Licorice root
Licorice is the dried root and rhizome of Glycyrrhiza glabra and related species such as G. uralensis and G. inflata, grown and wild harvested in Central Asia, China, the Middle East and southern Europe. The root is sold cut or powdered, or extracted with hot water to make licorice extract as a liquid, block paste or spray-dried powder. Extracts are sold by glycyrrhizin content, and deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) has most of it removed.
Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.
Dried root and rhizome cut for tea or milled to powder, sold by mesh and glycyrrhizin content.
Hot-water extract of the root sold as a paste, liquid or spray-dried powder for confectionery, tobacco and flavor use.
Extract with a declared minimum percentage of glycyrrhizin (glycyrrhizic acid) by HPLC.
Extract processed to remove most glycyrrhizin, sold with a maximum glycyrrhizin percentage.
Purified salts of glycyrrhizin made from the water extract and used as flavors and sweetness modifiers.
Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.
Keep root, powder and extract sealed in lined bags or drums, cool, dry and out of direct light. Powders and dry extracts pick up moisture and cake once opened, so reseal containers and limit time open on the production floor. Shelf life or a retest date comes from the supplier's specification, and the marker assay is usually repeated at retest.
Glycyrrhizin varies with species, origin and root age, and it decides how much licorice a food can carry, so check every lot's assay and recalculate if it changes. Record species, glycyrrhizin result and supplier lot at receiving.
Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.
21 CFR 184.1408 affirms licorice and licorice derivatives as GRAS and defines licorice root as the dried and ground rhizome and root of Glycyrrhiza glabra or other Glycyrrhiza species.
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)21 CFR 184.1408 limits use by the glycyrrhizin content of the food as served, for example 0.5 percent in vitamin or mineral dietary supplements.
Source: ecfr.gov (opens in a new tab)Health Canada's Licorice natural health product monograph lists Glycyrrhiza glabra, G. inflata and G. uralensis, with root or root and rhizome as source parts.
Source: webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca (opens in a new tab)FDA's Substances Added to Food inventory lists licorice (Glycyrrhiza spp.) with the technical effects flavor enhancer and flavoring agent or adjuvant, citing 21 CFR 184.1408.
Source: hfpappexternal.fda.gov (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 · San Jose, CA
Draco Natural Products is a San Jose, California, maker of powdered botanical and mushroom extracts, including certified organic and traditional Chinese herb extracts, with an office in Shanghai.
Distributor · Norway, IA
Frontier Co-op is a member-owned cooperative in Norway, Iowa, that sources and sells bulk herbs, spices, teas and botanicals by the pound, with a separate wholesale site for business buyers.
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 cut and powdered root, licorice extract (block, liquid, powder), standardized extract, deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) and ammoniated glycyrrhizin and monoammonium glycyrrhizinate. Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.
Expect identity, glycyrrhizin assay (HPLC), heavy metals, microbiology, pesticide residues and ash and physical tests, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.
Keep root, powder and extract sealed in lined bags or drums, cool, dry and out of direct light. Powders and dry extracts pick up moisture and cake once opened, so reseal containers and limit time open on the production floor. Shelf life or a retest date comes from the supplier's specification, and the marker assay is usually repeated at retest.
21 CFR 184.1408 affirms licorice and licorice derivatives as GRAS and defines licorice root as the dried and ground rhizome and root of Glycyrrhiza glabra or other Glycyrrhiza species. 21 CFR 184.1408 limits use by the glycyrrhizin content of the food as served, for example 0.5 percent in vitamin or mineral dietary supplements. Health Canada's Licorice natural health product monograph lists Glycyrrhiza glabra, G. inflata and G. uralensis, with root or root and rhizome as source parts. FDA's Substances Added to Food inventory lists licorice (Glycyrrhiza spp.) with the technical effects flavor enhancer and flavoring agent or adjuvant, citing 21 CFR 184.1408.
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