Lemon oil
Lemon oil is the essential oil from the peel of the lemon, Citrus limon. Most is cold-pressed: the peel is rasped or squeezed during juice processing and the oil is separated from the water by centrifuge. Argentina, Italy and the US are leading origins. Distilled, folded (concentrated) and terpeneless versions are made from it for clear beverages and stronger, more stable flavors.
Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.
The standard full-bodied lemon oil, mostly limonene, used in beverages, baked goods and confectionery.
Steam-distilled oil with a sharper, less fresh profile, often used in colas and clear drinks.
Concentrated oil (for example 5-fold or 10-fold) with part of the terpenes removed, giving more citral per kilogram.
Oil with most terpenes removed for clear, alcohol-soluble or water-soluble beverage flavors.
Certified organic cold-pressed lemon oil, priced separately.
Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.
Citrus peel oils oxidize quickly once opened, so store them cool (often refrigerated), dark and in full containers, and nitrogen-flush partly used drums. Cold-pressed oils can drop a waxy sediment in the cold, which is normal and can be decanted or filtered. Shelf life is set by the supplier's specification, commonly shorter for cold-pressed than for folded or terpeneless oils, and aged stock should be retested for peroxide value and odor.
Citral, limonene and evaporation residue vary by origin, season and orchard, and price swings with crop size. Record origin, crop season and aldehyde content per lot, and test pesticide residues where the oil is used undiluted in beverages.
Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.
21 CFR 182.20 lists lemon (Citrus limon) and lemon peel among essential oils, oleoresins (solvent-free) and natural extractives that are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for their intended use.
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)FDA's Substances Added to Food inventory lists lemon oil (CAS 8008-56-8) with the technical effect flavoring agent or adjuvant, citing 21 CFR 172.230, 173.240 and 182.20.
Source: hfpappexternal.fda.gov (opens in a new tab)21 CFR 173.240 allows isopropyl alcohol in lemon oil as a residue from production of the oil at not more than 6 parts per million.
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)This is general information, not regulatory advice. Status differs by country and by how the ingredient is used, so check the rules for your product and market.
Manufacturers and distributors whose own websites say they sell it.
Manufacturer · Bury St Edmunds, United Kingdom
UK-based maker of natural extracts and flavor ingredients for beverage, flavor and fragrance companies, including citrus essential oils, brewed coffee extracts, tea extracts and aroma chemicals.
Suppliers are in alphabetical order and none pays to appear. Each claim is checked against the supplier’s own website on the date shown. Ask for the specification sheet and a recent COA before you order, and confirm details with the supplier.
Common forms include cold-pressed, distilled, folded, terpeneless and organic. Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.
Expect gC profile, physical constants, aldehyde content, appearance and odor and heavy metals, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.
Citrus peel oils oxidize quickly once opened, so store them cool (often refrigerated), dark and in full containers, and nitrogen-flush partly used drums. Cold-pressed oils can drop a waxy sediment in the cold, which is normal and can be decanted or filtered. Shelf life is set by the supplier's specification, commonly shorter for cold-pressed than for folded or terpeneless oils, and aged stock should be retested for peroxide value and odor.
21 CFR 182.20 lists lemon (Citrus limon) and lemon peel among essential oils, oleoresins (solvent-free) and natural extractives that are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for their intended use. FDA's Substances Added to Food inventory lists lemon oil (CAS 8008-56-8) with the technical effect flavoring agent or adjuvant, citing 21 CFR 172.230, 173.240 and 182.20. 21 CFR 173.240 allows isopropyl alcohol in lemon oil as a residue from production of the oil at not more than 6 parts per million.
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