Milk Thistle
Verified EU-organic suppliers with TRACES NT cross-referenced, indicative H2 2026 pricing per origin, multi-supplier sample pack in a single form. Acacia honey, lavender, sea-buckthorn, aronia, rosehip, hawthorn, guelder rose. Pre-launch — free of fee.
Common applications
Current sourcing
Seed harvest July–August. Cleaned seed, seed powder, herb cut and standardised extract ship year-round.
Indicative price band
Period: H2 2026 · Indicative ranges only — not a binding offer. Live quote on RFQ.
| Origin / format | EUR / kg |
|---|---|
Eastern Europe — cleaned seed, organic from 200 kg | €3–€6 |
EU — seed powder, organic from 100 kg | €5–€9 |
Silymarin extract 80% (HPLC), organic from 25 kg | €18–€38 |
Cold-pressed seed oil, organic from 50 kg | €14–€26 |
H2 2026 indicative range — not a quote. Extract price tracks the silymarin % and the assay method (UV reads higher than HPLC) — confirm the basis before comparing quotes. Seed is a low-cost commodity; the value concentrates in the standardised extract.
Quality controls & specifications
Milk thistle is bought two very different ways — raw seed (and seed powder or tea) on cleanliness and seed integrity, or standardised extract on the silymarin assay. Silymarin is a flavonolignan complex (silybin/silibinin A+B, silychristin, silydianin), so for extract the standardisation figure and the assay method are the contractual anchors, not the seed origin.
- Standardised extract is sold to a silymarin %: 80% is the common nutraceutical grade — but the assay method matters, since UV spectrophotometry typically reads higher than HPLC on the same material
- Silymarin is a complex (silybin A+B / silibinin, isosilybin, silychristin, silydianin) — the HPLC profile, not just total %, is the defensible extract spec
- Raw seed is graded on purity (foreign matter, stones, other seeds), moisture and seed integrity; specify cleaning level and sieve
- Seed silymarin content is variety- and season-dependent — for extract, contract on the finished standardised % rather than the raw seed
- Cold-pressed seed oil is linoleic-acid-dominant with tocopherols; specify peroxide value and cool, dark, inert-headspace storage
- Pesticide-residue + heavy-metal panel per EU Reg. 2023/915; EU-Organic operator/control-body ID on the COA
- Microbiological panel per EU Reg. 2073/2005; powdered and tea grades may be steam-treated — confirm the method
Sample request: 100–500 g per format, dispatched within 5–7 working days against a signed non-disclosure note. Larger evaluation lots available against partial freight cost recovery during the pre-launch phase.
Related buyer-intent pages
Frequently asked questions
Where can I source organic milk thistle seed and extract in the EU?+
TANDOR is a Romania-based sourcing intermediary supplying EU-Organic Silybum marianum — cleaned seed, seed powder, herb cut, cold-pressed seed oil, and silymarin-standardised extract — from Eastern-European and Mediterranean origins, with a Certificate of Analysis per batch.
What does '80% silymarin' actually mean — and is it reliable?+
It's the standardised silymarin content of the extract. The catch is the assay method: UV spectrophotometry typically reads higher than HPLC on the same material, so two '80%' extracts can genuinely differ. Specify the method (HPLC preferred) and ask for the silybin A+B share, not just the total — that is the defensible spec.
Should I buy seed or extract?+
Buy seed (or seed powder) if you formulate whole-herb capsules, teas, or press your own oil — there the grade is cleanliness and integrity. Buy standardised extract if your label makes a silymarin claim — there you contract on the assayed % and HPLC profile, not the raw-seed origin.
Why does EU origin matter when China supplies most extract?+
China is the dominant volume origin for silymarin extract; EU-origin (Eastern-European / Mediterranean) seed and extract give shorter, traceable supply chains and EU-Organic certification, which matters for clean-label and EU-residue compliance. Many buyers pair EU-origin seed traceability with the standardised assay.
What about milk-thistle seed oil?+
Cold-pressed Silybum seed oil is linoleic-acid-dominant with tocopherols, used in cosmetics and nutrition. Specify peroxide value, extraction method (cold-pressed vs refined), and inert/dark storage — like other high-linoleic oils, it oxidises and needs protective packaging.
TANDOR Intelligence — free monthly briefing
EU organic botanical sourcing — price moves, supply-side risk, adversarial-verified spec ranges. What Mintec / Tridge / Expana paywall behind $5K-25K subscriptions.
- H2 2026 price bands per origin (7 pillar)
- Harvest window updates + supply-chain shifts
- EU regulatory + EMA/Ph. Eur. monograph changes