Strawberries

Strawberries are a perennial herbaceous plant that are interestingly part of the rose family. They grow in much of the Northern Hemisphere, producing the red edible fruits that are beloved whilst brushing teeth (or watching tennis).

To obtain strawberry extract, a process called supercritical co2 extraction is used. This sounds very technical, but it means that carbon dioxide (which usually behaves as a gas at standard temperature and pressure) is heated beyond its critical point of temperature and pressure. At this point it adopts properties midway between a gas and a liquid, making it fantastic as an extraction solvent. When the co2 is evaporated or recycled by condensation from the starting material (in this case strawberries) only the extract remains which takes on the delicious flavour of strawberries. Another important benefit is that the co2 process is non-toxic, non-flammable and has a low environmental impact.