Overview
ISO 3475:2020 - Essential oil of aniseed (Pimpinella anisum L.) defines quality characteristics and test methods to assess the authenticity and quality of aniseed essential oil. The third edition (2020) specifies physical properties, a normative chromatographic profile (by gas chromatography), sampling requirements and guidance on flashpoint, packaging and storage to facilitate consistent quality assessment across the supply chain.
Key topics and requirements
- Scope: Characteristics of essential oil obtained by steam distillation of Pimpinella anisum L. fruits.
- Physical and optical properties (required ranges):
- Relative density at 20 °C: 0.980 to 0.990 (ISO 279)
- Refractive index at 20 °C: 1.552 to 1.561 (ISO 280)
- Optical rotation: between −2° and +2° (ISO 592)
- Freezing point: +15 °C to +19.5 °C (ISO 1041)
- Miscibility: soluble one volume in three volumes in 90% ethanol at 20 °C (ISO 875)
- Chromatographic profile (normative): Gas chromatography analysis per ISO 11024 series. Representative component limits (integrator %):
- trans‑Anethole: 87.0% – 94.0%
- γ‑Himachalene: 1.0% – 5.0%
- Methyl chavicol (Estragole): 0.5% – 3.0%
- cis‑Anethole, p‑anisic aldehyde, Pseudoisoeugenyl 2‑methylbutyrate - specified min/max ranges in the standard
- Flashpoint: Informative mean value +98 °C, obtained with Pensky‑Martens closed‑cup apparatus (see Annex B and ISO/TR 11018).
- Sampling & sample size: Sampling according to ISO 212; minimum test sample 50 ml.
- Packaging, labelling and storage: As per ISO/TS 210 and ISO/TS 211.
- Supporting information: Annex A provides typical chromatograms and example GC operating conditions (column types, split ratios, FID detector, carrier gas).
Applications and who uses it
ISO 3475:2020 is intended for:
- Essential oil producers and distillers - to certify product quality and consistency.
- Analytical laboratories and quality control teams - for standardized GC profiling and physical testing.
- Flavor and fragrance manufacturers, perfumers and food ingredient suppliers - to verify raw material authenticity and composition.
- Buyers, traders and regulators - for specification compliance, labelling and safe transport.
- Safety and logistics personnel - to reference flashpoint information for handling and transport.
Using ISO 3475 helps reduce disputes, support traceability, and facilitate trade by providing harmonized quality criteria for aniseed oil (Pimpinella anisum).
Related standards
Normative and informative references cited in ISO 3475 include:
Keywords: ISO 3475:2020, aniseed essential oil, Pimpinella anisum, essential oil quality, chromatographic profile, gas chromatography, aniseed oil flashpoint.