L-Carnitine HCL
L-Carnitine HCl is the hydrochloride salt of L-carnitine, sold as a free-flowing white crystalline powder that resists the caking and moisture pickup typical of the free base. It is the standard powder form for dry blending into capsules, tablets, and stick packs.
The molecule retains the full β-oxidation cofactor activity of L-carnitine, with the chloride counter-ion contributing roughly 18 percent of the molecular weight. Conversion to the free-base equivalent is straightforward for label declaration and dose calculation.
We source bulk L-Carnitine HCL from top China manufacturers for our partners, working with several of them. The manufacturers are in Liaoning and Hubei. 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
- Packaging
- 25 kg kraft paper bag with PE inner liner
- ISO 9001
- HACCP
- Halal
- Kosher
Specifications
Grades / Types Available: Pharmaceutical Grade, Food Grade, Feed Grade
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | White crystalline powder |
| Assay | ≥ 98.0% |
| Specific Rotation [α]D²⁰ | -17° to -21° |
| Loss on Drying | ≤ 1.0% |
| Heavy Metals (as Pb) | ≤ 10 mg/kg |
| pH (5% solution) | 2.0-3.5 |
| Purity (Pharmaceutical Grade) | 99% min |
| Moisture/Loss on Drying | < 0.5% |
| Lead | < 1 ppm |
| Arsenic | < 0.5 ppm |
| Total Plate Count | < 1000 cfu/g |
| Yeast & Mold | < 100 cfu/g |
Common Markets Grades
L-Carnitine HCl divides into food, supplement, and pharmaceutical grades.
Standard supplement grade assays at 98.0 to 102.0 percent and meets in-house specifications aligned with USP testing methods for chiral purity, residue on ignition, and heavy metals. Particle size is typically a fine powder of 80 mesh or finer, with milled and granulated variants for compression and direct fill.
Pharmaceutical grade is qualified under cGMP for oral solid dosage forms and carries documentation supporting registration as an active ingredient or as a nutritional additive.
Compared with the hygroscopic free base, the HCl salt is the preferred dry-powder format. It is, however, less suitable than the tartrate or fumarate for chewable and orodispersible formats because of a sharp salty-acid taste.
Applications
- Capsule and tablet supplements as a stable dry powder source of L-carnitine
- Weight-management and sports-nutrition stick packs
- Multivitamin and multi-mineral premixes
- Pre-workout blends combining caffeine, taurine, and beta-alanine
- Veterinary oral powders for companion animals and performance horses
- Poultry and swine feed premixes for fatty-acid utilisation support
- Aquaculture starter diets where the dry salt outperforms liquid carnitine
- Direct-compression tablet blends for cost-sensitive supplement lines
- Effervescent tablets where the chloride is compatible with citric and bicarbonate matrices
- Functional protein-bar inclusions at low dose
- Dry beverage mixes and protein shakes
- Pharmaceutical oral powders for management of secondary carnitine depletion
Brands Using L-Carnitine HCL
Widely-distributed consumer products that list L-Carnitine HCL on the ingredient label.
- BulkSupplements.comL-Carnitine HCl Powder ↗A pure L-carnitine HCl bulk powder, about 500 mg per serving.Label verified 2026-05-24
- NutricostAcetyl L-Carnitine 500 mg Capsules ↗Each capsule supplies 500 mg of Acetyl L-Carnitine HCl (the HCl salt form of L-carnitine acetate) for cognitive and energy support.Label verified 2026-05-24
- Nature's BountyAcetyl L-Carnitine HCl 400 mg and Alpha Lipoic Acid 200 mg ↗Combination capsule supplying Acetyl L-Carnitine HCl 400 mg with Alpha Lipoic Acid 200 mg for energy metabolism and antioxidant support.Label verified 2026-05-24
- SwansonPremium Acetyl L-Carnitine 500 mg Vegan Capsule ↗Swanson Premium Acetyl L-Carnitine HCl is a 500 mg vegan capsule, listed by Swanson under the L-Carnitine category.Label verified 2026-05-24
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 L-Carnitine HCL
Top L-Carnitine HCL manufacturers in China.
Hubei Grand Life Science & Technology Co., Ltd.6 ingredients in the directory
Kaiyuan Hengtai Nutrition Co., Ltd.9 ingredients in the directory
Liaoning Koncepnutra Co., Ltd.11 ingredients in the directory
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.
How We Help Source L-Carnitine HCL
Direct Factory Sourcing
We run the whole process: selecting the manufacturer from the top Chinese food ingredient producers, negotiating the price, verifying quality, and coordinating the logistics. You deal with us instead of with several factories at once.
Original Packaging and Documents from the Manufacturer
The manufacturer sends your L-Carnitine HCL out of its own factory in the original packing, through to your destination port. The COA, COO, MSDS, TDS and any certifications reach you from the manufacturer as well.
Free Samples and Lead Time
We send 100 to 500 g free for your own laboratory to test and you cover only the courier, usually within 2 to 3 working days. ETD is usually within 7 to 15 days once the order is confirmed, and we check that date against the factory's own manufacturing schedule before we give it to you.
Combined Shipment
We can load L-Carnitine HCL together with other ingredients such as Glycine, L-Arginine and L-Leucine into one 20' FCL. If your quantity is small, we can also ship LCL.
Regulatory Status
L-Carnitine HCl is recognised as a legal dietary ingredient in the United States under DSHEA and is widely used in supplements globally.
It is not separately listed in the GRAS infant-formula entry, which refers specifically to the free base, so infant-formula formulators use L-carnitine rather than the HCl salt.
The salt is included by reference in the EFSA assessments of L-carnitine forms for food supplements, with the chloride counter-ion considered to pose no additional safety concern at typical use levels.
Pharmacopoeial control is generally exercised through USP and Ph. Eur. methodology for the parent molecule, with the salt characterised by chloride content and identity tests. Halal and Kosher certifications exist from major suppliers.
Manufacturing Process
L-Carnitine HCl is produced by reacting purified L-carnitine free base with hydrochloric acid in aqueous or aqueous-ethanol medium, followed by concentration and controlled crystallisation.
Upstream, the free base is sourced from either the Lonza asymmetric synthesis route from epichlorohydrin or the Chinese biocatalytic route that converts crotonobetaine to L-carnitine using engineered microbial whole cells.
Final processing involves filtration, alcohol washing to remove residual mother liquor, vacuum drying, and milling to the required particle size. Chiral purity is confirmed by polarimetry or chiral HPLC to ensure D-carnitine content stays below 0.5 percent.
The HCl form is also a common chemical intermediate for downstream esters such as acetyl-L-carnitine HCl and propionyl-L-carnitine HCl.
