Process for the production of highly concentrated fruit aromas from condensed fruit vapors

In the process of isolating volatile flavoring components from a fruit which comprises:

• processing the fruit in a manner such as to form an aqueous fluid containing about 0.0005 to 0.001 weight percent of volatile flavoring components;
• extracting said aqueous fluid with liquid carbon dioxide at an elevated pressure, but not an elevated temperature, under conditions sufficient to transfer flavoring components from said fluid to said liquid carbon dioxide to form a leaner aqueous phase and an enriched carbon dioxide phase;
• the improvement which comprises:
• distilling said aqueous fluid at an elevated temperature to produce a first aqueous concentrate phase comprising about 0.05 to 1 weight percent flavoring components;
• extracting said first aqueous concentrate phase with compressed carbon dioxide at a pressure of 80 to 120 bar and a temperature of 25.degree. to 40.degree. C. to form:
• a first oily phase enriched in flavoring components containing:
• water, and
• liquid carbon dioxide, and
• a second aqueous phase leaner in said flavoring components than said first aqueous concentrate phase;
• separating said first oily phase from said second aqueous phase;
• decompressing said first oily phase at a pressure of about to 60 bar, and a temperature of about 10.degree. to 40.degree. C., which conditions are sufficient to evaporate carbon dioxide from said first oily phase, and to form a flavoring component rich second oily phase, containing less than about 10% water and less than 25% alcohol, and a flavoring component poor third aqueous phase;
• and
• separating said second oily phase from said third aqueous phase.