Soy Isoflavones & Equol
大豆イソフラボン・エクオール (Daizu Isoflavone / Equol)
Por qué hacer sourcing en Japón
Sourced from Nationwide (Otsuka Pharmaceutical Tokushima facility) with year-round Japanese supply, consistent quality, and traceability to the prefecture of origin.
Spec clave
Glycine max (soybean); Lactococcus 20-92 (for Equol fermentation) source; FFC notification(s) on file; MOQ from 1 kg (concentrate) – 100 kg (lower-concentration grades).
Producto final típico
Femcare / yuragi-ki menopause-transition supplement (tablet, soft-gel, or jelly) — Midlife women's wellness; for S-equol products, positioning around 'directly delivers the bioactive metabolite regardless of gut microbiota' (per the EQUELLE® precedent).
Resumen
- Proveedores listados
- 5 proveedores
- MOQ típico
- 1 kg (concentrado) – 100 kg (grados de menor concentración)
- Regiones de origen
- Nationwide (Otsuka Pharmaceutical Tokushima facility)
- Categoría
- Ingredientes alimentarios
- Estado regulatorio en Japón
- Aceptado por FFC para 'mantenimiento óseo'; aprobaciones Tokuho para productos heredados
- Nombre japonés
- 大豆イソフラボン・エクオール
- Romaji
- Daizu Isoflavone / Equol
Sobre este ingrediente
Isoflavonas de soja (formas aglicona y glicósido) y S-Equol producido por fermentación con Lactococcus 20-92. 'Equelle' (2014), de Otsuka Pharmaceutical, fue el primer suplemento comercial de Equol de soja fermentada del mundo. Solo cerca del 50 % de las mujeres japonesas (aprox. el 30 % de las occidentales) producen Equol de forma natural a partir de la soja de la dieta.
Estado regulatorio
| Japón | Aceptado por FFC para 'mantenimiento óseo'; aprobaciones Tokuho para productos heredados |
|---|---|
| Unión Europea | El marco Novel Food aplica para isoflavonas aisladas |
| Estados Unidos | Suplemento dietético DSHEA; declaraciones notificadas a la FDA disponibles |
Preguntas frecuentes para compradores OEM
Q. What MOQs and lead times are typical for Japanese soy isoflavone and S-equol ingredients?
Sourcing reality varies sharply by ingredient form. Standardised aglycone-form soy isoflavone powders (e.g., koji-fermented preparations) are typically available in 1–10 kg trial lots and 50–500 kg commercial lots with 4–10 week lead times. Fermented S-equol concentrate is a much narrower market: Otsuka's EQUELLE® is the dominant commercial source in Japan and is sold as a finished consumer product, not as a bulk ingredient. Brands seeking S-equol as a bulk ingredient must work with the limited set of S-equol producers globally and should expect long lead times and IP-related restrictions on positioning.
Fuentes · Última revisión: 2026-04-26
Conocimiento del sector — aún no anclado en una única fuente primaria
Q. What documentation should we expect from a soy isoflavone ingredient supplier?
Standard documentation includes: (1) per-lot CoA reporting individual isoflavone composition (daidzein, genistein, glycitein and their glycoside forms) by HPLC, total isoflavone content as aglycone-equivalent, residual solvents, heavy metals, microbiology, and allergen status (soy is a Codex-recognised major allergen and must be declared); (2) GMO status declaration — Identity-Preserved (IP) non-GMO soy is the norm for premium positioning, with supporting traceability paperwork; (3) for fermented preparations, the fermentation organism declaration and a process flow sufficient to confirm the absence of live bacteria in the finished material; (4) for S-equol products, a chiral purity statement (S- vs R-/racemic) since only S-equol is the biologically active form produced by gut bacteria.
Q. Are non-GMO, kosher, halal, and organic options available for Japanese soy isoflavones?
Identity-Preserved (IP) non-GMO soy is the standard input for export-oriented Japanese soy isoflavone production; many Japanese suppliers source IP non-GMO soybeans from certified North American or domestic supply chains. Kosher and halal certifications are commonly available because the production process is plant-based with no animal-derived inputs, but should be confirmed per supplier and per ingredient grade. Organic-certified soy isoflavone powders exist but are rarer and command a premium — verify the certifying body (JAS / EU / USDA NOP) and confirm whether the certification covers the soy alone or the full extraction process.
Fuentes · Última revisión: 2026-04-26
Conocimiento del sector — aún no anclado en una única fuente primaria
Q. What contract considerations are unique to soy isoflavones and S-equol?
Three areas warrant explicit contract treatment: (1) IP and trademark scope — EQUELLE®, Equelle®, ゆらぎ期®, Fuji-Flavone, AglyMax and similar marks are registered to specific companies and cannot be used by buyers without licensing; spell out in the supply agreement whether the supplier permits any reference to the upstream brand; (2) regulatory positioning — fix in writing which market(s) the buyer intends to sell into and confirm the supplier's documentation is sufficient for that market (EU Novel Food considerations, US DSHEA structure-function claim limits, China NMPA health-food filing, Korea MFDS health-functional-food review); (3) for FFC-eligible positioning in Japan, clarify whether the supplier provides systematic-review-ready clinical data or whether the buyer must build its own dossier.
Fuentes · Última revisión: 2026-04-26
Q. What price-sensitivity factors drive soy isoflavone and S-equol pricing?
Per-kilo pricing is driven primarily by (1) form — direct fermented S-equol carries a multiple-order-of-magnitude premium over standardised soy isoflavone aglycone powder, which in turn carries a premium over crude soy extract; (2) standardisation — guaranteed minimum aglycone-equivalent content (e.g., 40% vs 10%) significantly affects unit price; (3) IP status — patented or branded ingredients (e.g., AglyMax®) may carry licensing components in the price; (4) raw-soy commodity pricing and IP non-GMO supply availability. Fluctuations in the global non-GMO soy market and any disruption in Japanese fermentation capacity can both move prices.
Fuentes · Última revisión: 2026-04-26
Conocimiento del sector — aún no anclado en una única fuente primaria
Casos de uso
Femcare / yuragi-ki menopause-transition supplement (tablet, soft-gel, or jelly)
- Posicionamiento
- Midlife women's wellness; for S-equol products, positioning around 'directly delivers the bioactive metabolite regardless of gut microbiota' (per the EQUELLE® precedent)
- Nivel de uso típico
- Aglycone-form soy isoflavones: per-serving dose designed to keep supplement contribution within Japan's 30 mg/day aglycone-equivalent guidance. S-equol: typical reference per EQUELLE® product literature (10 mg S-equol per daily serving as a precedent dose).
- Notas de formulación
- For Japanese-market positioning, aligning per-serving dose to the Food Safety Commission supplement-intake guidance is critical. For FFC notification, the dose, isoflavone form, and study population must mirror the underlying clinical evidence cited in the dossier. S-equol should be specified as the S-enantiomer; R- or racemic equol is not the biologically active form.
Bone-maintenance functional supplement (FFC-positioned in Japan; structure-function claims in US)
- Posicionamiento
- Postmenopausal bone metabolism support, leveraging the legacy Tokuho precedent and current FFC notifications for soy isoflavone bone endpoints
- Nivel de uso típico
- Per-serving aglycone-equivalent dose set per the FFC dossier; formulators commonly co-formulate with calcium and vitamin D
- Notas de formulación
- Bone-related claims in Japan must align with either an existing Tokuho approval or a self-filed FFC notification. In the US, claims must remain in DSHEA structure-function territory; specific disease (osteoporosis prevention) claims are not permitted without an FDA-authorised health claim. Co-formulation with calcium and vitamin D is conventional.
Beauty drink / collagen-isoflavone jelly (Japan domestic)
- Posicionamiento
- 'Inner beauty' / skin-quality positioning, often paired with collagen peptide, placenta extract, or hyaluronic acid
- Nivel de uso típico
- Aglycone-equivalent dose constrained by Japanese supplement-intake guidance; isoflavone serves as the headline functional ingredient with co-actives delivering complementary positioning
- Notas de formulación
- Soy isoflavone is moderately heat-stable but should be added after the high-temperature dissolving step where possible. Match the chosen isoflavone form (aglycone vs glycoside) to the target absorption kinetics and to any FFC evidence the SKU intends to lean on.
S-equol-direct supplement for non-equol-producing markets (e.g., Western women)
- Posicionamiento
- Bypasses the gut-microbiota requirement that limits equol exposure to roughly 20–35% of Western adults
- Nivel de uso típico
- Reference precedent: 10 mg S-equol per daily serving (per EQUELLE® product literature)
- Notas de formulación
- Critical to specify the S-enantiomer rather than racemic equol. Brands launching outside Japan must clear country-specific regulatory paths: in the US, DSHEA structure-function claims; in the EU, isolated S-equol may engage Novel Food considerations and should be cleared with regulatory counsel before launch. Avoid implied therapeutic claims for menopausal symptoms; keep claim language to wellness / quality-of-life territory unless supported by an authorised claim.
Proveedores japoneses
Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
大塚製薬株式会社
Compañía farmacéutica global. Descubrió la primera bacteria ácido láctica productora de Equol de grado alimentario del mundo, la 'Lactococcus 20-92', tras más de 18 años de investigación y la selección de más de 1.300 cepas. Lanzó 'Equelle' (EQUELLE) en 2014 como el primer suplemento comercial de Equol a base de soja fermentada del mundo. 'Yuragi-ki®' (ゆらぎ期®) es la marca registrada de Otsuka para la comercialización dirigida a la etapa de la menopausia. Línea de productos: comprimidos Equelle (10mg de Equol en 4 comprimidos diarios), Equelle Petit (formato compacto de 2 comprimidos diarios) y Equelle Jelly (sabor naranja, con vitamina D, colágeno y calcio).
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Fujicco Co., Ltd.
フジッコ株式会社
Fabricante de alimentos funcionales y algas marinas con sede en Kobe (fundada en 1960). La serie Fuji-Flavone® (P10, P40, K25) ofrece productos de isoflavonas de soja con un histórico de aprobaciones Tokuho. Pionera en la investigación japonesa sobre isoflavonas. Cotiza en la Bolsa de Valores de Tokio.
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Bioactives Japan K.K.
バイオアクティブズジャパン株式会社
Proveedor de materias primas para alimentos funcionales. AglyMax®, isoflavona de soja rica en agliconas, se produce en la planta de la India (política libre de irradiación). Dirigido a fabricantes de suplementos en Asia y Norteamérica.
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Nichimo Biotics Co., Ltd.
ニチモウバイオティクス株式会社
Filial de ventas de alimentos funcionales de Nichimo Corporation. Distribuye AglyMax®, isoflavona de soja aglicona, para el mercado japonés.
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Saticine Pharmacy Co., Ltd.
株式会社サティス製薬
Fabricante de I+D y OEM de materias primas cosméticas con foco en ingredientes vegetales japoneses y un posicionamiento ético y de upcycling. Pionera en dos ingredientes únicos en el mundo: (1) 'Plant Human-Type Ceramide' obtenida de la piel de la castaña japonesa — la primera ceramida de tipo humano de origen vegetal (categoría Ceramide AP) con estructura de cadena súper larga, 2,5× más retención de agua frente a los competidores comerciales, patentada en abril de 2020; (2) 'Onsen-Activated Isoflavone' procedente de brotes de soja de onsen invernal de Yonezawa (Yamagata) — penetración cutánea 11× y 66× superior respecto al extracto de soja estándar.
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