Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Extract Powder

This Carthamus tinctorius seed extract is made from the seed of safflower, the oilseed crop, and not from the flower that gives safflower its pigments. Water extraction concentrates the soluble seed fraction, and the liquor is dried into a light brown powder that disperses in water.

The extract is supplied at a 10:1 ratio and milled to 80 mesh, with no marker percentage declared. Safflower flower extract and flower powder are separate products of the same plant, so the seed version is the one to choose when the seed is the specified part.

SKU: BOT-BEX-0253 Category: Botanical Extracts Tags: Bars & Bakery, Plant Extracts, Safflower, Seed & Grain, Water Dispersible, Water Extracted

Carthamus tinctorius Identity & Plant Part

The botanical entity is Carthamus tinctorius L., safflower, an annual thistle-like member of the Asteraceae. The part used is the seed, botanically an achene. Florets, petals and stems are not part of this ingredient. Safflower is grown mainly for its oil-bearing seed, so the seed is a commodity material in its own right.

Seed and flower are the usual point of confusion. The yellow and red pigments associated with safflower sit in the florets, so a seed extract does not carry them and is not a colour ingredient. Seed material brings fatty oil, phenolic compounds and serotonin-type conjugates, named only as families. The plant is unrelated to saffron, Crocus sativus, although the flower is sometimes sold as a cheap stand-in for it.

Safflower Seed Extract vs Other Forms

Form	What It Is	Choose It When
10:1 Seed Extract	Water-extracted, concentrated and dried safflower seed	The seed, not the flower, is the specified part
Safflower Extract Powder	Ratio extract of the safflower flower instead of the seed	Flower-derived material is the target
Safflower Flower Powder	Dried, milled safflower florets with no extraction	A floret powder is wanted at higher inclusion

The 10:1 ratio records how concentrated the extract is against the safflower seed it came from. It says nothing about oil, phenolic or pigment content, so it cannot be compared with figures quoted for flower extracts.

The two siblings differ in plant part and in processing. The flower extract and the flower powder come from the florets, while this Carthamus tinctorius seed extract starts from the seed and passes through water extraction. A specification that only reads safflower extract leaves the part open, so the part has to be stated to avoid a mismatch at receiving. Carthamus tinctorius seed is the right line for formulas that never needed the floret pigments.

Typical Specifications

Specification Item	Product Information
Latin Name	Carthamus tinctorius
Plant Part	Seed & Grain
Processing	Water Extraction
Common Name	Safflower Seed
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

Seed Extract Capsules

Carthamus tinctorius seed extract fills into two-piece capsules as a dispersible light brown powder. Seed oil is not water-soluble and stays mostly in the solids after water extraction, which leaves the powder less oily than milled seed. Check disintegration on the finished fill, since the extract disperses rather than dissolves.

Coated Tablet Blends

The fine particle size of the Carthamus tinctorius extract suits direct compression at modest inclusion alongside microcrystalline cellulose. The light brown tint is easily hidden by a film coat. Granulating first keeps hygroscopic fines from sticking to the punches during a long compression run.

Flavored Drink Sachets

Sachets pair the extract with flavored drink bases. It disperses to a hazy liquid rather than a clear one, so opaque or pulp-style bases hide the cloudiness better than clear drinks. Dry blending with a sugar or maltodextrin carrier keeps the dose even from sachet to sachet.

Seed-Style Snack Bars

In bars the Carthamus tinctorius extract is mixed into the dry binder fraction before the syrup goes on. The nutty, cereal-like note sits well with oat, almond and date bases, and the powder adds little free moisture, so bar texture stays close to the unmodified recipe.

Formulation Notes

Safflower seed extract is a light brown powder with a mild cereal-like aroma and a slightly bitter, nutty taste. In water it disperses to a hazy tan liquid, and fine particles settle when the liquid stands. Seed oil does not dissolve, so the Carthamus tinctorius extract forms no oil layer, which separates it from pressed seed meal.

Premix with a free-flowing carrier before capsule filling to prevent bridging in the hopper. In beverage blends, add the extract to the dry mix early so the flavor note spreads evenly. After a pack is opened, reseal it promptly because a water extract takes up moisture, clumps and darkens at the surface. Weigh in a dry room to limit caking at the scoop.

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.