Natural caffeine
Natural caffeine is caffeine isolated from plants rather than made by chemical synthesis, most often recovered while decaffeinating coffee beans or tea leaves, or extracted from guarana seed or green tea. The crude caffeine is purified, usually by crystallization, to a white powder that is the same molecule as synthetic caffeine. Brands that want a plant named on the label also buy extracts standardized to a caffeine percentage, such as guarana, green coffee bean or yerba mate extracts.
Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.
Crystalline caffeine of high purity isolated from tea or coffee, used the same way as synthetic caffeine anhydrous.
Paullinia cupana seed extract standardized to a stated caffeine percentage, with other guarana constituents present.
Extracts standardized to caffeine content; the remaining composition depends on the plant and process.
Caffeine from certified organic tea or coffee, offered by a small number of suppliers at a higher price.
Plant-derived caffeine with a coating to mask bitterness or change how quickly it dissolves.
Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.
Store sealed in a cool, dry place away from light. Purified caffeine is stable; plant extracts can absorb moisture and cake, so keep them tightly closed. Shelf life and retest date are set by the supplier's specification, with caffeine assay repeated at retest.
Record the plant source, process and caffeine assay for each lot, and recalculate batch amounts for standardized extracts when the assay changes. Keep origin documentation with the lot file if the label says "natural caffeine" or names the plant.
Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.
Health Canada's caffeine monograph lists caffeine isolated from tea leaf, coffee seed, cola seed, guayusa and yerba mate leaf, guarana seed and cacao seed as source materials, alongside synthetic caffeine.
Source: webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca (opens in a new tab)The monograph allows these source materials only if the caffeine is isolated and purified from them.
Source: webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca (opens in a new tab)21 CFR 182.1180 lists caffeine as generally recognized as safe when used in cola-type beverages in accordance with good manufacturing practice.
Source: ecfr.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 · Kerrville, TX
Applied Food Sciences is a Texas bulk ingredient company that sells branded botanical extracts, including green coffee, green tea, ginseng, ginger, turmeric, acerola and lion's mane, to food, drink and supplement makers only.
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 purified natural caffeine, guarana seed extract, green coffee or green tea extracts, organic natural caffeine and coated natural caffeine. Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.
Expect caffeine assay (HPLC), origin testing, residual solvents, pesticide residues, heavy metals and microbiology, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.
Store sealed in a cool, dry place away from light. Purified caffeine is stable; plant extracts can absorb moisture and cake, so keep them tightly closed. Shelf life and retest date are set by the supplier's specification, with caffeine assay repeated at retest.
Health Canada's caffeine monograph lists caffeine isolated from tea leaf, coffee seed, cola seed, guayusa and yerba mate leaf, guarana seed and cacao seed as source materials, alongside synthetic caffeine. The monograph allows these source materials only if the caffeine is isolated and purified from them. 21 CFR 182.1180 lists caffeine as generally recognized as safe when used in cola-type beverages in accordance with good manufacturing practice.
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