About This Product
Pine pollen is the wind-borne pollen of pine trees, collected from the male cones. This is the broken-wall type, in which the tough outer pollen wall has been cracked, and it is a light yellow powder with 100% passing 80 mesh. Moisture is 1% max and ash 2% max, while heavy metals are limited to 5.0 ppm, lead to 1.0 ppm and mercury to 0.5 ppm. Cosmetic formulators use it as a botanical powder in creams, lotions and face masks. Microbial limits are 10,000 cfu/g for total plate count and 1000 cfu/g for yeast and mould, with Salmonella negative in 25 g and Staphylococcus aureus negative. The pine species is not stated, and the INCI name of a botanical ingredient depends on it, so confirm the species before labelling. Several entries on the current specification need checking against a lot certificate of analysis, including the heavy-metals result and the assay. Food and food-supplement use is not offered here, because the novel-food status of pine pollen in the UK and EU has not been confirmed.
