Wholesome in bulk™ Spirulina Powder, Arthrospira platensis
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Bulk Spirulina Powder for Supplement and Food Manufacturing
Spirulina powder is a spray dried powder made from the whole biomass of Arthrospira platensis, a spiral shaped cyanobacterium also called a blue green alga. It is cultivated in warm, alkaline water and specified by protein, phycocyanin, and contaminant limits. We supply it in bulk to supplement brands, food and beverage makers, and formulators. You can request testing documents and samples on the quote form.
A cultivated microalga you can specify by species, protein, and pigment
Buyers define spirulina by species, cultivation site, protein, phycocyanin, and a short list of contaminant tests. Each has an established method, so lots are easy to compare.
Named species and synonyms
Commercial spirulina is Arthrospira platensis or Arthrospira maxima. Older documents use the genus name Spirulina, and some recent papers use Limnospira, so expect more than one name in your supplier file.
Two pigments, one color
The dark blue green color comes from blue phycocyanin and green chlorophyll. Phycocyanin is measured by its absorbance at about 620 nm, which gives you a number to compare across lots.
Protein reported as a number
Spec sheets report protein as nitrogen times 6.25. Published sheets range from 52% to 70%, so use the COA figure for any label math.
Fine, spray dried powder
Spirulina is spray dried and sold as a fine powder, often 80 to 120 mesh. Finer grades disperse more evenly in drink mixes, while coarser grades suit tablet compression.
Traceable cultivation
Spirulina grows in shallow ponds or photobioreactors in warm, alkaline water. Listings name China, India, the United States, and Mexico as main sources, so ask for the farm and country on each COA.
Mild seaweed taste
The powder has a mild seaweed odor and a savory green taste. It pairs well with fruit, citrus, cacao, and tropical flavors in drink mixes and bars.
Where formulators use spirulina powder
Spirulina powder fits dry formats where color, taste, and serving size are planned up front, including:
- Pressed tablets
- Capsules
- Green powder blends
- Powdered drink mixes and smoothie powders
- Protein powders
- Nutrition bars
- Stick packs and sachets
- Pasta, crackers, and baked snacks, after color trials
- Private label programs
Plan serving math from the protein and phycocyanin results on each COA. Lots from different farms vary in both, so recalculate label values when you change suppliers.
What to check before you buy spirulina powder
Two powders sold as spirulina can differ in species, farm, pigment content, and contaminant results. Review these points together, and ask for lot documents before you approve a supplier.
Species and identity
Confirm Arthrospira platensis or Arthrospira maxima on the spec and COA. Microscopy shows the spiral filaments, and a phycocyanin absorbance reading confirms the blue pigment is present.
Microcystin result for each lot
Open ponds can pick up other cyanobacteria from the environment, and some of them make microcystins. Ask for a microcystin result on every lot, with the method (ELISA or LC-MS/MS) and its detection limit.
Heavy metals by ICP-MS
Check lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury by ICP-MS on each lot. Spirulina is often used at several grams per serving, so compare each limit with your finished product specification and serving size.
Protein and pigment methods
Ask how protein is measured (Kjeldahl or Dumas, nitrogen times 6.25) and whether phycocyanin is reported as crude or C-phycocyanin. One published sheet lists 17.3% crude and 8.0% C-phycocyanin for the same powder.
Microbial limits
Ask for total aerobic count, yeast and mold, coliforms, and pathogen results by USP methods. One published sheet sets coliforms under 10 cfu/g, with E. coli, Salmonella, and S. aureus negative.
Farm, country, and system
Ask for the farm, the country, and whether the spirulina grew in open raceway ponds or photobioreactors. Keep the answer in your supplier file and on the COA.
Label math: If your label states protein or phycocyanin per serving, base it on each lot's measured result and your own finished product testing. Vitamin figures for spirulina vary widely with the test method, so confirm the method before you declare any vitamin.
Typical specification for spirulina powder
These values reflect a food grade spray dried powder. Final figures come from the specification sheet and COA for your lot. NLT means not less than, and NMT means not more than.
| Parameter | Specification | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Biological source | Arthrospira platensis or A. maxima, whole dried biomass | Microscopy (spiral filaments); supplier declaration |
| Appearance | Fine, free flowing dark green to blue green powder | Visual |
| Odor and taste | Mild seaweed odor and taste | Organoleptic |
| Protein (N x 6.25) | NLT 55% | AOAC (Kjeldahl or Dumas) |
| Phycocyanin | Reported on the COA as crude or C-phycocyanin | UV-Vis absorbance at about 620 nm |
| Total carotenoids | Reported on the COA in mg/kg | UV-Vis or HPLC |
| Moisture | NMT 7.0% | USP <731> |
| Ash | NMT 14% | Gravimetric (AOAC) |
| Particle size | NLT 95% through 80 mesh | USP <786> |
| Bulk density | NLT 0.48 g/mL | USP <616> |
| Lead | NMT 1.0 ppm | ICP-MS |
| Arsenic | NMT 1.0 ppm | ICP-MS |
| Cadmium | NMT 0.5 ppm | ICP-MS |
| Mercury | NMT 0.1 ppm | ICP-MS |
| Microcystins | Not detected; detection limit stated on the COA | ELISA or LC-MS/MS |
| Total aerobic count | NMT 100,000 cfu/g | USP <2021> |
| Yeast and mold | NMT 1,000 cfu/g | USP <2021> |
| Coliforms | NMT 10 cfu/g | AOAC or FDA BAM |
| E. coli, Salmonella, and S. aureus | Negative | USP <2022> |
| Shelf life | 24 to 36 months, unopened | Stability data |
Quality standards for spirulina powder
Spirulina is covered by a Food Chemicals Codex monograph and by a JECFA spec for its color extract. National standards in China and Australia, and EU contaminant limits, also name it directly.
FCC and JECFA specs
The Food Chemicals Codex added a spirulina monograph in its Ninth Edition, with a microcystin test. JECFA's 2022 spec for spirulina extract sets microcystins below 0.5 µg/g as MC-LR, dried basis, by LC-MS/MS or ELISA. It sets arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury at NMT 1 mg/kg each.
The 1 µg/g microcystin level
Oregon set 1 µg/g of microcystins for blue green algae products in 1997. French spirulina producers work to it as their regulatory level, and other countries use it as a reference. Write it as NMT 1 µg/g with the method and its quantitation limit.
Australia's compositional guideline
Australia's TGA guideline for Arthrospira platensis sets protein at 55.0 to 70.0% and beta-carotene at 700 to 2,000 mg/kg by HPLC. Ash is NMT 12% and loss on drying under 8.0%. Metal limits are lead 2.5, arsenic 1.0, cadmium 0.5, and mercury 0.05 ppm.
China's spirulina powder standard
GB/T 16919-2022 sets general quality rules for food grade spirulina powder and took effect on May 1, 2023. It adds phycocyanin and beta-carotene to the test list. A 2023 industry grading draft proposes three grades. They start at 55, 60, and 65% protein and at 5, 8, and 12% phycocyanin, with ash NMT 7.0%.
EU PAH limits name spirulina
Since April 1, 2016, EU limits for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have covered food supplements containing spirulina. The levels are 10 µg/kg for benzo[a]pyrene and 50 µg/kg for the sum of four PAHs. They apply to the finished supplement, so check powder that goes into EU products.
Two ways to measure microcystins
ELISA reads total microcystins and nodularins against MC-LR, while LC-MS/MS reads named congeners. In French samples from 2021, LC-MS/MS totals were 2 to 18% of the ELISA values. MC-RR was the most common congener in Chinese spirulina products, so include it in any LC-MS/MS panel.
Cultivation and processing practices for spirulina
Most lot to lot differences in spirulina start in the pond and the dryer. These practices give QA teams specific points to ask about and record.
Start from clean cultures
Contaminant cyanobacteria can spread between farms through shared starter cultures. French producers recorded 14 contaminant genera across their farms. Ask your supplier how it screens starter cultures and how often it counts contaminants in the pond.
Watch the culture as well as the powder
Pond samples showed contaminants that the harvested powder did not reflect. Monitoring the culture medium gives an earlier signal than testing dried product alone. Ask for the farm's culture monitoring records along with each lot COA.
Harvest and rinse with care
Harvest filters range from 19 to 50 µm mesh, and the setup changes how many small contaminants stay in the biomass. Rotary filters with continuous cleaning, plus rinsing the biomass, cut that load. Ask which filters and rinse steps the farm uses.
Dry gently to hold color
C-phycocyanin in solution held steady at 45 °C, but most of it broke down within 10 minutes at 80 °C. Small French farms dry spirulina by air convection at 50 °C or less. Ask for the dryer type and the product temperature during drying.
Document water and microbial control
China's GB/T 16919-2022 requires production water to meet its national drinking water standard. Some supplier sheets also state that the powder is ethylene oxide free and not irradiated. Ask for the water source and the microbial control method in writing for each lot.
Formulator tips for spirulina
Use these points when you set label figures, colors, and incoming tests. Figures come from published standards, method papers, and supplier sheets.
- Do the metals math per serving: ppm times grams equals micrograms. At 5 g a day, a lot at 1.0 ppm lead gives 5 µg, and a lot at 0.2 ppm gives 1.0 µg.
- Expect the blue tone to fade in baked goods and hot fill drinks, since phycocyanin breaks down quickly at 80 °C. Run color trials at your real process temperature.
- Phycocyanin holds up better near pH 5 than at pH 7 when heated. Check color in both acidic and neutral drink bases before you lock a formula.
- Screen microcystins by ELISA on every lot, with a quantitation limit near 0.15 ppm. Confirm any high result by LC-MS/MS with MC-RR in the panel.
- For EU customers, add a PAH test to the spec. Limits for the finished supplement are 10 µg/kg benzo[a]pyrene and 50 µg/kg for the sum of four PAHs.
- Set an incoming test plan. Run microscopy identity, protein, phycocyanin, metals, microcystins, and microbiology on every lot. Check BMAA and pesticides for each new farm.
- Set ash from your own supplier's data. Published limits run from NMT 7.0% in the Chinese grading draft to under 14% on one US grower's sheet.
- Recheck phycocyanin, moisture, and microbiology before you use stock past its retest date. Published shelf lives run from 2 to 3 years unopened.
Helping shoppers read a spirulina label
Brands and their customer service teams field the same label questions again and again. These answers stick to what the ingredient is and how it is labeled.
What the label line means
A typical line reads spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) powder, which is the whole dried cells. Older labels may say Spirulina platensis, the former name. Australia's TGA uses Arthrospira platensis Gomont as the ingredient name.
What a phycocyanin figure tells you
Phycocyanin is the blue pigment in spirulina, listed as a percentage of the powder. Grades in a 2023 Chinese draft run from 5% to 12%. A lab note such as crude or C-phycocyanin changes the number, so compare like with like.
Independent quality programs
Programs such as the USP Dietary Supplement Verification Program and NSF/ANSI 173 certification check finished products against their labels and contaminant limits. Shoppers can ask a brand which program, if any, covers the product they buy.
Normal look, smell, and home storage
Good spirulina powder is fine, uniform, and dark blue green, with a mild seaweed smell. A decayed or bitter smell is not normal for fresh powder. Keep the pouch sealed, cool, and dark, and use it by the date on the label.
Storage and handling for bulk spirulina powder
Keep spirulina powder sealed, cool, dry, and out of light. These habits help you hold color and quality across several production runs.
Keep it sealed
Close the inner liner after each use and press out the air. Spirulina powder picks up moisture from the air and can cake when left open.
Store cool and dry
Keep bags off the floor in a dry room. Published guidance calls for storage below 25 °C (77 °F) and under 60% relative humidity.
Keep away from light
Leave the powder in its original opaque packaging. Light and heat fade phycocyanin and chlorophyll, which shifts the color over time.
Rotate stock
Record the lot number and retest date for each bag. Send older lots to production first.
Spirulina powder buyer FAQ
Quick answers to the questions procurement and quality teams ask most.
What species is spirulina powder?
Commercial spirulina is Arthrospira platensis or Arthrospira maxima, a spiral shaped cyanobacterium. Older documents call it Spirulina platensis. Confirm the species on each COA.
Why does spirulina need a microcystin test?
Microcystins are toxins made by some other cyanobacteria that can grow in the same open ponds. A lot result by ELISA or LC-MS/MS shows whether the powder meets your limit. Ask for it on every lot.
How is phycocyanin measured?
Most labs measure phycocyanin by UV-Vis absorbance at about 620 nm in a water extract. Results are reported as crude phycocyanin or as C-phycocyanin, which gives a smaller number, so compare lots on the same basis.
Is spirulina powder the same as blue spirulina?
No. Spirulina powder is the whole dried alga and is dark blue green. Blue spirulina is a water extract that concentrates phycocyanin. In the US, spirulina extract used to add color is listed as a color additive under 21 CFR 73.530, with its own specifications.
What mesh size should I choose?
Choose a finer grade, toward 120 mesh, for drink mixes, where a fine powder disperses more evenly. Coarser grades, near 80 mesh, flow and compress well in tablets. Confirm the mesh on the spec sheet before you set up a run.
Why do ELISA and LC-MS/MS give different microcystin results?
They measure different things. ELISA reads all microcystins as one total against MC-LR. LC-MS/MS measures only the congeners it has standards for, so ELISA usually reads higher. Use ELISA as the lot screen and confirm any high result by LC-MS/MS with MC-RR in the panel.
Is there a grading standard for spirulina powder?
China's GB/T 16919-2022 sets general quality rules for food grade spirulina powder, and a 2023 industry draft proposes three grades. The draft grades start at 55, 60, and 65% protein and at 5, 8, and 12% phycocyanin.
What documents can I get with an order?
A certificate of analysis (COA) and a specification sheet ship with every order. An allergen statement and a safety data sheet may also be available, depending on the lot in inventory. Contact us to request them.
Can I get a sample before a bulk order?
You can request one by choosing sample options on the quote form. We will confirm availability, size, and timing.
How should I store an opened bag?
Close the liner, press out the air, and keep the bag in a cool, dry place away from light. Use the powder within the shelf life shown on the COA.
Request a quote for bulk spirulina powder
Tell us your species, mesh, quantity, and timing. We will reply with current pricing. Select testing documents and sample options on the quote form.
Order Spirulina PowderBulk orders: Choose a pack size above, or use the quote form for larger volumes, testing documents, and sample options. We serve supplement brands, food and beverage makers, contract manufacturers, product developers, and formulators.
This bulk ingredient is sold for further manufacturing and formulation. The information on this page describes the ingredient and how commercial buyers evaluate it. It is not medical advice. Each finished product brand is responsible for its own labeling and product claims.
