Overview
ISO 3527:2016 - Essential oil of parsley fruits (Petroselinum sativum Hoffm.) defines measurable characteristics to facilitate assessment of the quality of parsley fruit essential oil (commercially known as parsley seed oil). This third edition specifies physical, chemical and chromatographic requirements, sampling volume and references standard test methods to ensure consistent quality control across production, trading and laboratory testing.
Key topics and requirements
- Appearance & colour: clear liquid, sometimes crystallized; almost colourless to amber yellow.
- Odour: characteristic of crushed fruit, distinct from green plant parts.
- Physical constants:
- Relative density at 20 °C: 1.043 – 1.083
- Refractive index at 20 °C: 1.5130 – 1.5220
- Optical rotation at 20 °C: between −10° and −4°
- Miscibility: One volume of oil must give a clear solution with no more than six volumes of 85% ethanol (v/v) at 20 °C.
- Acid and ester values: Acid value ≤ 4; Ester value 1–10.
- Chromatographic profile (normative): Gas chromatographic composition required for quality assessment - representative component ranges:
- α‑Pinene 10–22%
- β‑Pinene 7–15%
- Myristicin 25–50%
- Apiol 5–35%
- 1,2,3,4‑Tetramethoxy‑5‑allylbenzene 1–12%
- Elemicin 1–12%
- Sampling & testing: Minimum test sample 25 ml; test methods are specified by referenced ISO methods (e.g., ISO 279 for density, ISO 11024 for chromatographic profiles).
- Additional info: Informative flashpoint mean value +50 °C (reported with “Luchaire” apparatus) and typical chromatograms in Annex A. Packaging, labelling and storage follow ISO/TS 210 and ISO/TS 211.
Applications and users
ISO 3527:2016 is used by:
- Essential oil producers and distillers for product specification and batch release.
- Quality control and analytical laboratories performing GC profiling and physico‑chemical testing.
- Flavor, fragrance and perfumery industries sourcing or formulating with parsley fruit oil.
- Buyers, traders and regulatory bodies verifying conformity to accepted quality criteria.
- Logistics, safety and insurance professionals using flashpoint information for transport and handling risk assessment.
Practical benefits include standardized acceptance criteria for supplier contracts, reproducible GC fingerprinting for authenticity/adulteration checks, and harmonized test methods for international trade.
Related standards (selected)
Keywords: ISO 3527:2016, essential oil of parsley fruits, Petroselinum sativum, chromatographic profile, quality assessment, myristicin, apiol, α‑pinene, essential oil testing.