Ginger Oleoresin

Ginger oleoresin is the whole extract of the dried rhizome of Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Zingiberaceae). It differs from distilled ginger oil in that it carries two fractions at once: the volatile oil, which makes up 1-3% of the weight of fresh ginger and is dominated by sesquiterpenes, and the non-volatile pungent principles that distillation leaves behind in the still. Those pungent principles are the reason the material is bought. The gingerol series leads, with [6]-gingerol (C17H26O4, MW 294.38, CAS 23513-14-6) the major member. Drying and heat dehydrate gingerols into the shogaols, of which [6]-shogaol (C17H24O3, MW 276.4, CAS 23513-13-5) is roughly twice as pungent as its parent, while a retro-aldol route yields zingerone (C11H14O3, MW 194.23), less pungent with a spicy-sweet aroma. That ratio shifts with drying and extraction history, which is why serious buyers contract on an analysed gingerol figure rather than on origin alone. Cleaned, dried and milled rhizome is extracted, and the route decides the character of the product. Published yields from dried rhizome differ by an order of magnitude: Soxhlet extraction with ethanol has been reported at 17.70% ± 1.78, while supercritical CO2 gives 1.54% ± 0.01 — a solvent-free, more volatile-weighted extract at far lower yield. Thovek offers ethanolic and acetone-extracted oleoresins, a supercritical CO2 grade for clean-label and solvent-free positioning, water-dispersible liquids built with polysorbate 80, and spray-dried powders laid down on gum acacia or maize maltodextrin. Total gingerols by HPLC and volatile oil by Clevenger distillation are set against the buyer's target at contract and reported lot by lot on the certificate of analysis, alongside residual solvent, heavy metals, pesticide residue and microbiology. Ginger appears in the United States GRAS listing at 21 CFR 182.20, 'Essential oils, oleoresins (solvent-free), and natural extractives (including distillates)', as Zingiber officinale Rosc. The material is vegan and vegetarian with no animal-derived processing aids, and is free from milk, egg, fish, crustacean, gluten, peanut and tree nut. One allergen point deserves attention at the enquiry stage: oleoresins are routinely standardised down to a target strength with an edible oil, and where that oil is soybean oil the finished article carries a soy declaration. Specify a non-soy diluent such as sunflower oil or MCT if your label needs a soy-free statement, and confirm the carrier on powder grades, since maize maltodextrin and gum acacia behave differently in a gluten-free or clean-label declaration. Thovek describes composition and flavour function only; substantiating any claim on the finished product remains the brand owner's responsibility in its own market.