Blessed thistle
Blessed thistle is Cnicus benedictus, an annual thistle-like plant in the daisy family native to the Mediterranean and cultivated in Europe. The dried flowering tops and leaves are the traded part; they taste strongly bitter from the sesquiterpene lactone cnicin. Brands buy cut and sifted herb, powder for capsules, and hydroalcoholic extracts, and the herb is also used in bitter liqueurs.
Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.
Dried flowering tops and leaves cut to a tea grade.
Milled dried herb for capsules and blends.
Hydroalcoholic or glycerin extract, usually not standardized.
Extract dried to a powder, sometimes sold on bitterness value or cnicin content.
Herb from certified organic cultivation, with the certificate tied to the lot.
Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.
Keep dried herb and powder sealed in lined bags or drums in a cool, dry, dark place; cut herb loses aroma and color with light and air, and powder picks up moisture once opened. Dry extracts are hygroscopic, so reseal opened containers promptly. Shelf life or a retest date comes from the supplier's specification.
Bitterness and color vary with harvest and drying, so check each lot's COA against your specification. Record the supplier lot and origin, and rotate stock first-expiry-first-out.
Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.
21 CFR 172.510 permits blessed thistle (holy thistle) as a natural flavoring substance in alcoholic beverages only; the regulation prints the species as "Onicus benedictus L."
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)FDA's Substances Added to Food inventory lists blessed thistle (Cnicus benedictus L.) with the technical effect flavoring agent or adjuvant and cites 21 CFR 172.510.
Source: hfpappexternal.fda.gov (opens in a new tab)Health Canada's Blessed Thistle (oral) natural health product monograph lists the dried herb tops of Cnicus benedictus as the source material.
Source: webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca (opens in a new tab)The EU Novel Food status Catalogue entry for Cnicus benedictus (POL-NF-00258) lists the aerial parts, fruit, leaves and top as not novel in food supplements.
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.
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 cut and sifted herb, powder, liquid extract, dry extract and organic. Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.
Expect identity (macroscopy, microscopy, HPTLC), marker or bitterness test, heavy metals, microbiology, pesticide residues and physical tests, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.
Keep dried herb and powder sealed in lined bags or drums in a cool, dry, dark place; cut herb loses aroma and color with light and air, and powder picks up moisture once opened. Dry extracts are hygroscopic, so reseal opened containers promptly. Shelf life or a retest date comes from the supplier's specification.
21 CFR 172.510 permits blessed thistle (holy thistle) as a natural flavoring substance in alcoholic beverages only; the regulation prints the species as "Onicus benedictus L." FDA's Substances Added to Food inventory lists blessed thistle (Cnicus benedictus L.) with the technical effect flavoring agent or adjuvant and cites 21 CFR 172.510. Health Canada's Blessed Thistle (oral) natural health product monograph lists the dried herb tops of Cnicus benedictus as the source material. The EU Novel Food status Catalogue entry for Cnicus benedictus (POL-NF-00258) lists the aerial parts, fruit, leaves and top as not novel in food supplements.
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