Trademarked by MANE, JUNGLE ESSENCE™ is the Group’s process for extracting raw materials anywhere in the world. Developed for both industrial production and in mobile kit form, the quality of the end product is unrivalled.
Have you ever marvelled at the subtlety of a fragrance? Have you ever been amazed by its similarity to the flower or fruit that provided the extracts from which it is made? If so, you may already have experienced MANE’s JUNGLE ESSENCE™ extraction technology. Trademarked between 2007 and 2009 as a mobile kit and a full-scale production process for our facility at La Sarrée in Le Bar-sur-Loup, JUNGLE ESSENCE™ is an advanced technology for extracting fragrance molecules using gas in supercritical form. The extracts are then used by the MANE Group's fine fragrances, consumer goods and flavours divisions.
From mobile kit to industrial production
The principle behind JUNGLE ESSENCE™ technology is a simple one: a gas in either liquefied or a supercritical form is used as a solvent to extract the aromatic molecules, by modifying the temperature-pressure pairing. On an industrial scale, carbon dioxide (CO2) is used in supercritical form, i.e., pressure of more than 73 bar and a temperature of 31°C (minimum conditions) which combines the diffusivity properties of a gas with the density properties of a liquid. This makes it quick and easy for CO2 to penetrate the cells at the heart of a raw material and to extract its aromatic molecules. The supercritical fluid then undergoes a further change of state by returning to a gas form, leaving the gas on one side and a precipitate of aromatic molecules on the other. The gas is then released and promptly condenses, turning once again into a liquid. This process can be repeated as often as necessary to remove all the desired molecules from the raw material. "You are left with a purified extract, with no solvent residue to remove!” says Caroline Dubourg, Research and Innovation manager, and the product manager of JUNGLE ESSENCE™. “With supercritical CO2, we can capture all the molecules by adjusting the pressure-temperature pairing and the contact time with the raw material: using this equipment and this solvent, we can get different results and really unique extracts.”
For its part, the kit version "is a simpler version of what we do in full-scale production," says Serge Majoullier, Vice-President Perfumer, Creative Expert “Naturels d’exception” at MANE. While the conditions for industrial production are a minimum of 31°C and a pressure of 73 bar, the JUNGLE ESSENCE™ Kit is designed for use at room temperature, with a maximum pressure of 10 bar. This is sufficient to capture the fragrance essences of raw materials with outstanding precision, anywhere in the world. “It also means that we can give demonstrations to customers that are not familiar with this process," adds Serge Majoullier. “It proves that we can capture the extract of a natural raw material in 30 minutes - it's really impressive!”
A long-term collective effort
JUNGLE ESSENCE™ technology is the result of a partnership involving technologists, designers (perfumers and flavourists) and MANE’s raw materials sourcing teams.
"When it comes to fine fragrances, we are constantly on the lookout for natural extracts that would be of great interest to perfumers, so that we can improve on what we have already," underlines Serge Majoullier. Once an ingredient has been found, and tests and pilot studies have been carried out by the fine fragrances teams in Paris, initial production gets underway in Le Bar-sur-Loup. If the results are satisfactory in terms of product performance, yield and price, further manufacturing runs are launched to ensure that the operations teams can produce it consistently in every detail, despite variations in the raw materials from one year to the next (due to drought, rainfall variations, etc.). “It takes about two years for production to stabilise," explains Serge Majoullier. “At the same time, we also need to be sure of our sourcing: which countries are we going to source from? In what quantities? What are the regulations? Once all these studies have been completed, the product can be offered for sale."
Flowers, leaves, seeds as well as spirits, pastries...
Meanwhile, the applications for these fragrances and flavours are certainly numerous. In the food industry, the focus is on premium products (extracts of vanilla or coffee, for example). "We can even capture gingerbread extract, thanks to a recipe that’s been specially prepared for MANE by a baker!” says Caroline Dubourg with a smile. “The extract captures not only the odour of the ingredients, but also the reactions that take place during baking.”
In fine fragrances, JUNGLE ESSENCE™ technology is a MANE signature. “In terms of reproducing the fragrance of a raw material, our extracts are the most faithful that exist on the market today,” asserts Serge Majoullier. “For example, the JUNGLE ESSENCE™ extract of green cardamom is unique. When you open a cardamom seed, there are little black beads inside. We’re able to capture their fresh, spicy scent, which we use in men's fragrances.”
There is no shortage of new discoveries, and the ever-wider range of possibilities that follow in their wake. Timur or Sichuan Pepper, coconut, dried fruit, spirits and even mixtures of flowers and fruit! "Take the osmanthus flower, for example, which is known for its apricot fragrance, and then mix it with peach. The result is an extract that works really well!”
The extracts obtained at Le Bar-sur-Loup are available to all the Group's subsidiaries worldwide, with some of the products being sold directly to customers.
Green technology
Giving MANE a clear lead over its competitors is not the only benefit delivered by JUNGLE ESSENCE™ technology. “This MANE process is also part of a broader development of green technologies," explains Caroline Dubourg. “We are using the internationally recognised GREEN MOTION™ tool, which is based on the 12 principles of green chemistry, to calculate the value of each ingredient and recipe. The extracts produced by using JUNGLE ESSENCE™ all exceed a score of 50, which is a very good result!”
Even so, these results are destined to be surpassed in future, as the Group discovers new raw materials, new ways of using them and new recipes that can be created. "In the end, this is what perfumers are all about,” sums up Serge Majoullier. “It’s the art of composing fragrances that are ever more surprising and different, and yet at the same time are like the fragrances that everyone knows..."