Natural Astaxanthin
Natural Astaxanthin is the generic category name for non-synthetic astaxanthin recovered from biological sources, sourced almost exclusively in the modern market from the freshwater microalga Haematococcus pluvialis.
The category sits in commercial contrast with synthetic astaxanthin, which is produced industrially by chemical synthesis and sold under trade names such as Carophyll Pink for use in animal feed.
The two forms are not chemically identical. The natural product is a mixture of fatty-acid esters of the 3S,3'S stereoisomer, while the synthetic product is the free unesterified molecule in a roughly 1:2:1 mixture of all three stereoisomers, which is the structural fingerprint by which the two are distinguished in stable-isotope and chiral analyses.
We source bulk Natural Astaxanthin from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Guangdong. For this ingredient the minimum order is 50 kg, and 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
- Minimum order
- 50 kg
- Packaging
- 20 kg fibre drum, light-shielded
- ISO 9001
- HACCP
- Halal
- Kosher
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Dark red viscous oleoresin, or dark red free-flowing beadlets or powder |
| Total Astaxanthin (HPLC) | ≥ 5.0% or ≥ 10.0% free-base equivalent, grade-dependent |
| Esterified Astaxanthin | ≥ 95% of total astaxanthin (mono- and di-esters) |
| Free Astaxanthin | ≤ 5% of total astaxanthin |
| Stereoisomer Profile | 3S,3'S ≥ 98% of total astaxanthin |
| Total Carotenoids | Astaxanthin ≥ 90% of total carotenoids |
| Carrier | Refined vegetable oil with mixed tocopherols and rosemary extract (oleoresin); modified starch and acacia matrix (beadlet) |
| Peroxide Value | ≤ 10 meq/kg |
| Acid Value | ≤ 3.0 mg KOH/g |
| Moisture | ≤ 5.0% (beadlet and powder grades) |
| Residual Solvent | ≤ 30 mg/kg |
| Heavy Metals (as Pb) | ≤ 1 mg/kg |
| Total Plate Count | ≤ 1,000 cfu/g |
| Yeast and Mould | ≤ 100 cfu/g |
| Salmonella | Negative/25g |
Common Markets Grades
Natural Astaxanthin is graded by the percentage of pure astaxanthin (free-base equivalent) in the finished product.
The oleoresin grades sit at 5 percent and 10 percent astaxanthin in vegetable oil and are the standard format for softgel encapsulation. Mixed tocopherols and rosemary extract are typically added for oxidative protection during shelf life.
Cold-water-dispersible beadlets carry 1.5 percent, 2.5 percent, and 5 percent active loading on a modified-starch and acacia matrix for beverage, tablet, and sachet applications.
Powder concentrates at 10 percent and 20 percent active are produced for nutricosmetic premixes and high-dose capsule formats, while a separate water-dispersible 10 percent emulsion targets clear-beverage applications where rapid optical clarity is required.
For analytical and research use, crystalline material above 90 percent astaxanthin serves as a chromatographic reference standard.
Applications
- Softgel and two-piece capsule dietary supplements at the consumer end of the market
- Beauty-from-within sachets, drinks, and chewables
- Eye-health combination products with lutein and zeaxanthin
- Joint-support and post-exercise recovery supplements
- Cardiovascular and lipid-management supplement stacks
- Sports-nutrition gels, shots, and isotonic drinks
- Functional ready-to-drink teas and dairy-alternative beverages
- Topical anti-aging creams, serums, and lip balms
- Pet supplements for cognitive and joint support
- Aquaculture feed for organic-certified salmon and trout
- Clinical-trial study products where chiral purity and ester profile must match the natural reference
Brands Using Natural Astaxanthin
Widely-distributed consumer products that list Natural Astaxanthin on the ingredient label.
- Sports ResearchTriple Strength Astaxanthin 12 mg Softgels ↗Softgels of algae-sourced astaxanthin (Astalif microalgae) with organic virgin coconut oil, 12 mg per serving.Label verified 2026-05-24
- Garden of LifeGrass Fed Collagen Super Beauty (Blueberry Acai) ↗Supplement Facts list 'Organic AstaPure Arava Whole Algae Astaxanthin Powder (Haematococcus pluvialis) 10 mg', natural astaxanthinLabel verified 2026-05-24
- Pharmanex (Nu Skin)LifePak Nano ↗Carotenoid Blend includes natural astaxanthin alongside lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene in CR-6 LipoNutrient softgelsLabel verified 2026-05-24
- Puritan's PrideNatural Astaxanthin 10 mg Softgels ↗Product described as natural astaxanthin (carotenoid) produced from Haematococcus pluvialis microalgaeLabel verified 2026-05-24
- SolgarNatural Astaxanthin 5 mg Softgels ↗Product name and label explicitly identify natural (non-synthetic) astaxanthin from microalgaeLabel 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 Natural Astaxanthin
Top Natural Astaxanthin 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.
How We Help Source Natural Astaxanthin
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 Natural Astaxanthin 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 Natural Astaxanthin together with other ingredients such as Beta Carotene, Caramel Colour and Lycopene into one 20' FCL. If your quantity is small, we can also ship LCL.
Regulatory Status
Natural Astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis is authorised as a Novel Food in the European Union under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/2470, with defined maximum levels for food-supplement use.
In the United States it carries Self-Affirmed GRAS status from multiple producers for use as a dietary ingredient in conventional foods, beverages, and supplements. The yeast-derived form holds its own GRAS notification covering use as a colour and nutrient source in salmonid and poultry feed and in selected food applications.
The substance is approved for food and supplement use in Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, Brazil, and Canada, with country-specific natural-product or supplement registrations.
Synthetic astaxanthin is regulated separately and is generally restricted to animal-feed use in most jurisdictions, which is the practical regulatory distinction that anchors the natural-versus-synthetic separation at the human-supplement end of the market.
Manufacturing Process
Almost all commercial natural astaxanthin in the modern market is produced from the microalga Haematococcus pluvialis, cultivated either in closed photobioreactors or in cascaded open-pond systems.
A second microbial route uses the red yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous, formerly known as Phaffia rhodozyma, grown by submerged fermentation on glucose or sugar-cane molasses. This route produces the free unesterified molecule in a different stereoisomer ratio and is used mainly as an animal-feed ingredient.
A third minor source is recovery from crustacean processing waste, where astaxanthin is extracted from shrimp, crab, and krill shells. This route gives a chemically authentic natural product but at concentrations too low to compete with algal cultivation at supplement scale.
Across all three routes the downstream sequence is similar. The biomass is harvested, the cell wall is mechanically disrupted if present, the intracellular pigment is recovered by supercritical CO2 or food-grade solvent extraction, and the crude oleoresin is standardised and formulated into oils, beadlets, emulsions, or powders for end use.
