Fennel

Foeniculum vulgare

Arovela supplies Foeniculum vulgare seeds (bitter fennel — F. vulgare var. vulgare; sweet fennel — F. vulgare var. dulce) and fennel essential oil from contract-grown crops on the Aydın-Denizli belt of the Aegean region and the Burdur and Afyon-Karahisar plateaus. Together with India and Egypt, Türkiye accounts for over 75% of global fennel supply; Anatolian-origin seed is preferred in pharmaceutical and infant-formula applications thanks to its high trans-anethole/fenchone balance and consistently low estragole. Production lines comply with European Pharmacopoeia 10.0 Foeniculi amari fructus and Foeniculi dulcis fructus monographs. Two chemotype lines are produced. Sweet fennel (F. vulgare var. dulce): trans-anethole 80–93%, fenchone 1–7%, estragole <3% (compliant with the EMA/HMPC sweet-fennel monograph; preferred for infant-formula and pediatric probiotic carriers). Bitter fennel (F. vulgare var. vulgare): trans-anethole 50–75%, fenchone 12–25%, estragole 3–10% (used in liqueur/aperitif production, phytotherapy digestive products, and food flavouring). Seed harvest is in late August to mid-September by cutting mature umbels; threshed seed is stabilised at 8–10% moisture. Processing line: vibratory screening, spiral separation, optical colour sorting, induction-type metal detection and optional vapour-steam sterilisation (ASTA spice-steam treatment standard, with 2–3 log microbial reduction). Essential oil is produced in stainless-steel Clevenger-type stills at atmospheric pressure over 6–8-hour distillation cycles; oil is filled under argon into AISI 316L drums. Every batch is screened for: trans-anethole/fenchone/estragole GC-MS profile, aflatoxins (B1 <2 ppb, total <4 ppb), ochratoxin A (<5 ppb), Salmonella (absent in 25 g), E. coli (<100 cfu/g), pesticide residues (EU 396/2005, >450 molecules by LC-MS/MS), and heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Hg, As by ICP-MS). B2B customer portfolio: infant-formula manufacturers (Nestlé, Danone, HiPP-style premium brands — anti-colic digestive-support formulations); phytotherapy laboratories (digestive syrups, gripe-water-type carminative drops, tea blends); herbal-tea brands (premium organic private-label lines, herbal infusions); liqueur and aperitif producers (the characteristic trans-anethole signature of rakı, pastis, ouzo, sambuca and absinthe — a standard ingredient in the Mediterranean aperitif industry); natural cosmetics (anti-aging serums, digestive-support lip balms, phytoestrogenic skincare). Packaging: seed in 25 kg PP woven sacks with PE liner or food-grade kraft; oil in 1/5/25 kg stainless drums, with 200 kg lined fibre-drum option. MOQ seed 500 kg, oil 25 kg; Incoterms 2020 FOB Izmir/Mersin, CIF/DAP. A 20-foot container carries 18–22 t of seed or 12 t of oil.

Geographic origin:Aegean & Burdur, Türkiye