Tremella mushroom
Tremella mushroom suppliers and sourcing guide
Tremella is Tremella fuciformis, a jelly fungus with translucent white, frond-like fruiting bodies, cultivated mainly in China on sawdust or log substrates alongside its host fungus. It is eaten in Chinese soups and desserts, and is sold as dried whole fruiting bodies, milled powder, and hot-water extracts rich in polysaccharides that are used in drinks, supplements and, as a film-forming polysaccharide, in cosmetics.
- Category
- Botanicals and mushrooms
- Also known as
- Tremella fuciformis · snow fungus · silver ear mushroom · white jelly fungus
- Facts checked
- November 2026
Forms and grades of tremella mushroom
Suppliers sell different products under the same name. Specify the one you need.
Dried whole fruiting body
Whole dried "flowers" for soups, desserts and further processing; graded by color, size and moisture.
Fruiting body powder
Dried fruiting bodies milled to a powder, with nothing extracted or concentrated.
Hot-water extract
Water extract of the fruiting body, concentrated and dried, sold with a declared polysaccharide percentage. Forms viscous solutions in water.
Cosmetic-grade polysaccharide
Purified water extract sold for skin and hair products under the INCI name Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide, often as a powder or a dilute aqueous solution with preservative.
What to check on the COA
Compare each result with your own specification when the lot arrives.
- Identity
- Macroscopic and microscopic examination of the fruiting body, or HPTLC or DNA methods for powders and extracts.
- Polysaccharide assay
- Total polysaccharide by phenol-sulfuric acid UV-Vis method, or glucuronoxylomannan by HPLC after hydrolysis; the COA should state which.
- Viscosity and solution clarity
- For extracts sold as thickeners or film formers, viscosity of a stated solution concentration and appearance.
- Heavy metals
- Lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury by ICP-MS against the buyer's limits.
- Microbiology
- Total plate count, yeast and mold, E. coli and Salmonella; cosmetic grades also test for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus.
- Sulfite and moisture
- Sulfur dioxide residue for dried whole fruiting bodies (some are bleached or fumigated) and moisture by loss on drying.
Storage, lots and expiry
Storage and shelf life
Keep dried fruiting bodies and powders sealed in lined bags or drums, cool, dry and out of light. Extracts are strongly hygroscopic and turn gummy in humid air, so reseal promptly and keep desiccant in opened stock. Shelf life or retest date follows the supplier's specification.
Lots and expiry dates
Polysaccharide content, viscosity and color vary with strain, cultivation and drying, so check each lot's COA against your specification. For whole dried material, record sulfite results and grade by lot.
Regulatory status
Facts from regulators and standards bodies, each linked to its source.
Health Canada's Mushrooms natural health product monograph lists Tremella fuciformis (silver ear) with cultured mycelium, fruiting body and mycelium as the permitted parts.
Source: webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca (opens in a new tab)The EU Novel Food status Catalogue entry for Tremella fuciformis (POL-NF-14761) lists the fruiting body as not novel in food and the mycelium as not yet authorised novel food.
Source: ec.europa.eu (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.
Tremella mushroom suppliers
Manufacturers and distributors whose own websites say they sell it.
We are checking tremella mushroom suppliers now
Every listing is checked against the supplier’s own website before it goes live, so this list fills in over the coming weeks. The specs and COA checklist above are ready today.
Sell tremella mushroom? Request a listingFrequently asked questions
What forms of tremella mushroom can brands buy?
Common forms include dried whole fruiting body, fruiting body powder, hot-water extract and cosmetic-grade polysaccharide. Ask each supplier for the specification sheet of the exact grade they quote.
What should the COA for tremella mushroom include?
Expect identity, polysaccharide assay, viscosity and solution clarity, heavy metals, microbiology and sulfite and moisture, each with its method, specification and result for that lot.
How should tremella mushroom be stored?
Keep dried fruiting bodies and powders sealed in lined bags or drums, cool, dry and out of light. Extracts are strongly hygroscopic and turn gummy in humid air, so reseal promptly and keep desiccant in opened stock. Shelf life or retest date follows the supplier's specification.
What is the regulatory status of tremella mushroom?
Health Canada's Mushrooms natural health product monograph lists Tremella fuciformis (silver ear) with cultured mycelium, fruiting body and mycelium as the permitted parts. The EU Novel Food status Catalogue entry for Tremella fuciformis (POL-NF-14761) lists the fruiting body as not novel in food and the mycelium as not yet authorised novel food.
More botanicals and mushrooms
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- Ginkgo bilobaGinkgo biloba · ginkgo leaf extract
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