HS 32030090

Spirulina Blue

Spirulina Blue is a natural blue colourant based on phycocyanin, a water-soluble protein-pigment complex extracted from the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis (commonly called spirulina). It delivers a bright, clean blue shade that is otherwise difficult to achieve with plant-based or fermentation-derived natural colours.

The chromophore is phycocyanobilin, a linear tetrapyrrole covalently linked to the apoprotein. Two related forms dominate commerce: C-phycocyanin, the most abundant blue pigment in spirulina, and allophycocyanin, a related blue-green form.

We source bulk Spirulina Blue from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturers are in Jiangxi and Guangdong. For this ingredient the minimum order is 100 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: 100 kg
Qty in 20' FCL: 16 MT
Packaging: 25 kg fibre drum with double PE liner

ISO 9001
HACCP
Halal
Kosher

Specifications

Grades / Types Available: Food Grade, Feed Grade

Item	Specification
Appearance	Blue powder or liquid
Phycocyanin Content (E10%)	≥ 100-500 (grade-dependent)
Moisture	≤ 6.0% (powder)
pH Stability	pH 4.5-8.0
Heavy Metals (as Pb)	≤ 2 mg/kg
Total Plate Count	≤ 10,000 cfu/g
Purity (Food Grade)	≥ 60%
Viscosity	N/A
Moisture/Loss on Drying	≤ 7% (Food Grade), ≤ 10% (Feed Grade)
pH	6.0 - 8.0
Particle Size/Mesh	80 mesh
Ash	≤ 5% (Food Grade), ≤ 8% (Feed Grade)
Lead	≤ 1 ppm
Arsenic	≤ 0.5 ppm
Yeast & Mold	≤ 100 cfu/g

Common Markets Grades

Spirulina Blue is graded by phycocyanin concentration, measured spectrophotometrically at 618 to 620 nm and reported as percent phycocyanin or as E1 percent values.

Food-grade powders typically range from 20 to 40 percent phycocyanin on lactose, maltodextrin, or trehalose carriers. Higher-purity grades at 50 to 70 percent phycocyanin are used in beverage and confectionery applications where strong colour at low dosage is needed.

Ultrapure grades at over 90 percent phycocyanin, often described by purity ratio (A620/A280), are reserved for research, diagnostic, and specialty supplement use.

Liquid grades exist as concentrated aqueous solutions stabilised with sugars, citrates, or trehalose. All grades require attention to heat history, since the protein chromophore denatures above approximately 45 to 50 degrees Celsius and colour is lost.

Applications

Ice cream, sorbets, and frozen desserts in blue and green-blue shades
Confectionery: gummies, jellies, hard-panned shells, and decorative coatings applied below denaturation temperature
Yogurt, drinking yogurt, and dairy desserts at cool fill temperatures
Smoothies, juices, and ready-to-drink beverages targeting a clean blue
Plant-based milks and protein drinks positioned around algal ingredients
Bakery decorations, icings, and frostings (not for in-bake use)
Chewing gum and breath mints in mint-blue presentations
Cake batters and fondants combined with yellow pigments to produce natural greens
Cocktail bases and ready-to-serve mixes
Cosmetic preparations including masks and colour sticks
Dietary supplements positioned around spirulina protein and antioxidant content
Pet treats and natural-positioning pet food at low processing temperatures

Brands Using Spirulina Blue

Widely-distributed consumer products that list Spirulina Blue 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 Spirulina Blue

Top Spirulina Blue 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 Spirulina Blue

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 Spirulina Blue 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 Spirulina Blue 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

In the United States, the FDA approved spirulina extract as a colour additive exempt from certification under 21 CFR 73.530 in 2013, initially for confectionery and chewing gums, with the listing expanded in 2014 to include additional categories such as frozen desserts, beverage mixes, yogurts, custards, puddings, cottage cheese, gelatin, breadcrumbs, and ready-to-eat cereals.

In the European Union, spirulina extract has been used as a food colouring food (a coloured food ingredient rather than a registered additive). A specific E-number listing for phycocyanin is under regulatory review, with industry seeking formal status under the additives framework.

Japan permits spirulina colour as an existing food additive, and Korea, Australia, and several Southeast Asian markets also allow its use. JECFA evaluated spirulina extract in 2016 and concluded that it does not raise safety concerns at the levels proposed.

The colourant is non-GMO when produced from naturally selected spirulina strains, and it is commonly certified vegan, vegetarian, kosher, and halal. Carrier and processing aid selection determines the specific certifications available on a given grade.

Manufacturing Process

Spirulina Blue Manufacturing Process

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Spirulina is cultivated in shallow, paddle-wheel-mixed raceway ponds and in closed photobioreactors. The major producing regions are China, India, Thailand, the United States (California and Hawaii), and several African nations along Lake Chad.

Harvested biomass is dewatered by filtration or centrifugation, then washed and lysed to release the cellular contents. Lysis is achieved by repeated freeze-thaw cycles, high-pressure homogenisation, or mild enzymatic treatment.

Phycocyanin is separated from cell debris by centrifugation and clarified through filtration. Further purification by ammonium sulphate precipitation, ultrafiltration, and ion-exchange chromatography produces grades of increasing colour value and purity ratio.

The purified extract is stabilised with sugars and antioxidants and then spray-dried under carefully controlled inlet temperatures to preserve the heat-sensitive protein chromophore.