Ejiao Paste
Ejiao paste is donkey hide gelatin, known in Chinese as ejiao and in pharmacopoeial Latin as Colla Corii Asini, a solid gelatin block prepared by the prolonged aqueous extraction of the hides of Equus asinus and used as a tonic ingredient rather than as a functional hydrocolloid.
Chemically it is a partially hydrolysed collagen. Repeated boiling breaks the triple helix of hide collagen into gelatin peptides, so the material is dominated by glycine, proline and hydroxyproline, with the hydroxyproline content used analytically to confirm that the product is collagen derived. Peptide profiling by mass spectrometry is used to confirm the donkey species, since substitution with cheaper bovine, porcine or equine hide is a persistent problem in the trade.
The trade sells it as hard, brittle rectangular blocks, dark brown to almost black and glossy at the fracture, which are milled into granules or powder for formulation. The blocks are hygroscopic and soften at high humidity. The material swells in cold water and dissolves in hot water or hot rice wine to a viscous solution that sets to a soft gel on cooling, and the traditional preparation rests on exactly that: the block is dissolved in warmed wine and combined with sesame, walnut and jujube into a set confection.
We source bulk Ejiao Paste from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Shandong. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
Please send the grade you need, the volume and your destination port, and we will come back with a solution and a price.
or call +86-21-6858 0751
- Function
- Nutraceutical
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Dark brown to black glossy rectangular blocks |
| Fracture | Brittle, smooth and lustrous at the break |
| Species Identification | Donkey specific peptide markers detected |
| Crude Protein, dry basis | Not less than 60.0% |
| Hydroxyproline | Not less than 8.0% |
| Loss on Drying | Not more than 15.0% |
| Total Ash | Not more than 1.0% |
| Water Insoluble Matter | Not more than 2.0% |
| Peroxide Value | Not more than 0.5 g/100 g |
| Lead | Not more than 5.0 mg/kg |
| Arsenic | Not more than 2.0 mg/kg |
| Total Plate Count | Not more than 10,000 CFU/g |
| Yeast and Mould | Not more than 100 CFU/g |
| Salmonella | Absent in 25 g |
Common Markets Grades
The block form is the reference article and is graded on species authenticity first, then on colour, gloss, fracture and freedom from the burnt notes that come from over-boiling. Pharmacopoeial grade meets the identity, hydroxyproline and peptide marker requirements of the official monograph; a lower food or tonic grade is traded where the material is going into a compound preparation rather than being sold as ejiao in its own right.
Beyond the plain block, the trade handles milled granules and powder for capsule and tablet filling, instant ejiao powder that dissolves without the traditional stewing step, and the ready made compound confections in which the gelatin is already combined with sesame, walnut, goji and jujube and cast into slabs. Enzymatically hydrolysed ejiao peptide, of far lower molecular weight and fully cold water soluble, is sold as a distinct ingredient for drinks and sachets. Documentation of hide origin and traceability accompanies commercial lots, and species verification by peptide or DNA method is routinely specified.
Applications
- Traditional Chinese tonic preparations, the principal use, taken dissolved in warmed wine or water
- Ejiao cake and compound confections combining the gelatin with sesame, walnut, goji and jujube
- Capsule, tablet and granule health foods built on milled or instant ejiao powder
- Blood and women's health formulations in the Chinese market, blended with angelica, astragalus and jujube
- Instant drink sachets and ready to drink tonics using the hydrolysed peptide grade
- Functional confectionery and soft chews in the herbal wellness segment
- Soups and slow cooked tonic dishes in Chinese home and restaurant cooking
- Cosmetic and skincare preparations formulated around the collagen peptide fraction
China Manufacturers of Ejiao Paste
Top Ejiao Paste manufacturers in China.
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
Regulatory Status
In the United States, donkey hide gelatin is sold as a dietary ingredient under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, and products carrying it are positioned as supplements rather than as conventional foods. Because it is a product of animal origin from a species not slaughtered under domestic inspection, imports are subject to the animal product import rules administered by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service as well as to FDA import controls, and species authenticity is a documented compliance point given the history of substitution in the trade.
In the European Union, a gelatin of this type is an animal by-product and must be produced from Category 3 material in an approved establishment under the animal by-products rules, with the hygiene regulations setting out specific requirements for gelatin intended for human consumption. Placing a donkey hide preparation on the market as a food or supplement would additionally engage the novel food regulation, since it lacks a demonstrated history of significant consumption in the Union before May 1997. It is not a food additive and carries no E number, and there is no JECFA specification for it. Sourcing is also a commercial and ethical scrutiny point, since donkey hide demand has drawn attention from animal welfare regulators and from exporting governments that have restricted the trade.
Manufacturing Process
Raw donkey hides are trimmed, soaked and dehaired, traditionally with lime and now more often with a controlled alkaline or enzymatic treatment, then washed repeatedly to strip residual hair, fat, flesh and the alkali itself. The cleaned hides are cut into pieces and given a further conditioning soak, since any residual lime or salt would carry through into the finished block and show up as ash.
Extraction is the defining step and is deliberately slow. The prepared hide is boiled in water in successive batches at controlled temperature, each cycle drawing more gelatin into solution, and the pooled liquors are filtered and clarified to remove suspended solids and grease, with the fat layer skimmed off. The clarified liquor is concentrated by vacuum evaporation to a thick, dark, high solids glue, and the traditional process adds rice wine, rock sugar and soybean oil during the final concentration, which contribute the characteristic gloss, aroma and fracture. The concentrate is poured into moulds and left to set, then cut into blocks, and the blocks are dried slowly in ventilated rooms over a period of days to weeks, being turned and stacked so they lose moisture evenly without cracking. Finished blocks are polished, inspected, tested for identity and moisture, and packed; material destined for powder or capsules is milled and sieved afterwards, and the hydrolysed peptide grade is made by treating dissolved gelatin with food grade protease, then filtering, concentrating and spray drying.
