Maca
Maca is the swollen root (hypocotyl) of Lepidium meyenii, a plant in the mustard family grown at roughly 3,500 to 4,500 meters in the central Peruvian Andes, mainly in Junín and Pasco. After harvest the roots are sun-dried for weeks and milled into raw powder; gelatinized maca is cooked (usually by extrusion) to gelatinize the starch, then dried and milled again. Extracts are made with water or water-alcohol and sold by ratio or standardized to macamides, and roots are often sorted and sold by color (yellow, red, black).
Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.
Sun-dried root milled to a powder without cooking. Higher in starch and microbial load than gelatinized powder; often steam treated.
Root cooked or extruded to gelatinize the starch, then dried and milled. The most common grade for capsules, blends and drink powders.
Yellow, red or black roots sold separately; yellow is the volume grade and red and black are sold as specialty grades.
Water or hydroalcoholic extract sold by ratio (such as 4:1 or 10:1) or standardized to macamides by HPLC.
Certified organic raw or gelatinized powder, the common grade in export trade.
Glycerin-carried liquid extract for tinctures and beverage formats.
Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.
Maca powder absorbs moisture and clumps, so keep it sealed in lined bags or drums in a cool, dry place away from strong odors and pests. Gelatinized powder in particular should be resealed promptly after opening. Suppliers state a shelf life from the production date or a retest date; check moisture and micro if stock is held near or past that date.
Record color (yellow, red, black or mixed), raw versus gelatinized, harvest year and country of origin for each lot, since these change the material and are easy to confuse at receiving. Microbial results and marker content vary by lot, so check each COA. Use stock first-expiry-first-out and keep extract lots separate from powder lots.
Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.
The EU Novel Food status Catalogue (entry POL-NF-09281) lists the tubers of Lepidium meyenii as not novel in food, so maca root does not need novel food authorization in the EU.
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 · Lima, Peru
Amazon Andes Export is a Peruvian producer and exporter of maca sourced from the Junín and Pasco highlands. It sells yellow, red and black maca as raw and gelatinized powder and as extracts, in bulk and for private label.
Manufacturer · Hauppauge, NY
US botanical extract manufacturer in New York whose catalog includes ashwagandha, elderberry, maca, lion’s mane and green tea extracts, with alcohol-free glycerin-based versions and standardized grades quoted to customer spec.
Manufacturer · Concepción, Peru
Peruvian grower, processor and exporter of organic Andean and Amazonian foods, including maca and turmeric powders, with a processing plant in Junín.
Distributor · Sacramento, CA
Starwest Botanicals is a Sacramento company that mills and sells bulk organic herbs, spices, teas and botanical powders by the pound and in 25 lb bags, with wholesale accounts for businesses.
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 raw powder, gelatinized powder, color-sorted maca, extract, organic and alcohol-free liquid extract. Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.
Expect identity, marker assay, heavy metals, microbiology, pesticides and mycotoxins and moisture and physical tests, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.
Maca powder absorbs moisture and clumps, so keep it sealed in lined bags or drums in a cool, dry place away from strong odors and pests. Gelatinized powder in particular should be resealed promptly after opening. Suppliers state a shelf life from the production date or a retest date; check moisture and micro if stock is held near or past that date.
The EU Novel Food status Catalogue (entry POL-NF-09281) lists the tubers of Lepidium meyenii as not novel in food, so maca root does not need novel food authorization in the EU.
Request a free listing for the ingredients you make or distribute. No paid placement.