Sweet Fennel Oleoresin
Sweet Fennel Oleoresin
Mechotech designs and manufactures turnkey spices oleoresin extraction plants for Sweet Fennel. The product tree lists Sweet Fennel under Spices Oleoresin Extraction Plants, and Mechotech’s legacy page for the Sweet Fennel Oleoresin Extraction Plant describes industrial solvent extraction of the oleoresin of Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce, the cultivated sweet fennel variety, selected for its high trans-anethole content (80–90% on that page) and near-absence of the bitter fenchone found in bitter fennel. The page lists liqueur production, infant digestive formulations, confectionery flavouring and high-end fragrance as the uses where fenchone bitterness would be unwelcome. The Sureka Life Sciences (SLS) catalogue lists a Sweet Fennel Extract with Foeniculum vulgare Miller and anethole. This page is the oleoresin route; the seed-oil distillation route is on a separate page.
Mechotech’s Sweet Fennel plant is configured around the raw material and the target oleoresin. Built in SS 316L with integrated solvent recovery, automation and full documentation, each plant is delivered as a commissioned turnkey system. The solvent, extraction conditions and standardisation target are set during process development and pilot validation.
Technical Specifications
| Product | Sweet Fennel Extraction Plant |
|---|---|
| Process Category | Spices Oleoresin Extraction Plants |
| Botanical Name | Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce (per Mechotech’s legacy page); the Sureka Life Sciences catalogue lists Foeniculum vulgare Miller |
| Raw Material | Sweet fennel seed |
| Plant Part / Feed Form | Seed, as Mechotech’s fennel oleoresin and sweet fennel distillation entries describe it (the sweet fennel oleoresin legacy page names the variety but not the part); the exact form is confirmed with the client |
| Principal Documented Constituent | Trans-anethole (the legacy page gives 80–90% as its figure for sweet fennel oleoresin, with near-absence of fenchone; the Sureka Life Sciences catalogue lists anethole as the offering grade without a percentage) |
| Standardisation | Trans-anethole as the marker; 80–90% is the legacy page’s figure for this variety, not a delivered specification, and no assay method is stated |
| Extract Type | Oleoresin (solvent extract of the seed) |
| Extraction Method | Industrial solvent extraction (per the legacy page); the solvent, the seed preparation and the extractor conditions are set during process development |
| Product-contact Material | SS 316L |
| Filtration | Plate-and-frame filter press with cartridge polish filters |
| Concentration | Falling-film / vacuum evaporator with solvent recovery |
| Drying / Finishing | Solvent stripped to an oleoresin; any further finishing step is agreed with the client |
| Automation | PLC-based |
| Plant Capacity | Configured to requirement |
| Utility Requirements | Steam, chilled/cooling water, compressed air and power (project-specific) |
| Compliance | GMP hygienic design; full documentation for qualification |
| Final Product Form | Sweet fennel oleoresin |
Plant Capacities
| Plant Scale | Raw Material Throughput | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot | Configured to your feedstock and trial plan | Product development, parameter validation |
| Semi-Commercial | Configured between pilot and commercial scale | Scale-up trials, contract manufacturing |
| Commercial | Configured to raw-material supply and confirmed buyer volume | Commercial production |
Capacity is configured to raw-material supply, confirmed buyer volume and investment timeline; a pilot plant is recommended to validate parameters before scaling.
Manufacturing Process
Raw Material Preparation
Sweet fennel seed is authenticated, cleaned, tested for moisture and milled to a uniform particle size to maximise solvent contact before extraction; the particle size is set during process development.
Extraction
The milled seed is extracted with a solvent in closed jacketed SS 316L extractors under controlled temperature. Mechotech’s legacy page for the fennel oleoresin stresses low-temperature processing so that trans-anethole is not isomerised to the less desirable cis form, and the same care is applied here; the solvent, ratio and temperature are set during process development.
Filtration
The extract (miscella) is clarified through a plate-and-frame filter press followed by cartridge polish filters.
Concentration & Solvent Recovery
The miscella is concentrated in a falling-film / vacuum evaporator, with solvent recovered through the condenser return system.
Standardisation
The concentrate is assayed and adjusted to the client’s target oleoresin specification, with trans-anethole as the marker, before final finishing. The assay method and acceptance limits are agreed with the buyer.
Finishing & Quality Control
The standardised oleoresin is stripped of residual solvent, packed and released after assay, residual-solvent, heavy-metal and microbial testing.
Major Plant Equipment
- Raw material authentication, cleaning and moisture testing
- Mill (size reduction)
- Jacketed SS 316L extraction vessels
- Solvent storage tanks
- Plate-and-frame filter press
- Cartridge polish filters
- Falling-film / vacuum evaporator
- Closed-loop solvent recovery system (condenser return)
- Standardisation / blending vessel
- Spray dryer / vacuum dryer (where a powder is required)
- CIP (clean-in-place) system
- PLC-based automation panel
Plant Output
From Plant to Product
Sweet Fennel Extract
This botanical is also in the product range of Sureka Life Sciences, our sister concern in botanical ingredients.
Applications
- Liqueur production (per Mechotech’s legacy page)
- Infant digestive formulations (per the legacy page)
- Confectionery flavouring (per the legacy page)
- High-end fragrance (per the legacy page)
Key Features
SS 316L Construction
Electropolished SS 316L product-contact surfaces with CIP operation between batches.
Alcohol / Aqueous Solvent Extraction
Closed jacketed extractors run food-grade alcohol or aqueous solvent over multiple cycles to recover the target fraction.
Closed-Loop Solvent Recovery
Integrated condenser-return recovery reuses solvent between batches and reduces solvent loss.
Standardised to Specification
In-process and batch-release assay are used to check the finished extract against the agreed target specification.
Scalable Batch Capacity
Plants are configured to requirement from pilot scale upward, with modular expansion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mechotech supply the complete machinery for Sweet Fennel?
What specification can the Sweet Fennel plant achieve?
What production capacities are available for the Sweet Fennel plant?
Which industries use the Sweet Fennel oleoresin plant?
How is Sweet Fennel extract produced in Mechotech’s extraction plant?
What distinguishes sweet fennel from fennel?
How does this page differ from the Sweet Fennel distillation page?
Is a pilot trial recommended for sweet fennel?
Which equipment finishes the sweet fennel oleoresin?
Which related routes and pages does Mechotech list alongside Sweet Fennel?
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