Supercritical CO2 desorption was performed on bergamot peel oil to improve the oil quality through selective elimination of hydrocarbon terpenes (deterpenation) and psoralens. Fractionation of the oil was performed at 40 degrees C and at increasing pressures from 75 to 100 bar. Oil fractions were analyzed by GC-MS, and volatile compounds were identified and divided into two main families : hydrocarbon terpenes and oxygenated terpenes. Also, nonvolatile compounds like waxes, coumarins, and psoralens were systematically identified. Particular attention was focused on the elimination of bergapten, which has been indicated as the main phototoxic agent contained in products of this kind. We also studied the influence of solute loading on bergamot oil desorption, which largely influenced the selectivity of the desorption process. Breakthrough curves for hydrocarbon terpenes and oxygenated terpenes were obtained by weighing the oil fractions desorbed and by quantitation of GC-MS area responses. These results were fairly well modeled by integrating mass balance equations written for a differential element of the desorption column.