Minerals & Mineral Salts

What manufacturers buy here

This category covers mineral salts and chelates for food-supplement manufacturing. It runs from bulk calcium and magnesium sources to trace elements dosed in micrograms. Formulators usually work nutrient by nutrient, so each group below starts with its nutrient guide.

• Macrominerals: magnesium, calcium and potassium. Forms include magnesium oxide, magnesium citrate, magnesium glycinate, magnesium malate, calcium carbonate, dicalcium phosphate and potassium chloride.
• Iron and zinc: iron forms such as ferrous sulfate, fumarate, gluconate and ferric pyrophosphate, and zinc forms such as citrate, gluconate, glycinate and picolinate.
• Trace elements: selenium, iodine, chromium and copper, plus manganese and molybdenum salts.

For side-by-side decisions, see magnesium oxide vs magnesium citrate, magnesium citrate vs magnesium glycinate, calcium carbonate vs calcium citrate, ferrous fumarate vs ferrous sulfate and zinc picolinate vs zinc gluconate.

Choosing within the category

• Elemental content. The label declares the element, not the salt. A form with low content per gram may not fit a large claim into one capsule or tablet. The elemental content calculator converts a label claim into salt weight.
• Hydration state. Anhydrous, monohydrate and heptahydrate versions of one salt differ in elemental content. Name the exact hydrate when you request a quote.
• Format and solubility. Insoluble oxides, carbonates and phosphates suit tablets and capsules. Water-soluble salts suit powders, drinks and effervescent tablets.
• Taste and compatibility. Iron, zinc and copper salts can give a metallic taste in chewables and drinks. Ferrous and cupric salts can promote oxidation of sensitive vitamins in a premix, so confirm compatibility in stability trials.
• Uniformity. Trace elements are dosed in micrograms, so blend uniformity matters more than content per gram.

Regulatory notes

In the EU, minerals in food supplements fall under Directive 2002/46/EC. Annex I lists the minerals that may be used and Annex II lists the permitted forms. Check each form against the current consolidated Annex II; the permitted forms guide explains how. Harmonised EU maximum amounts have not been set, so member states apply national rules, summarised in maximum levels by EU country. Mineral addition to other foods is governed by Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006.