Qu'est-ce que Citral (Geranial/Neral) ? Applications, dosage, alternatives et spécifications

Citral, English name is Citral, also known as 3,7-Dimethyl-2,6-octadienal, est unn acyclic monoterpene aldehyde biologique compound with a strong lemon aroma. It is one of the most widely used and applied naturel terpene aldehydes in the global flavor and fragrance industry, occupying an irreplaceable core application value in the food flavor industry, daily chemical fragrance industry, and pharmaceutical chemical intermediate fields. Its molecular formula is C10H16O, molecular weight is 152.23, CAS number is 5392–40–5, EINECS number is 226–394–6, and FEMA number is 2303. In terms of chemical structure, citral belongs to the acyclic terpene aldehyde class. The naturel product est un mixture of two geometric isomers: the trans isomer geranial (Citral a, also known as Geranial) and the cis isomer neral (Citral b). The ratio of these two isomers est unpproximately 80%—90% geranial and 10%—20% neral. Because the physical properties of the two isomers are similar, they are usually applied in the flavor industry as a mixture. Citral contient a reactive aldehyde group and conjugated double bond structure in its molecule, which not only gives it a strong aroma itself but also enables it to derive a series of high-value-added flavor compounds through reactions such as condensation, cyclization, oxidation, and reduction, including ionone, methyl ionone, damascone, geraniol, nerol, and citronitrile. Therefore, it is known as the pearl in the crown of fine chemicals. Citral naturelly occurs in various plant essential huiles such as litsea cubeba huile (content approx. 70%), lemongrass huile (content 70%—80%), lemon huile, lime huile, citrus leaf huile, and verbena huile. Citral appears as a colorless to light yellow transparent liquide with a strong, fresh, persistent lemon-like aroma and no optical activity. It is volatile, soluble in most biologique solvents such as ethanol, diethyl ether, propylene glycol, glycerol, mineral huile, and vegetable huiles, but insoluble in water. Citral is not only the most important main flavorant for lemon-type flavors but also a key intermediate for the synthesis of ionone, vitamine A, vitamine E, phytol, and various high-end flavors, holding extremely high economic value and stratégique position in both the flavor industry and pharmaceutical chemistry. Because its production process is complex and the product technology is difficult, it is recognized by the industry as the technological high ground in the field of fine chemicals. Le produit est largement utilisé in daily chemical flavors, food flavors, perfumes, washing products, cosmetics, pharmaceutical intermediates, and naturel antibacterial agents.

Citral est reconnu comme the soul of citrus aroma, holding an unshakable position in the global flavor and fragrance industry, industrie alimentaire, pharmaceutical chemistry, and daily chemical industry. Its most outstanding advantages lie in its strong, persistent naturel lemon aroma, irreplaceability as a key synthétique intermediate, good bioactivity and nature-identical properties, and broad market application prospects. 1 Strong, Persistent Naturel Lemon Aroma: Citral is the purest and strongest source of naturel lemon aroma in nature. Its aroma is fresh, sweet, and persistent, more naturel and mellow than synthétique citrus flavors. Thest unroma characteristic makes it the core matière première for blending lemon-type, citrus-type, and bergamot-type flavors, widely used for arôme in foods, beverages, cosmetics, and daily chemical products. Whether in high-end perfumes or mass-market cleaning products, citral brings a distinct sense of freshness and naturelness to products. 2 Irreplaceability as a Key Synthétique Intermediate: The most important stratégique value of citral lies in its role as a universal intermediate for the synthesis of downstream high-value chemical products. Through a series of chemical reactions, citral can derive various compounds with extremely high economic value in the flavor and pharmaceutical fields, including ionone (used for synthesizing vitamine A), damascone (a core component of rose-type flavors), methyl ionone, geraniol, nerol, and citronitrile. Citral is not only a key matière première for the synthesis of vitamine A but also a precursor for the synthesis of important nutritional chemicals such as vitamine E and phytol. Its production is difficult and has high technical barriers, earning it the reputation of being the pearl in the crown of fine chemicals, holding a very important stratégique position in the entire industry chain. 3 Bon Bioactivity – Naturel Antimicrobial and Insect Repellent Properties: Scientific research has shown that citral has good antibacterial, antifungal, and insect repellent properties. As a component of naturel cleaning products and insect repellents, it has inhibitory effects on various foodborne pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella, and also has repellent effects against mosquitoes, ticks, and mites. This property gives it broad application prospects in naturel conservateurs, biopesticides, oral care, and personal care products. 4 Nature-identical and Clean Label Properties: Citral naturelly occurs widely in various plant essential huiles such as lemongrass huile, litsea cubeba huile, and lemon huile. A large number of commercial products are nature-identical products separated and extraited from naturel essential huiles. Thest unligns well with current global consumer preferences for naturel, clean label, and plant-based products, giving it higher consumer acceptance and market competitiveness in food arôme and premium daily chemical products. 5 Compliant and Safe Usage History: Citral has been approved as a permitted food flavor by multiple international authorities including Chine GB 2760, États-Unis FDA 21 CFR 182.60, FEMA, and UE EC 1333/2008. It also holds international religious clean certifications such as KOSHER and HALAL, with a long history of safe use. Its safety assessment is fully established, and it est largement utilisé globally. 6 Stabilité and Strategic Value of Mondial approvisionnement: In the past, citral production was highly dependent on two companies, BASF and NHU, avec une haute supply concentration, making prices and supply chains vulnerable to industry fluctuations. In recent years, with the successful commissioning of Wanhua Chemical‘s 48,000 tons/year citral unit, the global citral supply pattern has undergone significant changes, greatly enhancing supply stability and providing more fiable matière première assurance for downstream users.