Trigonella foenum-graecum L. · Family: Fabaceae · Seed Oleoresin
Fenugreek's distinctive maple-and-curry aroma comes from sotolone, a compound detectable at extraordinarily low concentrations. That potency makes fenugreek an ingredient where overdosing is the usual formulation error, and it is why we declare sotolone by GC rather than leaving strength to be discovered in a trial.
An ingredient where the usual mistake is using too much
Fenugreek oleoresin is the solvent-extracted concentrate of Trigonella foenum-graecum seed, used across curry and masala systems, savoury bases, imitation maple flavour, processed meat and traditional preparations. India is the world's dominant producer of fenugreek seed.
Its character comes overwhelmingly from sotolone — a lactone responsible for the distinctive aroma variously described as maple, burnt sugar or curry. Sotolone is remarkable for its potency: it is perceptible at extraordinarily low concentrations, which is why fenugreek reads so strongly in a blend and why it is the compound behind the well-known phenomenon of fenugreek aroma appearing on the skin and breath after consumption.
That potency inverts the usual formulation problem. With most spice extracts the risk is under-dosing and a weak result. With fenugreek the usual error is overdosing — a small excess dominates a formulation and reads as artificial maple rather than savoury depth. Inclusion rates are correspondingly low, and knowing the sotolone content matters more than it would on a less potent material.
We declare sotolone by GC and volatile oil per batch, and specify seed as the part — fenugreek leaf, sold as kasuri methi, is a different ingredient with a milder, hay-like character and is quoted separately.
What carries the character
The defining aroma compound — maple, burnt sugar, curry — and perceptible at extraordinarily low concentrations. The principal marker and the reason inclusion rates are low.
The wider volatile profile supporting sotolone and contributing the rounder savoury notes. Declared per batch.
Fenugreek seed carries a characteristic bitterness that comes through in an oleoresin and is part of its savoury function — useful in curry systems, less so in sweet applications.
A major seed component, largely relevant to fenugreek's nutraceutical rather than flavour use — concentrated in different product forms.
The basis of fenugreek's nutraceutical positioning, standardised in supplement-grade extracts rather than in a flavour oleoresin.
Kasuri methi — dried fenugreek leaf — is milder and hay-like, a different ingredient from the seed. Quoted separately.
Why formulators specify a sotolone-declared fenugreek oleoresin
The compound that carries the character, assayed per batch — which matters more on a material this potent.
Knowing the sotolone figure means inclusion can be calculated rather than trialled, on an ingredient where a small excess dominates.
Kasuri methi is a different ingredient with a milder profile. The part declaration keeps them distinct.
Reported per batch, as on any aroma-led seed spice.
Solvent named and tested every batch — the defining control on any solvent-extracted product.
India produces the large majority of world fenugreek seed, giving depth of supply and price stability.
These are functional and physico-chemical properties of the actives; SV Botanica does not make medical or therapeutic claims for this ingredient.
Flavour grades and dispersible forms
| Grade | Standardisation | Form | Best For | Solubility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fenugreek Oleoresin (Standard) Standard | Volatile oil declared; sotolone by GC | Dark brown viscous liquid | Curry systems, savoury bases, seasoning | Oil-soluble |
| Fenugreek Oleoresin (High Sotolone) Concentrated | Elevated sotolone; volatile oil declared | Dark brown viscous liquid | Imitation maple, low-inclusion dosing | Oil-soluble |
| Fenugreek Oleoresin Dispersible Dispersible | Plated or emulsified; sotolone declared | Free-flowing powder | Dry curry and seasoning blends | Dispersible |
| Fenugreek Seed Extract (Saponins) Quoted separately | Nutraceutical route — saponin-standardised | Yellow-brown powder | Supplement formulations | Partially water-soluble |
| Kasuri Methi (Leaf) Quoted separately | Dried leaf — milder, different ingredient | Green dried leaf | Traditional Indian cooking | — |
Fenugreek splits into two unrelated commercial routes and the specifications do not overlap. This oleoresin is a flavour ingredient characterised on sotolone. Fenugreek seed extract for nutraceutical use is standardised on steroidal saponins or on galactomannan fibre, carries little flavour interest, and is bought by supplement formulators. Asking for a saponin percentage on a flavour oleoresin, or a sotolone figure on a supplement extract, indicates the wrong product has been specified. Kasuri methi — dried leaf — is a third material again, milder and hay-like, and is quoted separately.
Full product specification for Fenugreek Oleoresin, standard grade. Values are specification limits, not batch results; a batch-specific CoA is issued per shipment.
| Parameter | Specification / Limit | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical Source | Trigonella foenum-graecum L. | — |
| Plant Family | Fabaceae | — |
| Part Used | Dried seed | — |
| Country of Origin | India | — |
| Appearance | Viscous liquid | Organoleptic |
| Colour | Dark brown* | Organoleptic |
| Odour & Taste | Characteristic of fenugreek — maple, curry, with bitterness | Organoleptic |
| Sotolone | Declared per batch | By GC / GC-MS |
| Volatile Oil (% v/w) | Declared per batch | Distillation |
| Part Used | Seed only — leaf (kasuri methi) excluded | 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. Sotolone is the figure that governs how this material is used. It is the compound behind fenugreek's maple-and-curry character and it is perceptible at extraordinarily low concentrations — which makes fenugreek unusual among spice extracts in that the common formulation error is using too much rather than too little. A small excess dominates a blend and reads as artificial maple rather than savoury depth. Knowing the sotolone content therefore lets inclusion be calculated rather than trialled. Note the part declaration: dried fenugreek leaf (kasuri methi) is a different ingredient with a milder, hay-like character, and fenugreek's nutraceutical route — standardised on steroidal saponins or galactomannan fibre — is a third product again with no flavour relevance. Specifying across those routes is a common source of mismatched purchases. Residual solvent is named and tested by GC every batch.
From seed to declared oleoresin — profiled, part-controlled, documented
Raw Material: Produced from Trigonella foenum-graecum seed sourced from Indian growing regions, principally Rajasthan and Gujarat. India produces the large majority of world fenugreek seed, so origin here is the market default rather than a differentiator.
Extraction & Testing: Produced at certified facilities in India. Each batch is assayed for sotolone by GC and volatile oil by distillation, 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 Fenugreek Oleoresin oleoresin
Key information for global product registration and labelling
Fenugreek is sold into unrelated markets on unrelated bases, and specifying across them is a recurring source of mismatched purchases. Fenugreek oleoresin — this product — is a flavour ingredient characterised on sotolone. Fenugreek seed extract for nutraceutical use is standardised on steroidal saponins or on galactomannan soluble fibre, carries little flavour interest and is bought by supplement formulators. Kasuri methi, the dried leaf, is a culinary ingredient with a milder, hay-like character quite unlike the seed. A specification asking for saponins on a flavour oleoresin, or sotolone on a supplement extract, has selected the wrong product. We declare part and basis explicitly so the routes stay separate.
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 principally from Rajasthan and Gujarat, the regions behind the majority of world fenugreek production. 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 fenugreek sourcing, standardisation and applications
How the nutraceutical route is standardised, and why it differs from the flavour route.
Buyer's GuideThe product routes, grades and what to require on each certificate.
QualitySubstitution routes on fenugreek and the controls that catch them.
SourcingRajasthan and Gujarat growing regions and quality drivers.
RegulatoryResidue limits and screening for India-origin ingredients.
RegulatoryDocumentation, controls and border expectations for Indian botanicals.
Other savoury spices and oleoresins from our range
Technical and commercial questions answered by our ingredients team
Seed-derived oleoresin with sotolone by GC, volatile oil and residual solvent declared per batch. Tell us your inclusion target and we will advise on grade. 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