Allium sativum L. · Family: Amaryllidaceae · Bulb Oleoresin
Garlic oleoresin does not contain allicin, and any certificate claiming an allicin percentage on this product is worth a hard question. Allicin is unstable and does not survive extraction — what an oleoresin carries is the family of organosulphur compounds allicin breaks down into. We specify those, by GC.
What is actually in a garlic extract, and what is not
Garlic oleoresin is the solvent-extracted concentrate of Allium sativum bulb, used across savoury manufacturing wherever the flavour of garlic is wanted without the handling, weight and variability of the fresh or dehydrated bulb.
It is also the ingredient where the trade's specifications most often describe something that is not there. Whole garlic contains alliin, an odourless precursor. Crushing the clove brings alliin into contact with the enzyme alliinase, which converts it to allicin — the compound responsible for fresh garlic's sharp pungency, and the one most cited in nutritional literature.
Allicin is highly unstable. It degrades within hours at room temperature and does not survive heat, solvent extraction or storage. What it degrades into is a family of organosulphur compounds — diallyl disulfide, diallyl trisulfide, ajoenes and related sulphides — and those are what a garlic oleoresin actually carries. They also carry the cooked-garlic character that savoury applications want.
So a garlic oleoresin certificate quoting an allicin percentage is describing something that is not present in the material. We specify the organosulphur profile by GC, declare volatile oil, and say plainly what the product is — which matters most for buyers whose finished-product claims might otherwise rest on a figure that will not withstand scrutiny.
The sulphur chemistry of extracted garlic
A principal organosulphur constituent of garlic oleoresin and a major contributor to its cooked-garlic character.
Present alongside the disulfide; together they dominate the sulphur profile of extracted garlic.
Supporting sulphur constituents contributing to the overall aroma and to the profile used for characterisation.
Formed from allicin degradation; present in extracted garlic materials and of research interest.
The odourless precursor present in the intact bulb. Converted enzymatically to allicin on crushing — relevant to understanding the chemistry, not present as such in the finished oleoresin.
Not present. Highly unstable and does not survive extraction, heat or storage. A certificate claiming an allicin figure on an oleoresin should be questioned.
Why formulators specify an honestly specified garlic oleoresin
The compounds actually present, assayed and reported — not a marker borrowed from a different form of garlic.
We do not put an allicin figure on a product that chemically cannot contain it. That protects your finished-product claims.
The aroma fraction reported per batch, as on any aroma-led spice extract.
A specified profile removes the batch drift that makes dehydrated garlic difficult to formulate around.
Solvent named and tested every batch — the defining control on any solvent-extracted product.
India is among the largest garlic producers, giving depth of raw material 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.
Profile grades and dispersible forms
| Grade | Standardisation | Form | Best For | Solubility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garlic Oleoresin (Standard) Standard | Sulphur profile by GC; volatile oil declared | Amber to dark brown viscous liquid | Savoury seasoning, sauces, ready meals | Oil-soluble |
| Garlic Oleoresin (High Volatile) Aroma-led | Elevated volatile oil; profile declared | Amber viscous liquid | Flavour-critical applications, low inclusion | Oil-soluble |
| Garlic Oleoresin Dispersible Dispersible | Plated or emulsified; profile declared | Free-flowing powder | Dry seasoning blends, snack dusting | Dispersible |
| Garlic Essential Oil Quoted separately | Distilled volatile fraction only | Yellow to reddish-brown mobile liquid | Flavour and speciality applications | Oil-soluble |
| Allicin-Standardised Garlic Extract Quoted separately | Different product — supplement route | Off-white to cream powder | Nutraceutical formulations | Water-dispersible |
The last row is the important one. Nutraceutical garlic products standardised on "allicin potential" or "allicin yield" are made quite differently — typically dried at low temperature to preserve the alliin and alliinase enzyme system so that allicin can form on ingestion, and supplied as a powder rather than an oleoresin. That is a legitimate and different product with a different specification, and it belongs to the supplement route rather than the seasoning one. A solvent-extracted oleoresin cannot carry allicin, and quoting one against the other confuses two unrelated purchases. We supply the oleoresin for flavour applications and can quote allicin-standardised material separately for nutraceutical use.
Full product specification for Garlic Oleoresin, standard grade. Values are specification limits, not batch results; a batch-specific CoA is issued per shipment.
| Parameter | Specification / Limit | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical Source | Allium sativum L. | — |
| Plant Family | Amaryllidaceae | — |
| Part Used | Dried bulb | — |
| Country of Origin | India | — |
| Appearance | Viscous liquid | Organoleptic |
| Colour | Amber to dark brown* | Organoleptic |
| Odour & Taste | Characteristic of garlic, strong and sulphurous | Organoleptic |
| Organosulphur Profile | Diallyl disulfide / trisulfide — declared per batch | By GC / GC-MS |
| Volatile Oil (% v/w) | Declared per batch | Distillation |
| Allicin | Not applicable — does not survive extraction | — |
| 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. Note the allicin line, which is deliberately marked not applicable rather than omitted. Whole garlic contains alliin, an odourless precursor; crushing brings it into contact with the enzyme alliinase, producing allicin. Allicin is highly unstable — it degrades within hours at ambient temperature and does not survive heat, solvent extraction or storage — breaking down into the organosulphur compounds that a garlic oleoresin actually carries, principally diallyl disulfide and diallyl trisulfide. A garlic oleoresin certificate quoting an allicin percentage is describing something not present in the material. We think that matters beyond pedantry: a finished-product claim resting on such a figure would not survive scrutiny, and buyers deserve to know which product they need. Nutraceutical garlic standardised on allicin yield is a genuinely different material produced by a different route, and we quote it separately. Residual solvent is named and tested by GC every batch.
From bulb to declared oleoresin — profiled honestly, documented
Raw Material: Produced from dried Allium sativum bulb sourced from Indian growing regions. India is among the world's largest garlic producers, giving depth of raw material. Drying practice affects the sulphur profile of the finished extract, so incoming material is assessed rather than accepted on appearance.
Extraction & Testing: Produced at certified facilities in India. Each batch is profiled by GC for organosulphur compounds — principally diallyl disulfide and trisulfide — and assayed for volatile oil by distillation. Residual solvent is tested by GC against the named solvent. Contaminant testing covers moisture, heavy metals by ICP-MS, aflatoxins, 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 Garlic Oleoresin oleoresin
Key information for global product registration and labelling
This is the point on which we would most want a garlic buyer to be clear, because it reaches through to labelling. Allicin is not present in a solvent-extracted garlic oleoresin. It is unstable, degrading within hours at ambient temperature and not surviving heat, extraction or storage. A supplier certificate quoting an allicin percentage on an oleoresin is therefore reporting something the material does not contain — and a finished-product claim built on that figure is exposed if a competitor, a retailer's technical team or a regulator examines it. The nutraceutical products that legitimately reference allicin are made differently: dried at controlled low temperature to preserve the alliin and alliinase system, and specified on allicin potential or allicin yield — the amount that could form — rather than allicin content. That is a different product on a different route. We supply oleoresin for flavour applications with an honest organosulphur specification, and quote allicin-standardised material separately where the application genuinely calls for it.
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 garlic growing regions. 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 garlic sourcing, standardisation and authenticity
Forms, standardisation bases and what to require on the certificate.
QualityHow garlic products are adulterated and the controls that detect it.
ApplicationsWhere allicin-yield material fits against oleoresin, and why the routes differ.
SourcingGrowing regions, drying practice and raw-material quality drivers.
RegulatoryResidue limits and screening for India-origin ingredients.
RegulatoryDocumentation, controls and border expectations for Indian botanicals.
Other savoury oleoresins from our range
Technical and commercial questions answered by our ingredients team
Organosulphur profile by GC, volatile oil and residual solvent declared per batch — and no allicin figure on a product that cannot contain it. 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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