Magnesium malate

Grades and forms

Magnesium malate is the magnesium salt of malic acid and supplies 15.5 % elemental magnesium on an anhydrous basis. About 643 mg of anhydrous magnesium malate powder delivers 100 mg of magnesium. The magnesium guide sets it against the other forms; this page covers the choices specific to the malate.

When buying magnesium malate in bulk, four points decide the grade:

• Hydration state. Commercial material can be anhydrous or hydrated. Water of crystallisation lowers the magnesium content per gram, so the batch certificate, not the anhydrous figure, drives the calculation.
• Malic acid isomer. The salt can be made from L-malic acid or from racemic DL-malic acid. Specify the one your dossier and ingredient list name.
• Particle form. Fine powder suits capsule filling, sachets and dry blends. A granulated grade usually runs better on a tablet press.
• Specification basis. Assay, loss on drying, particle size and contaminant limits are set out on the specification sheet.

SoleChem sends the specification sheet and the certificate of analysis with its quote. Compare them with your own specification before you order through the quote form.

EU regulatory status

Annex I of Directive 2002/46/EC lists magnesium among the minerals that may be used in food supplements. Only the chemical forms listed in Annex II of the same Directive may be used to supply it. Annex II has been amended several times. Confirm in the current consolidated text that an entry covers magnesium malate, and note its exact wording, before you finalise a formulation. The permitted forms guide explains how to read the Annex.

Fortified foods follow a separate list in Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006. Check that list on its own if the salt is going into a food rather than a supplement.

Harmonised EU maximum amounts for magnesium in food supplements have not been adopted. Member states apply their own maximum levels, and these differ. The maximum levels guide explains where each competent authority publishes them.

The label declares the amount of magnesium, not the weight of the salt, in numerical form. The labelling guide covers the full set of mandatory particulars.

Formulation notes

Powder needed equals the label claim divided by the magnesium fraction. On the anhydrous figure of 15.5 %:

For hydrated material, use the magnesium content stated on the certificate of analysis, on an as-is basis. Add any overage after that step. The elemental content calculator and the overage calculator do both steps.

Capsules. At 15.5 % magnesium, higher claims need a large fill mass. Claims near 200 mg usually mean splitting the serving across several units. See ingredients for capsules for fill and flow points.

Tablets. Compression behaviour depends on the particle form and the grade. Fine powder generally needs granulation or a binder; trial the blend on your own press. See ingredients for tablets.

Powders and drinks. The malate counter-ion can add a tart note. Assess taste in the finished matrix with your flavour system. The specification sheet states the solubility data relevant to drink mixes; see ingredients for powders.

Handling. Keep containers closed between uses. Check the moisture sensitivity of other actives that share the blend.

How magnesium malate compares to other forms

All figures are on an anhydrous basis.

Malate sits close to the citrates on content per gram and needs slightly less powder than glycinate. Oxide needs about a quarter of the powder mass for the same claim. The magnesium oxide vs magnesium citrate comparison shows how that trade-off plays out in practice.