Watercress Extract Powder

Watercress extract starts from the aerial parts of Nasturtium officinale, a peppery aquatic herb of the cabbage family that grows in clear running water, with dark green leaves eaten fresh in salads. Water extraction concentrates the soluble herb fraction, and the liquor is dried to a light brown powder.

The extract is supplied at a 10:1 ratio with no marker percentage and is milled to 80 mesh. Watercress powder is a separate dehydrated herb product, so this ratio extract is the entry for a dispersible herb concentrate.

SKU: BOT-BEX-0619 Category: Botanical Extracts Tags: Bars & Bakery, Leaf & Herb, Plant Extracts, Sports Nutrition, Water Dispersible, Water Extracted

Nasturtium officinale Identity & Plant Part

The botanical entity is Nasturtium officinale R.Br., watercress, a perennial aquatic or semi-aquatic herb of the Brassicaceae with dark green, compound leaves that root at the nodes in shallow streams, and small white flowers in clusters. The part used is the aerial portion, meaning leaf and stem. Roots are not part of this ingredient.

Watercress is unrelated to the garden nasturtium, Tropaeolum majus, despite the shared Latin root of the genus name. The herb is notable for gluconasturtiin, a phenethyl glucosinolate, and the pungent isothiocyanate formed from it when the plant is crushed. It also carries carotenoids such as lutein, phenolic acids and flavonoids, named here as families only.

Watercress Extract vs Herb Powder

Form	What It Is	Choose It When
10:1 Herb Extract	Water-extracted and concentrated watercress herb	An extract rather than a dehydrated herb is specified
Watercress Powder	Dehydrated watercress herb milled to powder	A whole-herb powder with its fiber is wanted

The 10:1 ratio is a concentration step from dried herb. It is not a glucosinolate or lutein figure, and watercress extract carries no marker percentage on this entry. A buyer picks the extract for a dispersible, concentrated fraction and the dehydrated powder for the whole herb with its green fiber and color.

Processing changes the chemistry. The enzyme that converts gluconasturtiin into a pungent isothiocyanate is activated by crushing and is lost on heating, so the extract is milder than fresh cress. The dehydrated powder keeps more green color and bulk. Watercress extract suits formulas where a milder, more soluble ingredient is wanted.

Typical Specifications

Specification Item	Product Information
Latin Name	Nasturtium officinale
Plant Part	Leaf & Herb
Processing	Water Extraction
Common Name	Watercress Herb
Ingredient Type	Ratio Extract
Extract Ratio	10:1
Appearance	Light brown powder
Solubility / Dispersibility	Water Dispersible
Quality Parameters
Moisture (LOD)	≤5.0%
Total Ash	≤5.0%
Particle Size	80 mesh
Heavy Metals	Lead ≤2 ppm · Arsenic ≤1 ppm · Cadmium ≤1 ppm · Mercury ≤0.1 ppm
Microbiology	TPC ≤1,000 cfu/g · Yeast & Mold ≤100 cfu/g · E. coli Negative · Salmonella Negative/25 g
Shelf Life	24 months in unopened original packaging, cool and dry storage

Application Areas

Capsule Fills for Watercress

Two-piece capsules take the watercress extract as a free-flowing light brown powder once a small flow aid is added. The mild, faintly peppery taste stays inside the shell, and the low bulk of the extract leaves room for other ingredients in the fill. Fill-weight checks and a disintegration test close each lot.

Green Drink Stick Packs

Stick packs blend the extract with lemon, cucumber and mint flavors and a sweetener in a green-style drink. The cup is a hazy tan liquid. Because the powder is hygroscopic, a dry carrier and quick sealing keep the stick dose steady.

Light Herb Tablets

Watercress tablets are built on cellulose filler and a disintegrant, and the powder binds fairly well. A light film coat covers the tint and faint herbal smell. Granulating dry keeps the punches clean, and cooled tablets are tested for hardness.

Peppery Herb Instant Mixes

Instant powders combine the extract with lemon, ginger and honey flavors for a mild herbal drink. The faint peppery note remains in the background, which suits mild lemon and honey bases. Sealing the premix quickly keeps moisture out before filling, and a sieve step removes lumps.

Seed Cracker Bar Blends

Bars use the extract in the dry fraction with seeds, oats and honey, where the quiet green-herb note blends in. The powder goes in before the binder to avoid clumps, and finished bars are checked for color and moisture.

Formulation Notes

Watercress extract is a light brown powder with a faint green, slightly peppery aroma and a mild bitter taste. In water it disperses to a hazy tan-green liquid with little sediment. The sharp mustard-like pungency of fresh cress is much reduced, because the enzymes and volatile isothiocyanates do not survive the process.

Because the powder is hygroscopic, dry-room weighing and a sealed container between draws are standard. A flow agent smooths capsule and stick filling. Warm water disperses the powder more evenly than cold water does. Chlorophyll and carotenoid tones fade in light and heat, so opened packs are kept in a closed container away from strong light.

Packaging & Commercial Supply

Essencefield supports product evaluation, formulation trials, commercial orders, and ongoing ingredient supply. Packaging, storage, and shipping arrangements are determined by product characteristics, order quantity, stability requirements, and destination-market needs.

Supply Item	General Information
Sample	Available upon request for formulation, testing, and supplier evaluation
Order Quantities	100 g · 1 kg · 5 kg · 25 kg · 100 kg · 500 kg · Bulk
Sample Lead Time	Typically 5–7 days after sample confirmation
Production Lead Time	Typically 15–30 days after order and specification confirmation
Packaging	Suitable protective inner packaging with bags, cartons, drums, or other appropriate outer packaging
Storage	Store in tightly sealed, suitable protective packaging in a cool, dry environment. Protect from moisture, heat, and direct sunlight. Specific storage conditions follow the approved product specification.
Documentation	COA · Product Specification · TDS · SDS · Applicable declarations (as applicable)

Final order quantities, lead times, packaging, documentation, and shipping arrangements are confirmed according to the selected product and commercial requirements.