Ascorbic acid

Core Concepts

Ascorbic acid (Ascorbic Acid), chemical name is L-2 acid, 3,5,6-tetrahydroxy -2-hexenoic acid-γ-lactone, molecular formula is C and H and O and molecular weight is 176.12. It is a naturally occurring organic compound and an essential nutrient for higher primates and a few other organisms. Humans cannot synthesize vitamin C on their own and must obtain it from food or supplements.

Terminology Teardown

The word "ascorbic acid" is derived from its function of preventing and treating scurvy. In the 18th century, the British Navy discovered that citrus fruits could prevent scurvy. Later, scientists isolated the anti-scurvy factor from these foods and named it ascorbic acid. "Vitamin C" is its generic name as a vitamin. Chemically, only L-configuration ascorbic acid has biological activity, D-configuration of isoascorbic acid has antioxidant activity but no vitamin activity.

essential attribute

Ascorbic acid is usually white or yellowish crystalline or crystalline powder, odorless, taproic acid. Soluble in water, slightly soluble in ethanol, insoluble in ether, chloroform and other non-polar solvents. Its aqueous solution is acidic, 1mM solution pH about 3.59,10mM about 3.04,100mM about 2.53. It has strong reducibility, and the dienol structure in the molecule is easily oxidized to the diketone group to generate dehydroascorbic acid. It is relatively stable in dry air, but the aqueous solution is unstable, especially in neutral or alkaline solutions. In case of light, heat, air (oxygen), alkali and metal ions (such as copper ions, iron ions) will accelerate the oxidation decomposition.

synonymous/near-synonymous expressions

Ascorbic acid has several synonyms or synonyms, including: vitamin C, L-ascorbic acid, vitamin C, vitamin C, 2,3,4,5, 6-pentahydroxy-2-hexeno-4-lactone. In the field of food additives, sodium ascorbate in the form of sodium salt, calcium ascorbate in the form of calcium salt, and ester derivatives such as ascorbyl palmitate are also commonly referred to as vitamin C antioxidants.

Applicable boundary

The application of ascorbic acid in the food industry has clear boundaries of applicability. According to GB 2760-2024, the maximum amount of ascorbic acid used in wheat flour is 0.2 g/kg, in peeled or pre-cut fresh fruits and vegetables is 5.0 g/kg, and in fruit and vegetable juice (pulp) is 1.5 g/kg. In other types of food (except for specific categories) can be used according to production needs. When used as a nutrition fortifier, the usage amount must comply with the provisions of GB 14880, such as 15-500mg in sports nutrition food and 30-270mg/100g in formula food for older infants and young children.

historical evolution

The discovery of ascorbic acid is closely related to the study of scurvy. In 1747, British naval doctor James Lind conducted a clinical trial of the famous citrus fruit for the treatment of scurvy. In 1928, the Hungarian scientist Albert Sünter-Zhergie successfully isolated vitamin C. In 1933, the British chemist Walter Howarth determined its chemical structure and completed the artificial synthesis, Howarth won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1937. China began industrial production in the 1950 s. After the 1980 s, the "two-step fermentation" production process invented by Chinese scientists made China the world's largest producer of vitamin C.

different perspectives

From the perspective of nutrition, ascorbic acid is an essential water-soluble vitamin, which participates in a variety of physiological functions. From a food chemistry perspective, it is a potent antioxidant and reducing agent. From a pharmaceutical perspective, it is an important pharmaceutical raw material and excipients. From an industrial point of view, it is an important fine chemical product. From a regulatory perspective, it is a strictly regulated food additive and nutritional fortifier.

Related Concepts

**Dehydroascorbic acid**: The oxidation product of ascorbic acid, still having vitamin activity.
**Isoascorbic acid**: A stereoisomer in the D-configuration with antioxidant activity but no vitamin activity.
**Sodium ascorbate**: The sodium salt form of ascorbic acid, neutral, less irritating, and better stability.
**Ascorbyl Palmitate**: Fat-soluble derivative used as an antioxidant in oils and cosmetics.
**Ascorbyl glucoside**: extremely stable derivative, mainly used in cosmetics.

industrial chain structure

The ascorbic acid industry chain can be divided into three links: upstream, midstream and downstream. Upstream mainly supplies raw materials, including corn, starch, glucose and other raw materials. The midstream is the production and manufacturing process of ascorbic acid, which uses a combination of fermentation and chemical synthesis. A wide range of downstream applications, including food and beverage, health care products, feed, cosmetics and other industries.

Among the upstream raw materials, corn is the main source of raw materials. Corn is further processed into corn starch, which is further processed into glucose for fermentation to produce sorbitol, and then vitamin C is produced by two-step fermentation. China is one of the world's largest corn producers, providing sufficient raw material for the ascorbic acid industry. The national glucose production in 2024 is about 18.5 million tons, of which about 35% is used for the production of vitamin C and related derivatives.

The midstream production link has high technical barriers, and the main enterprises are concentrated in China. The production process includes fermentative production of sorbitol, followed by the first step of fermentation to produce L-sorbose, the second step of fermentation to produce 2-keto-L-gulonic acid, and then chemical conversion to produce vitamin C. Chinese companies have a global leading position in fermentation technology.

In downstream applications, the food and beverage industry accounts for the largest proportion, accounting for about 41% of total consumption; medicines and health products account for about 37%; feed accounts for about 14%; cosmetics account for about 8%.

Market size

The global vitamin C market continues to grow. According to market research data, the global vitamin C market will reach 11.174 billion yuan in 2025 and is expected to reach 15.943 billion yuan by 2032, with an average annual compound growth rate of about 5.2. Another study shows that the global market size is $1.674 billion in 2026 and will expand to $2.541 billion in 2035, a compound annual growth rate of 4.8.

China is the world's largest producer and consumer of vitamin C. In 2024, the scale of China's L-ascorbic acid market has exceeded 12 billion yuan. It is expected to grow at an average annual compound growth rate of about 5.8 from 2025 to 2030. By 2030, the overall market scale is expected to reach about 16.5 billion yuan. China's vitamin C production accounts for more than 90% of the world's total output.

By product type, food grade accounts for about 46%, pharmaceutical grade about 34%, feed grade nearly 20%. By application area, food and beverage applications accounted for 41%, healthcare applications accounted for about 37%, feed about 14%, and cosmetics about 8%.

Key Participants

The global vitamin C market is highly concentrated, with the top 5 manufacturers controlling nearly 63% of production and the top 2 manufacturers accounting for about 38%. The main production enterprises include DSM (generalized treatment), Stone Pharmaceutical Group, Shandong Luwei Pharmaceutical, Northeast Pharmaceutical, North China Pharmaceutical, Shandong Tianli, Ningxia Qiyuan, Zhengzhou Tuyang, Henan Huaxing, Anhui Tiger and so on.

development stage

China's vitamin C industry has gone through several stages of development. From the 1950 s to the 1970 s, it was the initial stage and mainly relied on imports. The 1980 s was a technological breakthrough stage, when China invented the two-step fermentation method and began to be localized. The 1990 s to 2000 s was a period of capacity expansion, with China becoming the world's largest producer. The 2010 s has been the stage of integration and upgrading, with increased industry concentration, continuous optimization of technology and high-end product development.

regional pattern

Global vitamin C production is highly concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region, accounting for more than 80% of global production in Asia, of which China accounts for more than 90%. North China and Northeast China are the main production bases. Shandong, Hebei and Jilin provinces together contribute more than 60% of the country's industrial glucose production capacity, providing raw material guarantee for vitamin C production.

In terms of consumption, the United States accounts for nearly 12% of global consumption, Europe contributes about 14% of consumption, North America maintains nearly 12% of usage, and emerging regions account for about 18% of incremental demand.

development process

Industrial production of vitamin C began in the 1930 s. In 1933, Reichstein invented the one-step fermentation method (Leith method), which realized the industrial production of vitamin C. In the 1980 s, the Institute of Microbiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Beijing Pharmaceutical Factory jointly invented the "two-step fermentation method", which greatly reduced the production cost and made the vitamin C industry in China rise rapidly.

After China's accession to the WTO in 2001, the export of vitamin C increased rapidly and the production capacity expanded rapidly. From the late 2000 s to the 2010 s, the industry experienced multiple price swings and overcapacity. After 2010, the industry gradually integrated, environmental requirements increased, backward production capacity eliminated, increased concentration.

Industry pain points

The vitamin C industry faces multiple pain points. The first is raw material price fluctuations, corn and glucose price fluctuations directly affect production costs. The second is the pressure of environmental protection. A large amount of wastewater is produced in the fermentation production process, and the treatment cost is high. The third is overcapacity and fierce price competition, corporate profit margins are squeezed. The fourth is the serious homogenization of products, high-end products and high value-added derivatives development. The fifth is the risk of trade barriers and trade frictions in international markets.

Driving Factors

The main drivers of growth in the vitamin C industry include: increased health awareness, increased consumer interest in immune health, and increased demand for health products and functional foods. Food industry development, antioxidant and nutrition fortifier demand growth. The feed industry is growing in demand for vitamins in feed additives. Cosmetics industry development, antioxidant and whitening function needs. Technological progress, production process optimization, cost reduction. Policy support, the "14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Bioeconomy" supports the green manufacturing of vitamins and other bulk fermentation products.

International Standards

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has developed a number of standards for vitamin C. ISO 20635:2018 "Infant Formula and Adult Nutrition-Determination of Vitamin C by High Performance Liquid Chromatography and Ultraviolet Detection" specifies the determination method of vitamin C in infant and adult nutrition, and the application range is from 2.5mg/100g to 50mg/100g. This standard makes it possible to distinguish between D-ascorbic acid (erythorbic acid) and L-ascorbic acid.

The specifications for the chemical reagent L-ascorbic acid are specified in ISO 6353-3:1987 Reagents for chemical analysis-Part 3: Specifications-Second series.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)'s CODEX STAN 192-1995 General Standard for Food Additives specifies the use of ascorbic acid and its sodium, calcium and potassium salts as food additives.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has no special regulations on the allowable daily intake (ADI) of vitamin C (FAO/WHO,1994), which means that it is safe under normal use.

National Standards

China has developed a number of national standards on ascorbic acid.

GB 14754-2010 National Food Safety Standard Food Additive Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is the most important product standard. The standard specifies the technical requirements, test methods, inspection rules, marking, packaging, transportation and storage of vitamin C as a food additive. Suitable for D-glucose or sorbitol as the starting material after fermentation of chemical synthesis of edible additive vitamin C.

Technical requirements include sensory requirements and physical and chemical indicators. Sensory requirements are white or yellowish, odorless, crystalline or crystalline powder. The physical and chemical indexes include: the content of vitamin C(C, H, O) ≥ 99.0, specific rotation +20.5 ~ +21.5, residue on ignition ≤ 0.1, arsenic (As)≤ 3 mg/kg, heavy metal (calculated as Pb)≤ 10 mg/kg, lead (Pb)≤ 2 mg/kg, iron (Fe)≤ 2 mg/kg, copper (Cu)≤ 5 mg/kg.

GB 5009.86-2025 "National Food Safety Standard-Determination of Ascorbic Acid in Foods" provides a method for the determination of ascorbic acid in foods. The first method of liquid chromatography is suitable for the determination of L-ascorbic acid and D-isoascorbic acid in food. The second method is suitable for the determination of ascorbic acid in special dietary food, milk and dairy products, fruits and vegetables and their products. The third method 2,6-dichloro indophenol titration method is suitable for the determination of reduced ascorbic acid in fruits and vegetables and their products.

This standard replaces GB 5413.18-2010 and GB 5009.86-2016.

GB/T 15347-2015 "Chemical Reagent L(+)-Ascorbic Acid" specifies the properties, specifications, tests, inspection rules, packaging, storage, transportation and marking of chemical reagent L(+)-Ascorbic Acid. Suitable for chemical reagent L(+)-ascorbic acid test.

GB 2760-2024 "National Food Safety Standards for the Use of Food Additives" stipulates the maximum use of ascorbic acid in various types of food. 0.2 g/kg in wheat flour, 5.0 g/kg in peeled or pre-cut fresh fruits and vegetables, 1.5 g/kg in fruit and vegetable juice (pulp), in all kinds of food (except for specific categories) according to production needs.

GB 14880-2012 National Food Safety Standard Standard for the Use of Food Nutrition fortifiers specifies the use of ascorbic acid as a nutrition fortifier in various types of food.

Industry Standard

In addition to national standards, there are relevant industry standards and local standards. The pharmaceutical industry standard YY 0016-2010 "Vitamin C Raw Material Quality Standard" specifies the requirements for medicinal vitamin C. The feed industry standard GB 7302-2018 "Feed Additive Vitamin C" specifies the technical requirements for feed-grade vitamin C.

certification system

Ascorbic acid production enterprises need to pass a number of certification system. Food production enterprises need to pass the food safety management system certification (ISO 22000), HACCP certification, GMP certification. Pharmaceutical manufacturers need to pass the GMP certification. Export enterprises need to pass the BRC, IFS and other international food certification. Also need to pass the kosher kosher certification, halal certification, etc.

Standards Evolution

The standard for ascorbic acid has undergone several revisions. GB 14754 from the 1993 version to the 2010 version, the main changes include: cancel the methylene blue solution identification test; Increase the infrared spectrum identification; The concentration of iodine standard titration solution in the determination of vitamin C content was changed from 0.1mol/L to 0.05mol/L; Lead index and test method were added; Iron index and test method were added; Copper index and test method were added.

GB 5009.86 has also undergone many revisions, from the 2003 version of the determination of total ascorbic acid in vegetables, fruits and their products, to the 2016 version to expand the scope of application, adding high performance liquid chromatography, to the 2025 version to further improve the detection method.

Standard comparison

Compared with international standards, Chinese standards are basically consistent in product purity requirements. Compared with international pharmacopoeia standards such as United States Pharmacopoeia USP, European Pharmacopoeia EP and Japanese Pharmacopoeia Prescription JP, the main indexes of GB 14754-2010 are basically the same. In terms of detection methods, high performance liquid chromatography has become the international mainstream method, and Chinese standards have also been adopted.

Standard Implementation

The implementation of standards is supervised by the State Administration of Market Supervision and Administration, the National Health Commission and other departments. Enterprises must organize production and inspection in strict accordance with the standards. The use of ascorbic acid in food production enterprises must comply with the provisions of GB 2760. Supervisory departments conduct supervision and sampling to ensure that products meet standard requirements.

Future standards

With the progress of technology and the strengthening of supervision, the standard of ascorbic acid is constantly improved. Future standards will be more stringent, more advanced detection methods. Rapid detection method standards, derivatives standards, green production process control standards, traceability standards.