How do we extract Bergamot Essential Oil?

Natural products are at the heart of the Robertet Group's activities. For over 170 years, Robertet has been observing, respecting and mastering natural raw materials.

It is in our greatest interest to guarantee the sustainable supply of our ingredients, taking into account environmental, economic and social aspects.

History

Bergamot is one of the most famous citrus fruits in fragrances and beverage industry. It may be grown in Brazil, Côte d'Ivoire, Morocco, Portugal and Guinea, but most of its production comes from the region of Calabria, in southern Italy. The connection between the terroir and the derivatives of bergamot in Calabria, located along the Ionian Sea, is very strong. In fact, the Calabrian region is characterized by a unique microclimate that makes it possible to grow bergamot. The territory of Reggio Calabria represents about 95% of the world production of bergamot.

Bergamot first appeared between the XIV and XV centuries in the orchards of southern Italy. It is the result of a mutation on a bitter orange tree. Probably originating from tropical Asia, the bergamot was introduced into Europe via Turkey. It was first cultivated in Italy in Bergamo (hence its name), then mainly in Calabria and Sicily.

The appearance of the tree in Calabria is due to the Italian Paolo Feminis, emigrated to Cologne, who invented the "Aqua admirabilis" in 1676 and that his grandson named "Acqua di Colonia", the Eau de Cologne, launched in 1818 on the European market.

The dried bark was used to make small varnished and painted boxes, an activity that became a popular specialty in Grasse in the mid XVIIIth century.

Sourcing

At Robertet we are working with our Italian supplier, one of our historical partners, since the 1990s. The supplier buys bergamot directly from citrus cooperatives in the Calabria region on the basis of contracts that guarantee reliable and predictable income for producers. The harvest is carried out on bergamot orchards spread over an area of 1,300 hectares and involves more than 1,000 farmers in the area.

Robertet buys on an annual contract basis and secures an opportunity to purchase before the harvest, thus guaranteeing an outflow of bergamot production.

In response to problems of market regulation, economic crises and counterfeiting that arose throughout the 20th century, in 2001 the industry obtained the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) "Bergamot of Reggio Calabria - essential oil", which is a European-wide recognition that certifies that all stages of production, processing and elaboration are carried out in the same geographical area according to a recognized know-how, which gives the product its characteristics. This allows, among other things, the industry to guarantee the traceability of the bergamot to the field.

Sustainable agricultural practices

Our partner is strongly committed to sourcing natural ingredients in a way that respects people and biodiversity. Obtaining the UEBT label (Union for Ethical BioTrade Standard) attests to its willingness to move forward in this direction.

Although the cultivation of bergamot requires very little chemical fertilizer, it has put in place a process to reduce their use with farmers and is also committed to promoting Good Agricultural Practices.

We are also working on reducing the CO2 emissions, optimizing and reusing process water, reducing waste and recovering by-products, and using 100% renewable energy.

How do we process bergamot?

The bergamot tree has light green leaves, similar to those of the lemon tree, sometimes larger. A tree can produce for 50 years, reaching its maximum productivity in its 15th year.

Its white flowers, very fragrant, will give small round slightly oval fruits. The color of the fruit evolves from green to yellow, as does its smell, which varies from very fresh to floral.

The harvesting of the fruit is done manually and starts in winter, when the rind of the fruit turns yellow due to the cold, between November and February. When ripe, the bergamot, yellow, smooth and pear-shaped, has a sweet smell, but because of its acidic and bitter pulp the bergamot is not edible.

In perfumery, several parts of the tree are extracted: the flowers, the leaves but especially the fruit. Indeed, the essence of bergamot, its main derivative is used in perfumery as well as in the food industry. Its greenish yellow bark is riddled with oleiferous vesicles secreting an essential oil for which the fruit is exploited. After washing the freshly picked fruit, the essential oil is extracted by cold expression of the outer part of the bergamot peel. This process consists in mechanically scraping the skins full of essential oil. During this process, the fruit is sprayed with small jets of pressurized water that carry the essential oil to centrifuges, where it is separated from the water.

For the extraction of essential oil, the yield is 0.5%, it takes 100kg of bergamots to obtain 500g of essential oil. And for the concrete, the yield is around 4%, from 100kg of fruits, it is possible to obtain 4 kilos of concrete.

Use of bergamot in Fragrance

Bergamot has been used for a very long time in fragrance, food and hygiene products. Its scent is sweet and sparkling, and perfumers know how to use bergamot to the right purpose. Bergamot essential oil is used in numerous fragrances to bring freshness in the colognes and in the modern compositions such as teas. It brings a fresh, floral, delicate and suave smell. Its rising notes, lavender and pepper, are very volatile and are thus part of the top notes. This essential oil blends very well with woody notes (patchouli, oakmoss), citrus (lemon, grapefruit), floral, pink floral (geranium) and tobacco-hay (coumarin, mate). And in addition, at high concentration the EO of bergamot has a fixing effect, unlike other citrus notes.

In the food industry, it is used in bergamot tea (Earl Grey tea), candies (bergamots of Nancy) and Moroccan tajine where it is consumed candied.

Also used in aromatherapy, its smell increases concentration and reduces stress and tension. The essential oil of bergamot also has analgesic, sedative and antispasmodic properties.  It is also used for its antiseptic, deodorant, purifying and regenerating properties. With such properties, the bergamot active ingredient can be used in products for body and hands, as well as facial care products, especially for normal, mature and stressed skin.