Red Yeast Rice

Red Yeast Rice is a traditional fermented product made by culturing the filamentous fungus Monascus purpureus on cooked rice.

The fermentation produces a deep red to purple pigmented rice cake that is sun dried and milled to a fine powder. The product is used as a natural food colourant, a culinary ingredient in East Asian cuisine, and a source of the cholesterol modulating compound monacolin K.

We source bulk Red Yeast Rice from top China manufacturers for our partners, working with several of them. The manufacturers are in Fujian and Hubei. For this ingredient the minimum order is 500 kg and a 20-foot container takes 16 MT, 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: 500 kg
Qty in 20' FCL: 16 MT
Packaging: 25 kg kraft paper bag with PE inner liner

Function: Bakery ingredient

ISO 9001
HACCP
Halal
Kosher

Specifications

Item	Specification
Appearance	Dark red to purple-red powder
Color Value	≥1,000 U/g
Monacolin K	0.2–3.0% (varies by grade)
Moisture	≤8.0%
Citrinin	≤0.2 mg/kg
Total Ash	≤5.0%
Lead	≤3.0 mg/kg
Arsenic	≤1.0 mg/kg
Total Plate Count	≤10,000 CFU/g
Shelf Life	24 months

Common Markets Grades

Red Yeast Rice divides into three grades: culinary food, colouring, and supplement.

Culinary food grade comes as whole fermented rice kernels or as ground powder for use in cooking and as a natural red colouring. It carries a characteristic earthy aroma and a deep brick red colour.

Colouring grade is processed to maximise pigment yield. The active Monascus pigments include monascin, ankaflavin, rubropunctatin, and monascorubrin.

Supplement grade is standardised for monacolin K content, often in the range of 0.4 to 3 percent. Modern supplement grade material is also screened for the mycotoxin citrinin, which some Monascus strains can produce.

Applications

Traditional Chinese roasted meats including char siu and red braised pork
Fermented Asian foods such as red rice wine, red bean curd, and Fujianese specialties
Natural red colourant in sausages, fish cakes, and surimi products
Colour and flavour in Asian style sauces, marinades, and stir fry pastes
Dietary supplements positioned around cardiovascular and cholesterol support
Functional foods aimed at the metabolic health category
Traditional Chinese medicine preparations under the name hong qu
Natural colouring for confectionery in markets that permit Monascus pigments
Specialty bakery and noodle products seeking a red tint
Rice based functional beverages

Brands Using Red Yeast Rice

Widely-distributed consumer products that list Red Yeast Rice on the ingredient label.

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 Red Yeast Rice

Top Red Yeast Rice 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 Red Yeast Rice

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 Red Yeast Rice 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 Red Yeast Rice together with other ingredients such as Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate and Diammonium Phosphate into one 20' FCL. If your quantity is small, we can also ship LCL.

Regulatory Status

The regulatory status of Red Yeast Rice varies sharply by use and region.

As a traditional food ingredient and natural colourant it is widely accepted in East Asia. As a dietary supplement standardised for monacolin K it has faced increasing scrutiny because monacolin K is chemically identical to the prescription drug lovastatin.

The European Union has lowered the permitted level of monacolin K from food supplements containing red yeast rice. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has taken enforcement action against products marketed with high monacolin K levels, treating them as unapproved drugs.

Citrinin content is regulated in several jurisdictions with strict maximum levels for any food or supplement use.

Manufacturing Process

Red Yeast Rice Manufacturing Process

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Red Yeast Rice is produced by solid state fermentation of cooked rice with selected strains of Monascus purpureus.

Long grain non glutinous rice is washed, soaked, and steamed. The cooled rice is inoculated with a Monascus starter culture and spread in shallow trays or in rotating drum fermenters.

Fermentation proceeds for two to three weeks at controlled temperature and humidity. During this period the fungal mycelium colonizes the rice grains and secretes a family of azaphilone pigments along with secondary metabolites including monacolin K.

At harvest the deep red rice is dried, milled, and sieved. Modern supplement grade production uses strains selected for high monacolin K and low citrinin, with finished product testing to confirm the absence of citrinin above method detection limits.