What is liquorice made of? – Overview of ingredients and production

Of Matthias Kemter

December 15, 2020 – 9:22 am

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Whether as candy, in cosmetics, tea or cigarettes (1), Licorice is widely used in the industry.

The basic ingredient of liquorice is raw liquorice, which consists of the root extract of the liquorice root. In order to obtain this, the roots of the liquorice plant are crushed into chips and boiled just below the boiling point until the ingredients thicken. Cooled and dried, the raw liquorice is usually sent to various manufacturers in block form or as granules or powder.

Licorice is best known to many in the form of sweets. Depending on the product, these consist only to a small extent of raw liquorice. The extract only makes up about 5 percent in most confectionery products. Common basic ingredients for licorice confectionery are:

• Rohlakritz
• sugar syrup
• Flour
• Beeswax
• Gelatine

In addition, for the usual Variations of licorice confectionery also uses the following ingredients:

• Strength
• So that
• Anis
• Fenchelol
• Pectin

The black color comes mostly with the dye E 153 (Activated carbon) reinforced. Without increasing the color, liquorice would be brown. Salmiac salt is also added to some liquorice confectionery for a particularly intense taste.

Licorice root contains around 400 different ingredients. The substance glycyrrhizin, which is around 50 times sweeter than cane sugar, is primarily responsible for the typical liquorice taste.

Liquorice or liquorice juice has been used in medicine, especially against colds, since ancient times. The glycyrrhizin contained in liquorice has an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect(2,3,4)So that later in the Middle Ages pharmacists also made various remedies for coughs and stomach problems from liquorice.

However, too much licorice can also be unhealthy, which is why that too BfR (Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) to be careful when eating advises. Although the glycyrrhizin contained in liquorice has an antibacterial effect, an overdose can lead to high blood pressure and cardiac arrhythmias, as the substance promotes the production of cortisol in the adrenal gland. Long-term consumption also affects the mineral metabolism, as it can lead to sodium accumulations and potassium losses.

Pregnant women in particular should avoid licorice, as the glycyrrhizic acid contained in licorice can have a negative effect on the child’s cognitive and physical development. A long-term study from Finland came to this assumption in 2017(5).

While liquorice has been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times, the sweet was first made in 1760 by the English pharmacist George Dunhill, who added sugar and flour to the liquorice extract. The new components in licorice brought new possibilities for taste and consistency. With the beginning of industrialization, modern technology also made inexpensive mass production possible, so that liquorice was available for little money. Licorice sweets for children peaked in popularity around the beginning of the 20th century, when they were also available in numerous forms.

• A persistent rumor is that Licorice made from horse or ox blood will be produced. The variety of liquorice products is now large, but blood cannot be found on any list of ingredients. It is not known where the myth comes from. It is believed that the consistency and color are reminiscent of dried blood.

• There are also disagreements with the question of whether there is the or that liquorice or liquorice is called. The dictionary allows licorice and licorice. Licorice is the plural.

• The term “liquorice equator” describes the phenomenon that liquorice is much more popular in northern Germany than in the south. About 80 percent(6) The Katjes company sells its liquorice in the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony alone. Haribo confirms the phenomenon of a liquorice equator, which runs roughly at the level of the Main line. One explanation for this could be that the liquorice deliveries to the ports on the coast of northern Germany made liquorice better established and people simply got used to it better.

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