Overview
ISO 24600:2025 - Essential oil of roman chamomile [Chamaemelum nobile (L.) All. syn. Anthemis nobilis L.] specifies quality characteristics and test methods for Roman chamomile essential oil, primarily produced in France and Italy. The standard is intended to facilitate consistent assessment of the oil’s identity and quality for trade, laboratory testing and regulatory purposes.
Key topics and technical requirements
The standard defines required physical, chemical and chromatographic characteristics, with test methods referenced to established ISO methods:
- General characteristics
- Appearance: clear mobile liquid; colour: colourless to yellow, sometimes slightly bluish; odour: fruity, ethereal.
- Physical and chemical properties
- Relative density at 20 °C: 0.900 – 0.920 (ISO 279)
- Refractive index at 20 °C: 1.4380 – 1.4470 (ISO 280)
- Optical rotation at 20 °C: −2° to +3° (ISO 592)
- Acid value: ≤ 8 (ISO 1242)
- Miscibility in ethanol 90 % (20 °C): clear solution with 1 volume essential oil obtained using no more than 0.6 volume of ethanol (ISO 875)
- Chromatographic profile (gas chromatography per ISO 11024)
- The standard lists representative components and required percentage ranges. Key components include:
- α-Pinene: 1.0–5.0 %
- Isobutyl isobutyrate: 2.0–9.0 %
- Isobutyl methacrylate: 0.5–3.0 %
- 2-Methylbutyl isobutyrate: 2.0–5.0 %
- Isobutyl angelate: 30.0–45.0 %
- Methyl allyl angelate: 6.0–10.0 %
- Isoamyl angelate: 3.0–7.0 %
- 2-Methylbutyl angelate: 12.0–22.0 %
- Pinocarvone: 1.3–6.0 %
- trans-Pinocarveol: 2.0–7.0 %
- (Some esters such as isoamyl isobutyrate / isoamyl methacrylate are noted as “not detected” or limited to ≤1.0 %)
- Chromatographic component names follow ISO/TS 24106.
- Flash point
- Informative mean flash point given: 52 °C (Setaflash equipment) - useful for transport and safety considerations (Annex B).
- Sampling and packaging
- Sampling per ISO 212; minimum test sample 25 ml.
- Packaging, labelling and storage per ISO 210 and ISO 211.
Applications and who uses it
ISO 24600:2025 is relevant to:
- Essential-oil producers and distillers (quality control for Roman chamomile)
- Analytical and testing laboratories performing GC profiling and physico‑chemical tests
- Buyers, exporters/importers and traders specifying product quality for contracts
- Perfumery, aromatherapy and pharmaceutical formulators who require compositional consistency
- Regulatory, transport and safety officers (flash point and labelling requirements)
Related standards
Normative and informative references include ISO 210, ISO 211, ISO 212, ISO 279, ISO 280, ISO 592, ISO 875, ISO 1242, ISO 11024 (series), ISO/TR 11018 and ISO/TS 24106 - all supporting methods for testing, sampling, naming and safety.
Keywords: ISO 24600:2025, roman chamomile essential oil, Chamaemelum nobile, chromatographic profile, gas chromatography, essential oil quality, flash point, GC profile.