The production of natural chemicals from essential oils is an exciting and interesting business. There are many chemicals today that are produced primarily from essential oil, as this is the most economic method. And, there is plenty of potential for new products from both traditional and new sources.
In this article, I will focus on the production of aroma chemicals from orange. But I will also mention other essential oils that are sources of aroma chemicals.
The Market for Oranges
The orange processing industry worldwide has an annual turnover of approximately US$2 billion. The market has been dominated by Florida and Brazil since the mid-1970s. It is important to remember that concentrated orange juice is six-and-a-half times single strength and is the main product of processing. The frozen concentrated orange juice is shipped around the world in refrigerated bulk tanker vessels containing 15,000 tons. It is the byproducts of juice processing that interest the flavor and fragrance industry.
