Cinnamomum verum / Cinnamomum cassia · Family: Lauraceae · Bark Oleoresin
Two different trees are sold as cinnamon, and one of them carries coumarin at levels that matter for compliance. We name the botanical species on every certificate and declare coumarin content per batch — because on this ingredient the species is not a provenance detail, it is the specification.
Two trees, one name, and a compliance parameter between them
Cinnamon oleoresin is the solvent-extracted concentrate of Cinnamomum bark, dominated by cinnamaldehyde — the compound responsible for the warm, sweet character the spice is bought for. It is used across bakery, confectionery, beverages and savoury applications wherever ground bark would be difficult to disperse or would vary too much batch to batch.
The defining issue on this ingredient is that "cinnamon" covers more than one species. Cinnamomum verum — Ceylon or "true" cinnamon, from Sri Lanka — and the cassia group, principally C. cassia and C. burmannii from China, Vietnam and Indonesia, are both traded as cinnamon in most markets.
They are not equivalent. Cassia is markedly higher in coumarin, a naturally occurring compound that has attracted regulatory attention in the EU, where maximum levels are set for coumarin in certain foods and tolerable daily intake advice exists. Ceylon cinnamon carries very much less. A buyer who specifies only "cinnamon oleoresin" has left both the flavour profile and a compliance parameter undetermined.
We therefore name the botanical species on every certificate and declare coumarin content per batch, alongside cinnamaldehyde by GC and the solvent used with its residual level.
What differs between the species
The dominant constituent of both Ceylon and cassia bark oil and the source of the characteristic warm sweetness. Typically higher in cassia, which is part of why cassia reads as a stronger, blunter cinnamon.
The critical differentiator. Present at markedly higher levels in cassia than in Ceylon. Subject to EU maximum levels in certain foods, which makes it a compliance parameter rather than a flavour note.
Present at meaningful levels in Ceylon cinnamon and much less so in cassia, contributing the clove-like warmth and greater complexity Ceylon is prized for.
A supporting aroma constituent contributing sweetness and roundness.
Collectively the aroma. Declared per batch, as on any aroma-led bark spice.
Where a grade is standardised to a fixed cinnamaldehyde figure, the carrier is named with its inclusion level.
Why formulators specify a species-named cinnamon oleoresin
Ceylon or cassia, stated on the certificate. On this ingredient the species determines both flavour and a regulatory parameter.
The compliance line. Cassia is markedly higher in coumarin, and EU maximum levels apply in certain foods.
The principal aroma marker, assayed rather than assumed, with the wider volatile profile available.
Bark is the classical and commercial part; leaf oleoresin is a different material with a different profile.
Reported per batch, since aroma is the commercial value on a bark spice with no pungent principle.
Disperses uniformly where ground bark settles — the practical reason to specify an oleoresin.
These are functional and physico-chemical properties of the actives; SV Botanica does not make medical or therapeutic claims for this ingredient.
Species grades and dispersible forms
| Grade | Standardisation | Form | Best For | Solubility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cassia Oleoresin Standard | C. cassia / C. burmannii; cinnamaldehyde and coumarin declared | Dark reddish brown viscous liquid | Bakery, confectionery, beverages, savoury | Oil-soluble |
| Ceylon Cinnamon Oleoresin True cinnamon | C. verum; cinnamaldehyde, eugenol and coumarin declared | Reddish brown viscous liquid | Premium and low-coumarin applications | Oil-soluble |
| Cinnamon Oleoresin (High Cinnamaldehyde) Concentrated | Elevated cinnamaldehyde; species and coumarin declared | Dark reddish brown viscous liquid | Low-inclusion dosing, flavour-led | Oil-soluble |
| Cinnamon Oleoresin Dispersible Dispersible | Plated or emulsified; species and coumarin declared | Free-flowing powder | Dry blends, bakery premixes | Dispersible |
| Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil Quoted separately | Distilled volatile fraction only | Yellow to reddish mobile liquid | Flavour and fragrance applications | Oil-soluble |
Specify the species, not just the spice. Ceylon (C. verum) and cassia (C. cassia, C. burmannii) are both sold as cinnamon and are not interchangeable: cassia is stronger and blunter in flavour and markedly higher in coumarin, while Ceylon is more complex, carries meaningful eugenol, and is very much lower in coumarin. Where your product falls under EU coumarin maximum levels, or where high inclusion or frequent consumption is expected, the species choice is a compliance decision rather than a flavour preference. Coumarin is declared on every grade regardless of species, so the figure is available to your regulatory review either way.
Full product specification for Cinnamon Oleoresin. Species is named per batch; values are specification limits, not batch results.
| Parameter | Specification / Limit | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical Source | Cinnamomum verum J.Presl or C. cassia (Nees) — named per batch | — |
| Plant Family | Lauraceae | — |
| Part Used | Dried bark | — |
| Country of Origin | India | — |
| Appearance | Viscous liquid | Organoleptic |
| Colour | Reddish brown to dark reddish brown* | Organoleptic |
| Odour & Taste | Characteristic of cinnamon, warm and sweet | Organoleptic |
| Botanical Species | Ceylon (C. verum) or cassia — named on certificate | Declaration / GC profile |
| Coumarin | Declared per batch | By GC / HPLC |
| Cinnamaldehyde | Declared per batch | By GC |
| Eugenol | Reported per batch (Ceylon material) | By GC |
| Volatile Oil (% v/w) | Declared per batch | Distillation |
| Leaf Material | Absent — bark-only declaration provided | Declaration |
| Solubility | Oil-soluble; dispersible grade available | — |
| Carrier / Diluent | Declared with inclusion level (standardised grades) | Declaration |
| Moisture (% w/w) | NMT 1.0 | Karl Fischer |
| Residual Solvent | Solvent named; within permitted limits — every batch | By GC |
| Lead (ppm) | NMT 1.0 | ICP-MS |
| Arsenic (ppm) | NMT 1.0 | ICP-MS |
| Cadmium (ppm) | NMT 0.3 | ICP-MS |
| Mercury (ppm) | NMT 0.1 | ICP-MS |
| Pesticide Residues | Complies (EU MRL, on request) | GC-MS / LC-MS/MS |
| Ethylene Oxide (ETO) | Not treated — declaration provided | LC-MS/MS (on request) |
| Aflatoxins B1 / Total (ppb) | NMT 2 / NMT 4 | HPLC-FLD |
| Ochratoxin A (ppb) | NMT 10 | HPLC-FLD |
| Total Plate Count (cfu/g) | NMT 10,000 | USP <2021> |
| Yeast & Moulds (cfu/g) | NMT 100 | USP <2021> |
| Escherichia coli | Absent | USP <2022> |
| Salmonella sp. | Absent | USP <2022> |
| HS Code | 3301.90 | — |
| Kosher / Halal | Certified (on request) | Certification |
| Shelf Life | 24 months from date of manufacture, in original packed condition | — |
| Storage | Cool, dark place below 25°C, tightly closed, protected from light | — |
*Colour varies with species, grade and concentration. Two lines here are doing regulatory work. The first is the botanical species: Ceylon (Cinnamomum verum) and cassia (C. cassia, C. burmannii) are both traded as cinnamon, and they differ in flavour and in coumarin content. The second is coumarin itself — naturally present at markedly higher levels in cassia, subject to maximum levels in certain foods in the EU, and the subject of tolerable daily intake advice. That makes coumarin a compliance parameter, not a flavour note, and it belongs on the incoming specification for any product with meaningful cinnamon inclusion or frequent consumption. We declare it on every batch regardless of species so the figure is always available to your regulatory review. Note also that bark and leaf oleoresins are different products — leaf is eugenol-dominated and is not a substitute for bark. Residual solvent is named and tested by GC every batch.
From bark to declared oleoresin — species-named, coumarin-tested, documented
Raw Material: Produced from Cinnamomum bark, with the species recorded at intake and named on the finished certificate. This is the control that matters here: Ceylon and cassia bark are visually distinguishable to a trained eye but not reliably so once milled, and the two carry materially different coumarin levels — so species is established at the raw-material stage rather than inferred later.
Extraction & Testing: Produced at certified facilities in India. Each batch is assayed for cinnamaldehyde by GC, coumarin by GC or HPLC, and volatile oil by distillation, with eugenol reported on Ceylon material. Residual solvent is tested by GC against the named solvent. Contaminant testing covers moisture, heavy metals by ICP-MS, aflatoxins and ochratoxin A, pesticide residue screening and a full microbiological panel.
Documentation: Every shipment ships against a batch-specific Certificate of Analysis stating the marker assay, volatile oil where applicable, the solvent used and its residual level, and carrier with inclusion level where applicable, together with an MSDS. Halal, Kosher and Organic certification are available — see our guides on EU pesticide MRL compliance and EU import requirements.
What backs every batch of Cinnamon Oleoresin oleoresin
Key information for global product registration and labelling
This is the defining regulatory consideration for cinnamon and the reason we declare species and coumarin on every certificate. Coumarin occurs naturally in cassia at markedly higher levels than in Ceylon cinnamon, and it has been the subject of sustained regulatory attention in Europe: maximum levels are set for coumarin in certain foods under EU flavourings rules, and tolerable daily intake advice exists following safety assessment. The practical consequences for a buyer are concrete. Products with high cinnamon inclusion, or intended for frequent consumption, need the coumarin figure to demonstrate compliance. Where the limits are tight, Ceylon material is the route rather than a processing fix. And a specification that does not name the species has not addressed the question at all. We name the species and declare coumarin on every batch regardless of grade, so your regulatory reviewer always has the number.
A secondary but real distinction. Cinnamon bark oleoresin is cinnamaldehyde-dominated and is what the market means by cinnamon. Cinnamon leaf material is eugenol-dominated, reads closer to clove, and is a different ingredient at a different price. We supply bark-derived material with leaf excluded by declaration, and would encourage buyers to write the part into their specification alongside the species.
Every oleoresin is a solvent-extracted product, which makes residual solvent its defining quality control rather than an afterthought. Permitted extraction solvents and their maximum residues are set by the destination market's rules and differ by solvent class. We name the solvent used on every certificate and test each batch by GC. Buyers should confirm the solvent is permitted for their market and application — a supplier who will not name it has made that check impossible. Where a specific solvent system is required, it can be specified at order.
Supplied from India by SV Botanica — FSSAI Central Licence holder, Spices Board and APEDA registered exporter. Cassia and Ceylon material are sourced against the species specified at order; note that Ceylon cinnamon originates principally in Sri Lanka and cassia in China, Vietnam and Indonesia, with extraction carried out in India. Shipped against a batch-specific Certificate of Analysis with export documentation available on request. This product is supplied as a food ingredient and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Guides on cinnamon species, coumarin and standardisation
Why the species determines a compliance parameter, and when Ceylon is the only route.
Buyer's GuideSpecies, grades and what to require on the certificate.
QualitySpecies substitution on cinnamon and the controls that detect it.
SourcingOrigins, species availability and what drives raw-material quality.
RegulatoryResidue limits and screening for India-origin ingredients.
RegulatoryDocumentation, controls and border expectations for Indian botanicals.
Other bark spices and oleoresins from our range
Technical and commercial questions answered by our ingredients team
Ceylon or cassia, named on every certificate, with coumarin and cinnamaldehyde declared per batch. Tell us your coumarin limit and we will quote the right species. Samples for qualified buyers.
Supplied as a bulk ingredient for further manufacture. Buyers are responsible for compliance with the regulations of their destination market. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
We use cookies for analytics and to measure our advertising. Essential cookies are always on. Privacy policy