Cordyceps

Cordyceps is a genus of fungi used in supplement and functional food ranges. This page covers the main species, source materials and the specification questions manufacturers should raise.

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Cordyceps: genus, species and source material

Cordyceps is a genus of fungi. Many of its species grow on insect hosts in the wild. In the ingredient trade, the name usually points to one of two quite different materials.

Cordyceps militaris and wild Cordyceps sinensis

Cordyceps sinensis is the older name for the wild "caterpillar fungus". It is now classified as Ophiocordyceps sinensis. It is collected from high-altitude grassland on the Tibetan Plateau and in the Himalaya. Wild material is scarce, so supply and price are hard to plan for volume manufacturing.

Cordyceps militaris is a separate species that is cultivated commercially. Its fruiting bodies are grown on prepared substrates. Its mycelium can also be grown by fermentation.

Mycelium vs fruiting body

The fruiting body is the visible mushroom. Mycelium is the thread-like growth that spreads through a host or culture medium. Fermented mycelium may be sold with or without its growth medium. Read these as specification questions rather than quality rankings.

Which Cordyceps FC supplies

FC Materials supplies Cordyvigor®, a branded Cordyceps ingredient from a global partner. The Cordyvigor® branded page says it is produced from cultivated Cordyceps by fermentation. The species is Cordyceps militaris, as stated on the branded page and on the producer’s ingredient listing. Ask the supplier to confirm whether the material is mycelium or fruiting body before you finalise label text.

Formulation notes

  • The FC product page lists capsule, tablet, powder, sachet and beverage applications.
  • Check colour, odour and water dispersibility in your own base before scale-up.
  • Confirm storage conditions, moisture sensitivity and packaging with the supplier.

What to ask your supplier

  • Identity: Latin name, part used and the identification method.
  • Source: cultivated or wild, fermented mycelium or fruiting body, and any substrate left in the powder.
  • Markers: whether cordycepin, a nucleoside, or polysaccharides are quantified, and by which test method.
  • Contaminants: heavy metals, pesticide residues, microbiology and mycotoxins.
  • Documents: COA, specification sheet, country of origin and any halal certificate.

Claims on finished products must meet the rules of each market where they are sold. For species or specification questions, WhatsApp us.