Essential oils sold online: are they really compliant?
In 2018, the essential oils global market was already estimated at 7 billion dollars and is expected to grow further*. Widely used in food and cosmetics, they can also be found to a lesser extent in some cleaning products, animal feed supplements, pharmaceuticals, etc.
Because of their rarity and their demanding extraction process, some of these oils can have a relatively high price per millilitre. In addition, there is a growth in demand, and thus the development of deliberate adulteration of essential oils to maximise profit regardless of quality.
What are these fraudulent practices exactly and how can they be detected? In an attempt to answer this question, a team of chemists from the NCI research laboratory (Nice Chemistry Institute) at the Côte d'Azur University studied the adulteration of several Citrus oils sold on the web: bergamot, mandarin and neroli**.
The conformity criteria for essential oils are defined by the ISO AFNOR standards, which detail their composition both qualitatively and quantitatively. The study published by the three researchers was conducted on a dozen samples per species of Citrus tested, and their composition was compared with the reference composition presented by the ISO standard. The results are alarming: nine out of ten samples do not strictly comply with standards. This non-compliance is partly due to the poor ageing of the products, but also to the deliberate adulteration of oils which can take several forms:
- Dilution of the essential oil in a solvent with similar physicochemical characteristics
- Addition of a cheaper or different essential oil in terms of geographical or botanical origin
- Addition of pure compounds to mimic the olfactory properties or chemotype of the essential oil (e.g. addition of linalyl acetate in lavender essential oil)
Variability in the oils composition, whether deliberate or not, can have harmful consequences for the final consumer’s health. Yet, the demand for safe, controlled and traceable products is increasing.
Our Authenticity Competence Centre offers advanced analytical techniques to detect non-compliant products in order to protect your customers and consumers. Our teams can help you by:
- Controlling the naturalness of essential oils
- Quantitative monitoring of biologically active compounds in oils, including potential allergens
- Confirming the geographical origin of oils
- Controlling the normative criteria for the composition of oils
→ More information on our solutions for preserving the integrity of your essential oils
* Essential oils market and production – FranceAgriMer, 2020
** Pierson, M., Fernandez, X. & Antoniotti, S. Type and magnitude of non-compliance and adulteration in neroli, mandarin and bergamot essential oils purchased on-line: potential consumer vulnerability. Sci Rep 11, 11096 (2021), p. 1-10.
