The important essential oils used by these multinational companies are mainly lavender, citronella ginger grass, basil, mint, lemon grass, eucalyptus, cedar wood,
celery seed oil, fennel and other oils in a range of products in the country.
The distillate contains enhanced levels of phthalides - the chemicals responsible for the characteristic celery odour - compared with
celery seed oil. Additionally, celery oil distillate offers flavourists the handling advantages of a distillate over the traditionally used celery oleoresin.
Sedanolide, sedanonic anhydride, 3-n-butyl phthalide, and other minor phthalides are reported to be the major constituents of celery seed oil (Lund, 1978).
Lund, E.D.: Flavors and Nonalcoholic beverages: Thin layer and high pressure liquid chromatographic analysis of celery seed oil. J.