Hops
Hops are the female cones (strobiles) of Humulus lupulus, a climbing plant grown mainly in the US Pacific Northwest, Germany and the Czech Republic. The cones are kiln dried and sold whole, pelletized, or as extracts made with carbon dioxide or ethanol. Brewing buys most hops by variety and alpha-acid content; supplement and beverage makers use dried cone powder or extracts, sometimes standardized to bitter acids or xanthohumol.
Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.
Kiln-dried strobiles, baled and sold by variety and crop year.
Milled cones pressed into pellets (type 90 or concentrated type 45 lupulin) and packed under inert gas.
Resin extract made with supercritical or liquid carbon dioxide, sold by alpha-acid content.
Milled cones or ethanol or water extract dried to a powder for capsules and drinks, sometimes standardized to xanthohumol or bitter acids by HPLC.
Isomerized or reduced extracts used in brewing for bitterness and light stability, made under specific regulatory conditions.
Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.
Hops lose alpha acids and oil and develop off odors through oxidation, so keep cones and pellets cold (often at or below 0 C) in oxygen-barrier packaging flushed with nitrogen. Extracts and powders should be sealed, refrigerated where the supplier requires it and protected from light. Shelf life follows the supplier's spec, with alpha acids or the marker assay rechecked at retest.
Alpha-acid, oil and xanthohumol content vary by variety, crop year and storage time, so always buy and adjust on the lot COA. Record the variety, crop year, supplier lot and packaging date, and use oldest stock first.
Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.
21 CFR 182.20 lists hops (Humulus lupulus L.) among essential oils, oleoresins (solvent-free) and natural extractives generally recognized as safe for their intended use.
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)21 CFR 172.560 permits modified hop extract as a food additive used as a flavoring agent in the brewing of beer, made by listed processes.
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)Health Canada's Hops natural health product monograph lists Humulus lupulus with the dried strobile as the source part.
Source: webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca (opens in a new tab)This is general information, not regulatory advice. Status differs by country and by how the ingredient is used, so check the rules for your product and market.
Manufacturers and distributors whose own websites say they sell it.
Manufacturer · Changsha, China
Hunan Nutramax is a plant extract producer in Changsha, China, best known for monk fruit (luo han guo), stevia and sweet tea extracts, that also offers a range of herbal extracts.
Suppliers are in alphabetical order and none pays to appear. Each claim is checked against the supplier’s own website on the date shown. Ask for the specification sheet and a recent COA before you order, and confirm details with the supplier.
Common forms include whole dried cones, pellets, cO2 extract, powder or dry extract and modified hop extracts. Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.
Expect alpha and beta acids, hop oil content, marker assay (HPLC), heavy metals, pesticide residues and residual solvents, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.
Hops lose alpha acids and oil and develop off odors through oxidation, so keep cones and pellets cold (often at or below 0 C) in oxygen-barrier packaging flushed with nitrogen. Extracts and powders should be sealed, refrigerated where the supplier requires it and protected from light. Shelf life follows the supplier's spec, with alpha acids or the marker assay rechecked at retest.
21 CFR 182.20 lists hops (Humulus lupulus L.) among essential oils, oleoresins (solvent-free) and natural extractives generally recognized as safe for their intended use. 21 CFR 172.560 permits modified hop extract as a food additive used as a flavoring agent in the brewing of beer, made by listed processes. Health Canada's Hops natural health product monograph lists Humulus lupulus with the dried strobile as the source part.
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