A process for treating a composition comprising one or more undesired
compounds and one or more desired compounds so as to reduce the
concentration of the one or more undesired compounds is described. The
process comprises the steps of (1) contacting the composition with a
solid adsorbent, (2) eluting the solid adsorbent on which the composition
is retained with an extraction solvent comprising a (hydro)fluorocarbon,
and (3) collecting a solvent eluate containing a composition having a
reduced concentration of the undesired compounds from the solid
adsorbent. The process is particularly suited to reducing the terpene
content of an essential oil.