Purple ube powder in a white bowl next to a halved purple yam

Ube powder wholesale: colour, composition and EU rules for bulk buyers

Short answer: ube powder is a purple powder made from ube, the purple yam (Dioscorea alata), and it is bought in bulk mainly for its colour and its mild, sweet taste in bakery, desserts, ice cream and drinks. In the EU, powder from ube tubers is listed as not novel in food. GOA Supply sells organic ube powder in 10, 50 and 100 kg for wholesale and private label; ask for the specification to confirm the exact composition before you design your label.

What is ube?

Ube is the Filipino name for the purple yam, Dioscorea alata, a climbing plant of the yam family (Dioscoreaceae) that is grown for its starchy tubers. The flesh of the tuber is deep purple. Ube is a classic ingredient in Filipino desserts, and its colour has made it popular in cafés, bakeries and ice cream parlours far beyond the Philippines.

Ube is often confused with purple sweet potato, but they are different plants: sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) belongs to the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae). Both appear in the EU Novel Food Catalogue as separate entries.

Organic ube powder at GOA Supply

Item Organic ube powder
Product Powder from ube, the purple yam (Dioscorea alata)
Colour and taste Vivid purple; mild, sweet, slightly nutty
Characteristics Organic, vegan
Full composition See the product specification, available on request
Order quantities 10, 50 or 100 kg; smaller quantities on request
Documents Specification, organic certificate and certificate of analysis (CoA) on request
Typical business use Cakes, breads and pastries, ice cream and desserts, ube lattes and other drinks, retail repacking

Prices per tier are on the organic ube powder product page.

What to check when you buy ube powder in bulk

Composition

Ube powders on the market are sold both as powder from ube alone and as blends of ube with purple sweet potato; the EU Novel Food Catalogue even lists an 80:20 ube and purple sweet potato powder blend. The composition decides your ingredient list, so always ask for the specification of the exact product and batch you buy, and base your label on that document.

Colour in your recipe

The purple colour of ube comes from anthocyanins, natural pigments that react to pH. In acidic recipes the colour tends towards red-purple, and in alkaline doughs, for example with baking soda, it can turn blue or greenish. Heat and long storage can also fade the colour. Test the powder in your own recipe and baking conditions before you scale up.

Taste and dosage

Ube has a mild, sweet and slightly nutty taste. Bakeries and ice cream makers often combine the powder with other flavours, so test the dosage you need for the colour and taste you want and calculate your cost per batch from that.

Storage and documents

Like other starchy vegetable powders, ube powder absorbs moisture and can clump. Store it closed, cool, dry and dark. Ask for the CoA per batch, with moisture, microbiology and contaminants, and for the organic certificate if you sell an organic product.

EU rules for ube powder

Novel food status: following a consultation under Article 4 of Regulation (EU) 2015/2283, the EU Novel Food Catalogue lists the tubers of Dioscorea alata and powder from ube tubers as not novel in food. In separate consultations, a concentrated ube and purple sweet potato paste (70:30) and an ube and purple sweet potato powder blend (80:20) were also concluded to be not novel.

France: if you use ube in a food supplement and declare it on Compl'Alim, note that the Compl'Alim database lists Dioscorea alata L. as authorised (tuber), with the comment that the absence of alkaloids must be verified. Ask your supplier for the relevant analysis before you declare such a product.

Labelling: most ube products are ordinary foods such as cakes, ice cream or drinks. Your label follows Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, with the ingredient list based on the specification of the powder you use.

Private label ube powder

For private label, we supply organic ube powder in bulk for your own packaging and label, for example retail packs of ube powder for home baking, latte or dessert mixes, or ingredients for your own bakery or ice cream line. As the brand owner you arrange the label, every claim under Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 and, if you sell organic, the organic logo and control body code under Regulation (EU) 2018/848.

Ordering ube powder wholesale

  • Standard quantities: 10, 50 or 100 kg; smaller quantities on request.
  • Prices exclude VAT and shipping; we can arrange transport.
  • Orders are usually shipped within 1 to 2 weeks.
  • Specification, organic certificate and CoA on request.

Ube powder is part of our superfoods and natural powders. Working with colour powders? Read our guide to acai powder in bulk. For quotes, see the wholesale page or the private label page.

FAQ about ube powder in bulk

Is ube the same as purple sweet potato?
No. Ube is the purple yam (Dioscorea alata, yam family); purple sweet potato is Ipomoea batatas (morning glory family). Some products on the market blend the two, so check the specification.

Is ube powder a novel food in the EU?
No. The EU Novel Food Catalogue lists powder from the tubers of Dioscorea alata as not novel in food.

Why does ube turn blue or green in baking?
Its anthocyanin pigments change colour with pH. Alkaline ingredients such as baking soda can shift purple towards blue or green; acidic recipes keep it more red-purple.

Can I sell ube powder under my own brand?
Yes. We supply organic ube powder in bulk for your own packaging and label. You are responsible for the label, which you base on the product specification.

What is the minimum order for ube powder?
The standard quantities are 10, 50 and 100 kg. Smaller quantities are possible on request.

Sources

Written by Florian Fermin, co-owner of GOA Supply.

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