Ginseng

Food-ginseng trade begins with scientific species, root material, processing route and product form—not a generic botanical label. Codex CXS 321-2015 covers food products prepared from commercially cultivated Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer or P. quinquefolius L. roots and distinguishes dried ginseng, dried steamed ginseng, liquid ginseng extract, powdered ginseng extract, liquid steamed-ginseng extract and powdered steamed-ginseng extract. A usable offer identifies species, main or lateral root basis, whole, sliced or powdered style, drying or steaming history, extraction solvent and concentration where relevant, moisture or solids, ash, water-insoluble solids, water-saturated n-butanol extract, Rb1 and applicable Rf identification, flavour, colour, taste, foreign matter, insect or mould damage, food rather than medicinal scope, crop and processing dates, origin, lot, package and net weight, quantity, currency, Incoterm, destination, delivery window and information vintage.

Editorial evidence reviewedReviewed 2026-09-11Release 2026-09-19-batch-230

Market value

$2.8B

Producing countries tracked

4

Grading systems

1

Active supply risks

3

Trade corridors

3

Latest reviewed evidence

The figures below are current requirements from the FAO/WHO Codex Standard for Ginseng Products, CXS 321-2015, amended in 2022. The standard applies to specified ginseng products used as food or food ingredients and excludes medicinal products. It establishes identity and quality boundaries; it does not establish current lot availability, therapeutic effect, a physical offer or a live delivered ginseng price.

Dried ginseng moisture maximum

14

percent by mass · CXS 321-2015, amended 2022

Powdered dried ginseng moisture maximum

9

percent by mass · CXS 321-2015, amended 2022

Dried ginseng ash maximum

6

percent by mass · CXS 321-2015, amended 2022

Dried ginseng water-saturated n-butanol extract minimum

20

milligrams per gram · CXS 321-2015, amended 2022

Liquid ginseng extract solids minimum

60

percent by mass · CXS 321-2015, amended 2022

Powdered ginseng extract moisture maximum

8

percent by mass · CXS 321-2015, amended 2022

Species, food scope and product form come before comparison

CXS 321-2015 covers food and food-ingredient products made from Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer or P. quinquefolius L. roots and explicitly excludes medicinal products. It separates dried root from dried steamed root and each from liquid or powdered extracts. Whole main roots, lateral roots, slices and powders also remain distinct. Atlas therefore keeps scientific species, food-use scope, root part, drying or steaming route, extract form and label style attached before comparing composition, price or trade evidence.

Dried root and extract forms use different quality limits

The standard caps dried-root moisture at 14 percent and powdered dried-root moisture at 9 percent, with ash capped at 6 percent and water-saturated n-butanol extract at a 20 milligram-per-gram minimum. Liquid extract requires at least 60 percent solids and no more than 3 percent water-insoluble solids; powdered extract has an 8 percent moisture maximum and the same 3 percent water-insoluble-solids maximum. Atlas retains product form, sample, method, unit and evidence date with every result.

Ginsenoside identity is qualitative, not a therapeutic claim

CXS 321-2015 requires qualitative detection of ginsenoside Rb1 for covered products and also Rf for products made from P. ginseng C.A. Meyer. The standard provides TLC or HPLC identification methods. Those identity observations help distinguish species and product conformity; they do not establish a dose, efficacy, safety for an individual or medicinal benefit. Atlas keeps analytical identity separate from health or therapeutic claims.

A food standard is not a delivered physical price

Codex requirements establish covered species, food-product forms and quality limits, not current availability or price. A delivered ginseng price still requires species, root part and style, drying, steaming or extraction route, composition and identity results, defect condition, origin and crop, lot quantity, package, currency, Incoterm, destination, delivery window, freight and information vintage. Atlas keeps any physical-price output unsupported when those fields or permitted current observations are missing.

Questions procurement teams ask

Are dried ginseng root and ginseng extract interchangeable?

No. Codex defines separate dried, steamed, liquid-extract and powdered-extract products with different composition limits and processing evidence.

Which species are covered by the Codex food-ginseng standard?

CXS 321-2015 covers food products made from commercially cultivated Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer or Panax quinquefolius L. roots. Scientific species must remain attached to the lot.

Does detecting ginsenoside Rb1 prove a health benefit?

No. Rb1 and, where applicable, Rf are qualitative identity requirements in the food-product standard. They do not prove efficacy, dosage, individual safety or a medicinal outcome.

Which fields make physical ginseng offers comparable?

Scientific species, food-use scope, main or lateral root, whole, sliced or powdered style, drying, steaming or extraction process, extract form, moisture or solids, ash, insoluble solids, n-butanol extract, Rb1 and applicable Rf identity, sensory and defect condition, crop, origin, lot, package, quantity, currency, Incoterm, destination, delivery window and evidence date.

Sources and provenance

Figures retain their source, period and review date. Corroboration is not promoted to primary evidence.

Standard for Ginseng Products — CXS 321-2015

FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius · Primary current international food-ginseng species, product-form, composition, quality, labeling and analysis standard, amended 2022 · accessed 2026-09-11

General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food and Feed — CXS 193-1995

FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius · Primary international contaminants and toxins standard referenced by the ginseng-products standard · accessed 2026-09-11

General Principles of Food Hygiene — CXC 1-1969

FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius · Primary international hygiene code referenced by the ginseng-products standard · accessed 2026-09-11

Grading systems

National and regional grading frameworks defining tradeable quality.

Country-level production, share of global output, exporter/importer status.

Active and seasonal supply-side risks — weather, disease, geopolitical, regulatory.

Required export and import documents per origin-destination corridor.