Botanical specifications
- Botanical name: Moringa oleifera
- Plant family: Moringaceae
- Plant part used: Leaf (shade-dried, food-grade)
- Origin: Tamale corridor, Northern Ghana, and southern Benin. Country of origin stated per lot on the certificate of analysis.
- Certification status: Not certified organic. Grown on smallholder agroforestry plots; cultivation and drying practices documented per lot on request.
Ingredient pillar · West Africa
Moringa leaf powder, shade-dried for nutrient retention
Bright forest-green powder, fine grind, food-grade by spec. Leaves harvested young, shade-dried at <40°C, milled and sieved to 80 mesh. Lab-tested per batch for heavy metals and microbial load.
Botanical
Moringa oleifera
Origin
Ghana & Benin
Form
Powder, 80 mesh
Drying
Shade, <40°C, 48 to 72 h
MoQ wholesale
From 5 kg with CoA
What moringa is
Moringa oleifera is a fast-growing drought-tolerant tree native to the foothills of the Himalayas, now grown across the tropics. In West Africa it is sometimes called the “never-die tree” because it thrives on poor soil and minimal rainfall. The young leaves are the most nutrient-dense part, eaten fresh in stews, dried into powder for storage, sold by women’s collectives as a cash crop that fits between staple harvests.
How to use moringa powder
- Smoothies and shakes, 1 tsp per serving. The flavour is grassy, slightly peppery; bananas, mango, pineapple, cocoa balance it well.
- Soups and stews, stir 1 to 2 tsp in at the end of cooking, after heat has come down. Heat above 60°C breaks down the most heat-sensitive compounds.
- Hair and scalp masks, mix 2 tbsp with warm water and a tbsp of oil into a paste, apply to scalp, leave 20 min, rinse. Used in West African hair traditions.
- Capsules, for plain dosing, 0.5 to 1 g per capsule. Many of our wholesale buyers use it as a single-ingredient supplement.
What’s actually in it
Per 10 g serving (typical of shade-dried West African leaf):
- Protein: 2.7 to 3.0 g (complete amino acid profile)
- Iron: 2.8 mg
- Calcium: 200 mg
- Vitamin A (β-carotene equivalents): 1.6 mg
- Vitamin C: 17 mg (when shade-dried; sun-drying drops this substantially)
- Polyphenols and flavonoids, quercetin, kaempferol, chlorogenic acid
These are typical values, not a guarantee. The per-batch CoA gives the actual numbers for the lot you receive. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Shade-dried vs sun-dried, why it matters
| Marker | Shade-dried (this) | Sun-dried (commodity) |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Bright forest green | Olive to brown-green |
| Vitamin C retention | High | Substantially reduced |
| Chlorophyll | Largely intact | Photo-degraded |
| Cost to produce | Higher, 2 to 3 times the drying time | Lower |
Where it comes from
Cooperative profile
Tamale Moringa Growers Association
Farmer groups across the Northern Region of Ghana, around Tamale and Savelugu, whose grower-members run small plots between staple crops. The association operates a covered drying hall, which is what makes the shade-drying spec possible. We pay above the regional gate price and pre-finance part of the season.
How we know each batch is clean
- Heavy metals, lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury panel each batch.
- Microbial, total plate count, yeast and mould, salmonella, E. coli, food-grade pass.
- Pesticide residues, available on request. The cooperative grows without synthetic inputs, and we do not hold organic certification for it.
- Moisture, <8% so the powder stays free-flowing and shelf-stable.
- Per-batch CoA with every wholesale shipment of 5 kg or more. Laboratory name and accreditation scope disclosed in your quote.
Three uses
1. Mango-moringa smoothie
1 cup mango, 1 banana, 1 cup oat milk, 1 tsp moringa, juice of half a lime, ice. Blend. The lime brightens the grassy note.
2. Pesto swap
Replace half the basil in your pesto with 2 tsp moringa. Keeps the colour vibrant and adds a peppery depth. Stir into pasta off the heat.
3. Scalp paste (West African tradition)
2 tbsp moringa + 1 tbsp warm water + 1 tbsp shea butter, stirred to a paste. Massage into scalp, leave 20 min under a shower cap, rinse. Once a week.
Shop moringa
Frequently asked
Is the bright green colour artificial?
No. Forest green is what fresh leaf looks like when it is shade-dried below 40°C: chlorophyll is preserved. Brown or olive powder has been sun-dried or heat-dried, still safe, but with most vitamin C and chlorophyll lost.
How much should I use?
Most people use about 1 tsp (roughly 3 g) a day in food or drinks and find that is plenty. Moringa is a food, not a medicine, and we do not recommend dosing it as one. If you are considering it for a specific health reason, talk to a qualified healthcare professional.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding?
We are not a medical authority and we do not give health advice. What we can tell you factually: we supply leaf powder only, not root or seed, and traditional West African use of the root and seed is avoided during pregnancy. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, speak to your healthcare provider before adding any new ingredient to your diet.
Are your ingredients certified organic?
No. Neither we nor the Tamale association hold organic certification, and we will not describe the powder as organic. What we document instead is the cooperative, the origin country of your lot, the harvest window and the drying method.
Why not capsules instead of powder?
Powder is more versatile and considerably cheaper per gram. Many of our wholesale customers buy bulk powder and encapsulate in-house. Private-label capsules can be arranged on repeat orders above 200 kg.