Bilberry
Bilberry is the fruit of Vaccinium myrtillus, a wild dwarf shrub of northern and eastern European forests; almost all supply is wild-picked in the Nordic countries, the Baltics, Poland and Ukraine. The trade sells dried fruit, fruit powder and extracts standardized to anthocyanins, commonly 36% anthocyanins (about 25% anthocyanidins). Extract is valued, and adulteration with cheaper anthocyanin sources is a known issue.
Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.
Dry fruit extract sold on anthocyanins, commonly 25% anthocyanidins or 36% anthocyanins, with the method stated.
Freeze-dried or air-dried whole berries milled to powder; not standardized.
Whole dried berries for tea and food use.
Concentrated juice for drinks and food coloring uses.
Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.
Keep the extract sealed, cool, dry and in light-blocking packaging; anthocyanins fade with light, heat, moisture and higher pH. Reseal opened containers quickly. Shelf life or retest date comes from the supplier.
Wild harvest size changes yearly, which moves price and raises adulteration risk in short years. Keep the HPLC profile for every lot and record harvest year and supplier lot.
Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.
Health Canada's natural health product monograph for bilberry (oral) lists the dried fruit of Vaccinium myrtillus as the source material.
Source: webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca (opens in a new tab)The EU Novel Food status Catalogue (entry POL-NF-00769) concerns the fruit (berries) and leaves of Vaccinium myrtillus, listing the fruit as not novel in food and the leaves as not novel in food supplements.
Source: ec.europa.eu (opens in a new tab)Member-state notes in the same entry say there is no history as a food supplement for a dried fruit extract made with methanol and ethanol solvents.
Source: ec.europa.eu (opens in a new tab)This is general information, not regulatory advice. Status differs by country and by how the ingredient is used, so check the rules for your product and market.
Manufacturers and distributors whose own websites say they sell it.
Manufacturer · Mollet del Vallès, Spain
Euromed is a Spanish producer of standardized botanical extracts for pharmaceutical, supplement, food and cosmetic companies, with plants near Barcelona and in Murcia. It is part of the Dermapharm Group.
Distributor · Norway, IA
Frontier Co-op is a member-owned cooperative in Norway, Iowa, that sources and sells bulk herbs, spices, teas and botanicals by the pound, with a separate wholesale site for business buyers.
Suppliers are in alphabetical order and none pays to appear. Each claim is checked against the supplier’s own website on the date shown. Ask for the specification sheet and a recent COA before you order, and confirm details with the supplier.
Common forms include standardized extract, fruit powder, dried fruit and juice concentrate. Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.
Expect anthocyanin profile (HPLC), anthocyanin assay, heavy metals, microbiology and residual solvents, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.
Keep the extract sealed, cool, dry and in light-blocking packaging; anthocyanins fade with light, heat, moisture and higher pH. Reseal opened containers quickly. Shelf life or retest date comes from the supplier.
Health Canada's natural health product monograph for bilberry (oral) lists the dried fruit of Vaccinium myrtillus as the source material. The EU Novel Food status Catalogue (entry POL-NF-00769) concerns the fruit (berries) and leaves of Vaccinium myrtillus, listing the fruit as not novel in food and the leaves as not novel in food supplements. Member-state notes in the same entry say there is no history as a food supplement for a dried fruit extract made with methanol and ethanol solvents.
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