Coriandrum sativum L. · Family: Apiaceae · Seed Oleoresin
One plant, two ingredients that taste nothing alike. Coriander seed is warm, sweet and citrus-floral, dominated by linalool; coriander leaf — cilantro — is green, sharp and aldehyde-driven. This is the seed oleoresin, declared as such, with linalool by GC and volatile oil per batch.
Seed and leaf are different ingredients from the same plant
Coriander oleoresin is the solvent-extracted concentrate of Coriandrum sativum seed. India is among the largest producers of coriander seed, and the crop is one of the country's staple spice exports.
The distinction that matters most on this ingredient is seed versus leaf. They come from the same plant and share a name in most of the world, but they are not interchangeable in any sense a formulator would care about. Seed is warm, sweet and citrus-floral, dominated by linalool. Leaf — cilantro — is green and pungent, driven by aliphatic aldehydes, and is the source of the famous soapy perception in a portion of the population.
So a specification reading simply "coriander extract" is genuinely ambiguous, and the two materials would ruin each other's applications. We supply the seed oleoresin and declare the part explicitly, with leaf material excluded.
Because coriander seed is aroma-led rather than pungent, the volatile oil fraction is where the value sits, and linalool is the marker that characterises it. Both are declared per batch, alongside the solvent used and its residual level.
What carries the aroma
The dominant constituent of coriander seed volatile oil and the compound responsible for its sweet, floral-citrus character. The principal marker for this material.
Monoterpenes contributing fresh, resinous top notes to the profile.
Present at modest levels, adding a cool facet to the overall aroma.
Contributing sweet floral depth; part of the GC profile used to characterise genuine seed material.
Collectively the aroma. Declared per batch, since on an aroma-led seed spice this is the commercial value.
The aliphatic aldehydes that define cilantro leaf are absent from a seed oleoresin. Their presence would indicate leaf contamination.
Why formulators specify a part-declared coriander oleoresin
The two parts are entirely different flavours. The declaration removes an ambiguity that a name alone cannot.
The characteristic marker of seed material, assayed rather than assumed, with the wider profile available.
Where the value sits on an aroma-led spice, reported per batch rather than as supporting detail.
Solvent named and tested every batch — the defining control on any solvent-extracted product.
India is among the largest coriander seed producers, giving depth of supply and price stability.
Disperses uniformly where ground seed separates, which is 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.
Volatile oil grades and dispersible forms
| Grade | Standardisation | Form | Best For | Solubility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coriander Oleoresin (Standard) Standard | Volatile oil declared; linalool by GC | Pale amber to brown viscous liquid | Seasoning blends, sauces, bakery | Oil-soluble |
| Coriander Oleoresin (High Volatile) Aroma-led | Elevated volatile oil; linalool declared | Amber viscous liquid | Flavour-critical applications, low inclusion | Oil-soluble |
| Coriander Oleoresin Dispersible Dispersible | Plated or emulsified; volatile oil declared | Free-flowing powder | Dry seasoning blends, instant mixes | Dispersible |
| Coriander Essential Oil Quoted separately | Distilled volatile fraction only | Colourless to pale yellow mobile liquid | Flavour, fragrance, aromatherapy | Oil-soluble |
| Coriander Seeds (Whole / Ground) Quoted separately | Whole spice — not an extract | Pale brown seed or powder | Traditional and visible-spice applications | — |
Every grade is declared as seed-derived, with leaf material excluded. That declaration matters more than it might sound: coriander seed and coriander leaf are chemically and sensorially unrelated, and substituting one for the other would not produce a weaker version of the intended flavour but a different and unwanted one. Volatile oil is declared per batch because coriander is aroma-led rather than pungent, and linalool is reported as the characterising marker. Where a grade is standardised with a carrier, the carrier and inclusion level are named. Whole and ground coriander seed and coriander essential oil are quoted separately.
Full product specification for Coriander Oleoresin, standard grade. Values are specification limits, not batch results; a batch-specific CoA is issued per shipment.
| Parameter | Specification / Limit | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical Source | Coriandrum sativum L. | — |
| Plant Family | Apiaceae | — |
| Part Used | Dried seed (fruit) | — |
| Country of Origin | India | — |
| Appearance | Viscous liquid | Organoleptic |
| Colour | Pale amber to brown* | Organoleptic |
| Odour & Taste | Characteristic of coriander seed, sweet and citrus-floral | Organoleptic |
| Volatile Oil (% v/w) | Declared per batch | Distillation |
| Linalool | Declared per batch | By GC |
| Volatile Profile | α-pinene, camphor, geranyl acetate — on request | By GC / GC-MS |
| Leaf (Cilantro) Material | Absent — seed-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 grade and concentration. The part declaration is the line to read first on this certificate. Coriander seed and coriander leaf come from the same plant, share a name in most markets, and taste nothing alike — seed is warm, sweet and linalool-dominated; leaf is green, sharp and aldehyde-driven. A specification saying only "coriander" has not identified which ingredient it means, and the two are not substitutable in either direction. We declare seed only, with leaf material excluded. Volatile oil is declared as the primary commercial figure because this is an aroma-led spice with no pungent principle, and linalool is reported as the characterising marker, with the wider GC profile available where a fingerprint is wanted for authenticity. Residual solvent is named and tested by GC every batch. A current Certificate of Analysis and MSDS are issued with every batch.
From seed to declared oleoresin — part-controlled, profiled, documented
Raw Material: Produced from Coriandrum sativum seed sourced from Indian growing regions. The control that matters at intake is part integrity — seed only, with no leaf material — since the two parts are chemically unrelated and cross-contamination would introduce an entirely different flavour rather than dilute the intended one.
Extraction & Testing: Produced at certified facilities in India. Each batch is assayed for volatile oil by distillation and linalool by GC, with the wider volatile profile available on request. 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 Coriander Oleoresin oleoresin
Key information for global product registration and labelling
Worth stating plainly because the shared name causes real specification errors. Coriandrum sativum seed and leaf differ fundamentally in composition: seed volatile oil is dominated by linalool and reads warm, sweet and citrus-floral; leaf is dominated by aliphatic aldehydes and reads green and pungent, and is the source of the soapy perception experienced by a portion of the population. In much of the world the leaf is called coriander and in North America it is cilantro, which compounds the confusion in international specifications. A purchase order naming only "coriander extract" is therefore genuinely ambiguous. We supply seed-derived material, declare it explicitly, and would recommend that buyers write the part into their own specification and finished-product documentation.
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. Raw material is sourced from Indian coriander growing regions, with growing region stated on request. 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 coriander sourcing, standardisation and authenticity
How coriander's characterising marker is assayed and what it indicates.
Buyer's GuideGrades, part declaration and what to require on the certificate.
QualitySubstitution routes on coriander and the controls that detect them.
SourcingGrowing regions, seasonality and raw-material quality drivers.
RegulatoryResidue limits and screening for India-origin ingredients.
RegulatoryDocumentation, controls and border expectations for Indian botanicals.
Other seed spices and oleoresins from our range
Technical and commercial questions answered by our ingredients team
Seed-derived oleoresin with linalool by GC, volatile oil and residual solvent declared per batch, and leaf material excluded. 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.
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