PLANT extraction & FLAVOR DEVELOPMENT
Building on ANTESITE's expertise in licorice extraction and MAISON NOIROT's knowledge of blending flavors, LBDV also markets products for manufacturers and B2B markets. LBDV is a specialist in VEGETABLE EXTRACTION and FLAVOR DEVELOPMENT, developing tailor-made blends for its customers.
With more than 50,000 liters of plant extracts produced every year at ANTESITE's historic premises, LBDV is positioned as the benchmark in the plant extract market. We have a 400 m2 site dedicated to extraction, with 1 multifunctional extraction unit and 1 concentration unit.
Our quality process is continuous, with a minimum of 10 analyses per product, 50 control points per process, and more than 5,000 analyses per year. Our analytical tools are proficient and efficient: HPLC, ROTAWAP, SOXHLET extractor, desiccator etc.
What is plant extraction?
Each year, LBDV extracts from more than 500 tons of licorice and other plants (tea, coffee, hibiscus, etc.) using hot or cold extraction. For over 125 years, we have been recognized nationally for our expertise in plant extracts and internationally for the extraction of licorice.
We have two processes for extracting from licorice and plants. Our process allows global management of every link in the chain. It is an innovative and unique process in France. We manage every production stage without intermediaries: from the careful selection of our licorice roots, to the grinding, infusion, maceration and decanting, through the cooking of the extracts, dilution, flavoring and, finally, the packaging.
A 100% integrated production chain. We owe more than 125 years of ancestral heritage to Noël Perrot Berton, who founded the iconic ANTESITE at the foot of the Chartreuse mountains.
The stages of the two types of vegetable extraction
Licorice extraction, (or the extraction of other plants such as teas, hibiscus, coffee, rooibos or even stevia), is the process by which the active compounds of the root of the licorice plant (Glycyrrhiza glabra) are isolated for use in various products, in particular in food, drugs and cosmetics.
These are the general stages of liquorice extraction carried out on our industrial site in Voiron, France
Licorice roots are harvested, usually in autumn, when the concentration of glycyrrhizin (the main active compound) is at its highest. The roots are then cleaned to remove soil and impurities. Rigorous quality control is carried out to confirm the correct level of active ingredient contained in the plant.
The roots are dried in the open air or using dryers to reduce their water content. This makes it easy to crush and extract the active compounds.
The dried roots are ground into a fine powder in a hammer mill to increase the surface area and improve extraction efficiency.
hydroalcoholic or aqueous
Licorice root powder and fibers are subjected to an extraction process using an appropriate solvent, often hot water or ethanol. There are therefore two types of extraction here: a process called HYDRO-ALCOHOLIC FLOW or a process known as AQUEOUS FLOW.
The powder is mixed with the solvent and heated for a set period of time to extract soluble compounds, such as glycyrrhizin, flavonoids, and saponins. During the maceration and infusion, 100% of the active ingredients are extracted cold, the raw material will gradually fine over several hours when decanting can take place.
The mixture is filtered to separate the solution containing the active compounds from the solid residues. The solid extracts are preserved but the maceration liquid, which is unusable, are evacuated.
The filtered solution is then concentrated by evaporation to reduce the volume of the solvent (water or alcohol depending on the selected process) and obtain a more concentrated extract.
This step can be carried out using a vacuum evaporator to preserve the heat-sensitive compounds.
Licorice, or other plant extracts, can then be formulated into various products according to their intended use, whether they are food supplements, syrups, candies, cosmetics, or medications.
The final product is packaged appropriately to protect the active compounds from light, moisture, and oxygen.
The extract is stored under optimal conditions to ensure its stability and effectiveness.
Our product offer
A global specialist in licorice root extraction, recognized for its century-old, iconic brand ANTESITE 1898, LBDV maintains the heritage of this historic French business.
After more than a century, the concentrated formula (containing no alcohol or sugar) has not changed and our know-how is still alive and well. LBDV has expertise in plant extraction serving various industries. Harvested in Asia and the Middle East, licorice rhizomes are sorted before being sent to Voiron, where they are ground, passed through huge percolators, then refined by infusion and maceration.
This expertise in licorice extraction makes it possible to offer our commercial clients, liquorice extracts (in various forms) derived from 2 extraction processes (aqueous flow or hydroalcoholic flow) and plant extracts (chamomile, hibiscus, tea, rooibos, verbena, green coffee etc.), PGlycyrrhizic acid derivatives (products derived from licorice) as well aromatization and aromatic blends.
Liquorice and plant extracts
We use two processes to produce four products. Licorice root powder and fibers are subjected to an extraction process using an appropriate solvent, often hot water or ethanol.
Two types of extraction are therefore distinguished here:
- HYDRO-ALCOHOLIC FLOW
- or AQUEOUS FLOW.
The licorice extracts obtained may be one of four states: liquid:paste, blocks, pellets or powder.
Products derived from licorice
We distribute products derived from glycyrrhizic acid for consumer food and cosmetic products.
Our expertise in licorice extraction allows us to support your range products derived from glycyrrhizic acid, the unique ingredient present in the licorice root of which the virtues are exploited in the FOOD and PHARMA industries.
Flavouring and blending flavors
We can support you in the development of new flavors and fragrances. Our expertise in licorice extraction also allows us to carry out this process on other foods and plants. In collaboration with your laboratory or your R&D center, we can produce flavors tailored to your needs.
Plant extraction,
expertise at the service of many sectors
Vegetable extraction plays a crucial role in various sectors of industry by providing natural compounds for use in a multitude of products (pharmaceutical, food, scientific, cosmetic). Whether in the field of cosmetic products, food supplements or food, we increasingly see “made with extracts of”. This trend reflects an increase in consumer demand for natural products.
Plant extraction methods are used in the food industry to design and manufacture food components. These methods are also commonly used in sectors with greater added value such as cosmetics, food supplements, health and nutrition. These everyday products incorporate plant extracts or plant-based active ingredients into their compositions. Indeed, in complex fields, such as paints, glues, pigments and dyes, manufacturers are looking for extracts with a specific functionality to be used in their formulations.
Natural products are therefore a real growth sector. The growing demand for plant extracts is influenced by the need to make products more natural in order to satisfy consumer demands or the requirements imposed by regulations. Therefore, any possible substitution by ingredients derived from plant extraction will necessarily lead to an increase in demand.
Licorice extracts are used in various industrial fields owing to their medicinal, gustatory and cosmeticproperties.
