Hibiscus
Hibiscus in the food trade means the dried calyx of Hibiscus sabdariffa L., the roselle plant, and not the ornamental garden hibiscus. The calyx is the fleshy red sepal structure that swells around the seed pod after flowering, and it is harvested, separated from the pod and dried to give the deep crimson material sold for infusion, colouring and acidification.
The colour comes from anthocyanins, principally delphinidin-3-sambubioside and cyanidin-3-sambubioside, which together account for the great majority of the pigment. The sharp sourness comes from a high organic acid load, dominated by hibiscus acid, a lactone of hydroxycitric acid, with citric, malic and tartaric acids alongside it, giving the dried calyx a titratable acidity high enough to acidify a beverage on its own. Pectin, mucilage, polyphenols and a small ascorbic acid fraction complete the profile.
Dried calyces are brittle, dark red to purple-red pieces with a faintly fruity aroma and a strongly tart, cranberry-like taste. The anthocyanin pigment is pH dependent and this decides every application: at pH below about 3.5 it is bright red and reasonably stable, while above pH 4 it shifts toward blue-purple and then to a dull grey-brown, and it degrades steadily on exposure to heat, light and oxygen. The dried material is hygroscopic and cakes if it takes up moisture.
We source bulk Hibiscus from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Guangdong. 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.
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- Function
- Plant extract
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Botanical Source | Hibiscus sabdariffa L., dried calyx |
| Appearance | Dark red to purple-red dried calyces |
| Total Anthocyanins | ≥ 1.0% |
| Total Acidity as Citric | 12.0 to 18.0% |
| Moisture | ≤ 12.0% |
| Total Ash | ≤ 10.0% |
| Sulphur Dioxide | Not added |
| Lead | ≤ 2.0 mg/kg |
| Arsenic | ≤ 1.0 mg/kg |
| Pesticide Residues | Complies with destination market limits |
| Total Plate Count | ≤ 100,000 cfu/g |
| Yeast and Mould | ≤ 1,000 cfu/g |
| E. coli | Negative in 1 g |
| Salmonella | Negative in 25 g |
Common Markets Grades
Whole dried calyces are the premium form, graded on colour depth, piece integrity and freedom from seed pods, stems and field debris, with origin normally stated because Sudanese, Nigerian, Egyptian and Chinese material differ in colour and acidity. Below them sit cut and sifted grades to a defined sieve range for tea bag filling, and a powder grade milled from broken calyces for blending and for encapsulation.
Processed grades are traded on their own figures. Hibiscus extract powder is quoted on anthocyanin content, commonly 1 to 5 percent by ultraviolet method, or on total acid; concentrated juice and liquid colour preparations are quoted on colour value and degrees Brix. Organic certified material accounts for a substantial share of the trade, and steam-sterilised lots are offered where the buyer needs a lower microbiological count than untreated dried botanicals usually carry. Sulphited material exists but is discounted in most export markets.
Applications
- Herbal infusions and fruit tea blends, the largest single outlet, where hibiscus supplies both the red colour and the acidity
- Iced teas and ready to drink beverages, dosed as extract or concentrate for a stable low pH colour
- Natural colouring for confectionery, syrups and dairy desserts held at acid pH
- Karkade, agua de jamaica and similar traditional cold drinks made by steeping the whole calyx
- Jams, jellies and fruit preserves, using the native pectin as well as the colour
- Sauces, chutneys and marinades where a sour fruit note is wanted
- Dietary supplements formulated on the anthocyanin and polyphenol fraction
- Wines, fruit beers and kombucha, both for colour and for acid balance
- Cosmetic formulations, where the acid and anthocyanin fractions are used in masks and toners
Brands Using Hibiscus
Widely-distributed consumer products that list Hibiscus on the ingredient label.
- Traditional MedicinalsOrganic Hibiscus Tea ↗An organic hibiscus herbal tea sold in tea bags for cardiovascular support.Label verified 2026-08-31
- Buddha TeasHibiscus Tea ↗A single ingredient organic hibiscus tea packed in bleach free and plastic free tea bags.Label verified 2026-08-31
- Anthony's GoodsOrganic Hibiscus Flowers ↗Whole dried organic hibiscus flowers sold for tea and agua fresca.Label verified 2026-08-31
- SolarayHibiscus Flower Extract 250 mg ↗Capsules of hibiscus flower extract at 250 mg.Label verified 2026-08-31
- Harney & SonsOrganic Hibiscus Iced Tea ↗A ready to drink iced tea infused from organic hibiscus with rose hips and orange peel.Label verified 2026-08-31
Brand names, product names and logos are the property of their owners. They appear here as published evidence that the ingredient is used, taken from the brand's own label or website. Their appearance is not an endorsement, and it does not mean the brand buys from us or from any manufacturer listed on this site.
China Manufacturers of Hibiscus
Top Hibiscus 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 21 CFR 182.20 lists roselle among the natural substances generally recognised as safe for use in food and covers the plant and its extractives as a natural flavouring, and dried hibiscus calyx is handled as a conventional food ingredient. Where hibiscus is used specifically to give colour, it falls under the colour additive rules rather than the food rules, and colour additives require listing; 21 CFR Part 73 lists vegetable juice colour preparations as colour additives exempt from certification, so the basis on which a hibiscus preparation is sold in the United States depends on whether its function is flavour or colour.
In the European Union hibiscus calyx has an established history of consumption in herbal infusions and is a conventional food, not a novel food, and it is recognised as a source of natural flavouring under Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008. The same colouring distinction applies as in the United States: a preparation used for its colouring effect and selectively extracted so that the pigment is concentrated relative to the flavour falls within the definition of a colouring foodstuff or, if concentrated further, of a food additive under Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, whereas a whole calyx infusion is a food. Dried plant material is subject to pesticide maximum residue levels applied with a drying factor and to the contaminant limits of the contaminants Regulation. Codex maintains general standards for contaminants and a code of hygienic practice for dried botanicals that most importing markets apply.
Manufacturing Process
Calyces are harvested by hand two to three weeks after flowering, while still fleshy, and the seed pod is separated from the sepal with a hand corer or a mechanical decorticator on the same day, because the calyx begins to lose colour once it is cut. The separated calyces are washed and then dried, either spread on racks in the shade over several days in traditional production or, industrially, in forced air tunnel dryers at 50 to 60 degrees Celsius. Drying temperature is the critical variable, since anthocyanins degrade quickly above about 65 degrees and the colour value of the finished lot is set here.
Dried calyces are conditioned to around 10 percent moisture, then cleaned over aspirators and screens to remove seed fragments, stems and soil, and hand sorted or optically sorted for colour. Material for infusion is cut and sifted to the required particle band; material for extraction is milled. Where an extract or a colour concentrate is being made, the milled calyx is extracted with acidified water, since low pH both stabilises the pigment and improves recovery, then filtered, concentrated in a falling film evaporator under vacuum at low temperature and either sold as a liquid concentrate or spray dried onto a maltodextrin carrier. Finished material passes a metal detector and is packed in lined cartons or foil bags with a moisture and light barrier, and steam sterilisation is applied where a reduced microbiological count is specified.
