Prickly Pear Extract Powder

Prickly pear extract starts from the fruit of Opuntia ficus-indica, the fleshy, seed-filled cactus pear, with the flat pads and the spines excluded. Water extraction concentrates the soluble fruit fraction, and the liquor is dried into a light yellow powder that disperses in water.

The extract is supplied at a 10:1 ratio with no marker percentage and is milled to 80 mesh. It is the fruit and not the paddle-shaped stem known as nopal, which is sold as a separate extract. Fruit color varies by cultivar, from pale green to deep red.

SKU: BOT-BEX-0525 Category: Botanical Extracts Tags: Bars & Bakery, Fruit & Berry, Gummies & Chews, Plant Extracts, Prickly pear, Water Extracted

Opuntia ficus-indica Fruit Source & Identity

The botanical entity is Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill., the Indian fig or prickly pear of the Cactaceae, a tall, paddle-jointed cactus whose barrel-shaped fruit carries fine glochids on the skin and many hard seeds in a sweet pulp. The part used is the fruit. The pads, called cladodes or nopales, and the flowers are not part of this prickly pear extract.

Fruit and pad are the main source of confusion. The pad is a high-mucilage vegetable organ, while the fruit is a sugar-rich berry with its own pigments called betalains, which give red-purple, yellow or orange tones depending on cultivar. The fruit also holds pectin, organic acids and mucilage in smaller amounts, named here only as families.

Prickly Pear Fruit vs Cactus Pad Extracts

Form	What It Is	Choose It When
10:1 Fruit Extract	Water-extracted, concentrated Opuntia ficus-indica fruit	The fruit is the specified part
Cactus Extract Powder	Ratio extract of the cactus pad, a different plant part	Pad material is specified
Cactus Nopal Extract Powder	Ratio extract of the nopal pad, listed under the vegetable name	The nopal name is used in the specification

All three entries come from one species, and two of them are the pad. The fruit extract is the sweeter, pigment-bearing product. The pad extracts hold more mucilage and fewer sugars. A 10:1 ratio gives concentration against the starting material and no betalain or mucilage figure in any of the three, so the plant part named on the purchase form decides what arrives.

Typical Specifications

Specification Item	Product Information
Latin Name	Opuntia ficus-indica
Plant Part	Fruit & Berry
Processing	Water Extraction
Common Name	Cactus Pear Fruit
Ingredient Type	Ratio Extract
Extract Ratio	10:1
Appearance	Light yellow 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

Capsules for Fruit Pigments

Prickly pear extract fills into capsules as a light yellow powder. The sugars and pectin make the powder take up moisture quickly, so a flow aid and a dry filling room are used. Opaque shells protect the pigment fraction from light.

Pectin-Friendly Gummies

Cooked gummies take the extract late in the base with pectin, where its natural acidity helps the set. Prickly pear, lime and watermelon flavors fit, and heat-sensitive pigments are protected by a short hold time at temperature.

Fruit Drink Powders

Drink powders carry the extract with citrus or berry flavors. It dissolves to a hazy pale golden liquid with a gentle fruit body. The pigment fraction is pH-sensitive, so the target pH is tested before the drink formula is fixed.

Chewable Tablets on a Sorbitol Base

Chewable tablets carry the extract with sorbitol or xylitol and a sweet fruit flavor. Because sugars soften compressed matrices, hardness is rechecked after humidity exposure, and the extract is pre-blended with the filler to avoid specks.

Drink Sticks in Barrier Laminate

Sticks pair prickly pear extract with a sweetener and tropical flavor. Fruit sugars attract water and clump at the seal, so the premix is dried before filling and the sealing line is checked for moisture on each shift.

Formulation Notes

Prickly pear extract is a light yellow powder with a faint, sweet, melon-like aroma and a mild, sweet, slightly tart taste. In water it forms a hazy pale golden liquid. A thin cloud from pectin and mucilage may remain, and the seeds are not part of the powder.

The sugars and pectin make the powder strongly hygroscopic. Weigh the fruit extract in a dry room, reseal the liner at each draw and shelter the opened bag from heat and light. Surface clumping and browning show first when moisture enters the opened bag.

Premix the extract with a flow aid and screen it into the bulk in one stage. In drinks, dry-blend the powder with sugar before water is added. Pilot lots show whether the pale tint holds at the chosen pH.

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.