Coenzyme Q10 is one of the raw materials buyers most often ask for by a single word, and one where that single word tells the supplier least. “CoQ10” can mean an oxidised crystalline powder, a reduced material sold as ubiquinol, a diluted water-dispersible powder or an oil suspension ready for softgel filling. Each one has its own content figure, its own test method and its own storage condition, and quotations for different forms cannot be compared.
This guide is for supplement and food manufacturers, softgel and capsule fillers, OEM factories and brands that buy coenzyme Q10 as a raw material for their own production. It covers how to choose the form, which standard the content is tested against, how to store and ship the material, and which documents to expect with each lot. If you would rather have the finished product made in Japan, our CoQ10 supplement OEM guide covers that route.
Health supplements are foods, not medicines, and are not a substitute for medical treatment. This article is about the raw material and its paperwork; it makes no claim about what coenzyme Q10 does in the body.
💬 Buying coenzyme Q10 or ubiquinol for your own production? We source it by form and specification and send the specification, CoA and SDS before you order. See ingredients and packaging supply.
Choose the form before anything else
Decide whether you need the oxidised form, the reduced form (ubiquinol), a diluted or dispersible powder, or an oil suspension, because each is a separate product with its own specification and handling.
Coenzyme Q10 exists in two chemical states. The oxidised form is the one named “ubidecarenone” in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia and often called ubiquinone. The reduced form is sold as ubiquinol. On top of the chemical state, suppliers offer different physical forms for different production lines.
| Form offered | Where it is usually used | What to check on the specification |
|---|---|---|
| Oxidised form, crystalline powder | Softgel fill after dispersion in oil, hard capsules, tablets | Content on the anhydrous basis, test method, particle size if you need it |
| Reduced form (ubiquinol), powder or crystals | Softgels and capsules where the brand specifies ubiquinol | Content of the reduced form, limit for the oxidised form, packing atmosphere |
| Diluted or water-dispersible powder | Drinks, powders, tablets, gummies | Coenzyme Q10 content of the powder, carrier materials and their source, dispersion behaviour |
| Oil suspension or premix | Direct softgel filling | Content per gram, carrier oil and its source, antioxidant if added |
The form also decides what goes on your label and in your allergen file. A diluted powder or an oil premix contains carriers that are ingredients in their own right. Ask for the full composition, not only the coenzyme Q10 figure, and check each carrier against the allergen list of the country where you sell.
Which standard the content is tested against
For the oxidised form, the Japanese Pharmacopoeia monograph for ubidecarenone gives a public reference for content, identity, impurities and storage; for ubiquinol and for diluted grades, the specification must state the supplier’s method behind every figure.
The Japanese Pharmacopoeia, 19th edition, published by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, includes a monograph for ubidecarenone. It is the clearest public reference for what an oxidised coenzyme Q10 raw material should look like on paper.
| Item in the ubidecarenone monograph (JP19) | What it sets |
|---|---|
| Content | Not less than 98.0% ubidecarenone, calculated on the anhydrous basis |
| Description | Yellow to orange crystalline powder; gradually decomposes in light and the colour deepens; melting point about 48°C |
| Identification | A colour reaction test and Infrared Spectrophotometry ⟨2.25⟩ compared with the reference spectrum or reference standard |
| Related substances | Liquid Chromatography ⟨2.01⟩; total area of other peaks not larger than the main peak of the standard solution |
| Water | Water Determination ⟨2.48⟩ (Karl Fischer, volumetric titration), not more than 0.20% |
| Residue on ignition | Residue on Ignition Test ⟨2.44⟩, not more than 0.1% |
| Assay | Liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection at 275 nm |
| Storage | Preserve in a tight container, protected from light |
Three practical points follow from this:
- Ask whether the specification refers to the monograph, and which edition. A supplier that tests “to JP” should name the edition; the 19th edition is the current one. If the specification uses its own method instead, ask for the method summary.
- The monograph covers the oxidised form only. We found no monograph for ubiquinol in the 19th edition. A ubiquinol specification is therefore the supplier’s own, and the two lines to read most carefully are the content of the reduced form and the limit for the oxidised form, together with the method used for each.
- Diluted grades report a different figure. A dispersible powder is not tested as pure coenzyme Q10. The specification should state the coenzyme Q10 content of the powder and the method, so your formulation calculation starts from the right number.
Our certificate of analysis guide explains how to check each line of a CoA against the specification.
Storage and shipping
Protect coenzyme Q10 from light in a tight container, and for ubiquinol also follow the supplier’s packing atmosphere and temperature instructions from the factory to your production room.
The monograph’s storage line is simple: tight container, protected from light. In practice that means a light-blocking inner bag or container, sealed until use, inside a drum or carton. Ubiquinol is the reduced form and can oxidise when it is exposed to air, so it is often packed under inert gas or with oxygen protection; check the packing atmosphere and storage temperature on the specification.
| Question to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| What is the storage condition on the specification? | It decides the shipping mode and how the material is held at the port and in your warehouse |
| Is the inner bag light-blocking and gas-tight? | Light and air exposure begin when the bag is damaged or opened |
| Is the material packed under inert gas? | Once opened, the protection is gone; plan pack size around batch size |
| How should a partly used pack be resealed? | Some suppliers give resealing instructions; others recommend using the whole pack |
| Is temperature-controlled transport needed? | If yes, the forwarder and the customs broker must keep the chain at the port as well |
💬 Not sure whether you need the oxidised form or ubiquinol for your line? Send us your formula sheet and the country of use, and we will come back with matching specifications. Ask about coenzyme Q10.
Documents to expect with each lot
Each lot comes with the specification, a certificate of analysis for that lot, a safety data sheet, and allergen and origin information; for ubiquinol and diluted grades, the composition statement matters as much as the CoA.
| Document | For coenzyme Q10, check especially |
|---|---|
| Specification | Chemical state (oxidised or reduced), physical form, content and basis, standard and edition or method |
| Certificate of analysis | Lot number, content result, oxidised-form result for ubiquinol, water, date of manufacture and expiry or retest date |
| Safety data sheet | Composition matches the grade ordered, storage and handling sections |
| Composition and allergen statement | Every carrier, oil and antioxidant in a diluted grade or premix, answered against your country’s allergen list |
| Origin information | Country where the material was produced and where it was last processed |
| Other certificates if your market asks | Halal, kosher or non-GMO statements naming the product and valid on the shipment date |
The general rules for raw material documents, samples and shelf life on arrival are set out in our guide to buying Japanese raw materials in bulk. The same logic applies here: test a sample against the agreed specification first, and agree in writing how much shelf life must remain when the goods arrive.
How coenzyme Q10 is treated in different countries
Japan lists coenzyme Q10 among substances not judged to be medicines unless a medicinal effect is claimed; for every other market, the manufacturer confirms the current rule in the country of use.
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare keeps a list of substances that are not judged to be medicines as long as no medicinal effect is claimed. The version updated on 5 August 2026 lists coenzyme Q10, with “ubiquinone” given as another name. The list does not name ubiquinol as a separate entry, so a manufacturer using the reduced form for a product sold in Japan should confirm how it is treated before it relies on that entry.
That Japanese entry does not decide anything outside Japan. Whether coenzyme Q10 or ubiquinol may be used in a food or supplement, at what amount, and with which label wording, depends on the country where the product is made and sold. The manufacturer confirms the current rule in the country of use, and the importer handles clearance and any import notification. We supply the documents that confirmation and clearance depend on.
Wording is a separate matter again. A raw material specification states what the material is, not what it does. If you are designing the label of a finished product, the CoQ10 supplement OEM guide discusses wording.
Before you ask for a quotation
A supplier can quote quickly once the chemical state, the physical form, the content and standard, the quantity and the packing are fixed.
- Oxidised form or ubiquinol
- Physical form: crystalline powder, dispersible powder or oil premix
- Content and the basis it is expressed on
- Standard and edition, or the method you accept
- Carrier materials you can and cannot accept, with your allergen list
- Quantity per order and pack size per batch
- Storage and transport condition you can provide
- Country of use and any certificates your customer asks for
Price and lead time follow these choices. We do not quote either before the specification is agreed. If the same production run also needs hard capsule shells, see our guide to HPMC and other empty capsules. Other single-ingredient guides in this series cover NMN and phosphatidylserine.
💬 Ready to source coenzyme Q10? Tell us the form, content, quantity and country of use, and we will send suppliers’ specifications and arrange a sample. Send your request.
Frequently asked questions
1. What is the difference between ubidecarenone, ubiquinone and ubiquinol on a specification?
Ubidecarenone is the Japanese Pharmacopoeia name for coenzyme Q10 in its oxidised form, which is also called ubiquinone. Ubiquinol is the reduced form. They are separate raw materials with separate specifications, so state which one you need.
2. Is there a public standard for ubiquinol raw material?
The Japanese Pharmacopoeia, 19th edition, has a monograph for ubidecarenone, the oxidised form, but we found none for ubiquinol. A ubiquinol specification is the supplier’s own, so ask for the method behind the reduced-form content and the oxidised-form limit.
3. Can I buy coenzyme Q10 already dispersed in oil for softgel filling?
Yes, premixes and suspensions are offered for direct filling. Ask for the content per gram, the carrier oil and its source, any antioxidant added, and the allergen statement for the whole mix.
4. How should coenzyme Q10 be stored after it arrives?
Follow the storage condition on the specification. The Japanese Pharmacopoeia sets a tight container protected from light for ubidecarenone. Ubiquinol usually carries extra instructions on atmosphere and temperature from the supplier.
5. Can coenzyme Q10 raw material be used in foods in my country?
That depends on the country. Japan lists coenzyme Q10 among substances not judged to be medicines unless a medicinal effect is claimed, but that applies only in Japan. The manufacturer confirms the current rule in the country of use; we supply the specification, CoA, SDS and origin information the check relies on.
Checked on 25 October 2026. Sources: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, The Japanese Pharmacopoeia, 19th edition, official monographs, “Ubidecarenone” (mhlw.go.jp/content/11120000/001689418.pdf), and the Japanese Pharmacopoeia page listing the current edition (mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000066530.html); Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, list of substances not judged to be medicines unless medicinal effects are claimed, attachment 2, updated 5 August 2026 (mhlw.go.jp/content/001734639.pdf). Rules on using coenzyme Q10 in foods differ by country; the manufacturer confirms the current rule in the country of use.