tannins

The word tannin covers a wide variety of products, usually classified in two families: the condensed and the hydrolysable tannins. In nature the condensed tannins are the most abundant and can be found – usually at low concentrations – in a large number of plant genera. Our grape seed extracts belong to this family of tannins.

Hydrolysable tannins are far less abundant and only a limited number of plants contain sufficient amounts of these products to be of commercial value. In this family, the distinction between ellagitannins and gallotannins can be made. Wood extracts, like for example oak extract or chestnut extract belong to the group of the ellagitannins.

We are the world leader in the production of gallotannins or tannic acid. Only 4 botanical raw materials can be used for the production of gallotannins:

Aleppo Gallnuts – Quercus infectoria
Chinese Gallnuts – Rhus semialata
Sumac leaves – Rhus coriaria, typhina
Tara pods – Caesalpina spinosa