

Pure linalool possesses a fresh, clean, mild light floral odor with a slight citrus impression. The products produced by each synthetic process display slight odor variations, inherent to that process. For most purposes, the prime grades from each source are interchangeable. Less pure grades may show enough variation from the true note to render them usable only in specific applications. Because of the concentrations employed, the variations in odor usually are more critical in fragrances than in flavors.

The small amount of natural Iinalool available is produced from Bois de Rose oils of Brazil and Paraguay and Ho-leaf oil from Taiwan and China, (see Tables I and 11). Natural linalool is now considered a specialty.

History of Linalool

Linalool and its esters are distributed in a vast number of essential oils from trace up to major amounts. Its early production was accomplished in 1875 by isolation from Cayenne Bois de Rose oil from French Guiana. A Frenchman by the name of Licare was so involved with the oil’s production that Iinalool was initially called Licareol. Subsequent production shifted to Brazil (Bois de Rose oil) and Mexico (Linaloe oil) and more recently from Ho-leaf and Ho-wood oil (Taiwan, China and Japan). Availability of natural linalool has remained fairly constant since 1925. The volume of supply of natural product, however, has been dwarfed by the supply of synthetic product. The demand for linalool cannot be met by the production of natural oils.

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