Ingredient Information

Function

Extract of paprika (paprika oleoresin) is a seasoning and coloring agent made by solvent-free extraction of paprika. It is a dark red-orange, viscous liquid. Oleoresin is the oil and resin component of the spice. It is used as a replacement for paprika and contains the nonvolatile and volatile flavor components. It also contains capsanthin, the red to orange pigment responsible for the distinct color of paprika. Paprika oleoresin is commonly found in meat, sausage, salad dressings and condiments. Paprika oleoresin used by food industry mainly as a colorant. The FDA requires it to be labeled as spice and colorant because of the dual functionality of the ingredient. The extract is heat sensitive and light sensitive. Most extracts of paprika are oil and alcohol soluble, but not water soluble. The pepper usually selected for paprika oleoresin are low in capsaicin, which helps keep the flavor profile low.

Other Use and Industries

Since extract of paprika contains large amounts of capsanthin, a pigment, it is used a natural dye. It can be found in paper, textiles and inks. The use is somewhat limited due to color fading over time. It is also used as a natural color in makeup.

Health Effects

Although there are high antioxidant levels in paprika, there is not much evidence to show these levels are exhibited in the extract. There is also very little research on the effects of extract of paprika and human health.

Origins

Oleoresins are considered solvent-free extractions. This means that there is no solvent left in the final extract, as opposed to vanilla extract, where the alcohol is a part of the final product.

Once the paprika has been powdered, it is moistened and flaked to prepare it for extraction. The flakes then go through the first extraction, which is a multi-column extraction. The residue is removed and the solvent is recovered after this step. The product is then filtered and extracted again, yielding a crude oleoresin. The solvents are completely removed yielding a crude oleoresin. The crude oleoresin is centrifuged and any excess solvent is evaporated off by vacuum.

Extraction by super-critical fluids has been studied as an improved method of extraction. Ohio State University did a study using super-critical carbon dioxide, which was published in the Journal of Food Chemistry in 1999. This study showed that using super-critical carbon dioxide yielded a cleaner and more potent extract of paprika than traditional methods.