As global leaders in all things fruit ingredients, our vast network of partners and suppliers allows us to source a huge selection of fruits in nearly every format. Looking for something specific? We can help.

Elderberry

Our customers use elderberry because of its strong association with immune health, high antioxidant content, and functional versatility. Elderberries are rich in compounds like anthocyanins and vitamin C, which allows manufacturers to market products with wellness and immunity-support claims. They have a naturally tart flavor that works well in syrups, juices, supplements, and functional beverages. Elderberry is commonly processed into extracts, concentrates, and powders, which improve shelf life and enable consistent dosing in large-scale production. Additionally, its deep purple color enhances visual appeal and can serve as a natural coloring agent, making it valuable for both health-focused and premium food and beverage products.

Brothers International is proud to offer various fruit juices and concentrates as USDA Organic certified.

Elderberry can be supplied as organic upon request

Available From

Our Elderberry is sourced from the earth's prime growing regions.

Available As

• Elderberry NFC Juice
• Elderberry Juice Concentrate

Harvest Seasons

Elderberry grows in the Southern hemisphere from January to March, and in the Northern hemisphere from July to September.

Request a Sample of Elderberry
Botanical: Sumbucas S. Nigra

Nature’s Antiviral Powerhouse

Elderberries are small, dark purple to black berries that grow in clusters on shrubs of the Sambucus genus, commonly found in Europe and North America, and commonly processed into elderberry NFC juice and elderberry juice concentrate. The berries are typically harvested in late summer to early fall and have a naturally tart taste when raw. They grow on flowering plants that produce large, white blossoms before fruiting. Elderberries must be cooked before consumption, as raw berries and other parts of the plant can be toxic. They have been used for centuries in traditional practices and are often found growing wild as well as being cultivated.
The European black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) is a cold-hardy deciduous shrub native to Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia, recognized globally as a powerhouse botanical for immune health and wellness applications. Renowned for its extraordinarily dense anthocyanin profile (principally cyanidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-sambubioside) elderberry provides an intensely dark purple-black pigmentation, rich earthy aromatics, and a distinctly tart, astringent flavor profile.

In commercial fruit ingredient processing, variety selection, harvesting precision, and thermal processing define the bioactive retention, color intensity, and safety of the ingredient:

  • European Black Elderberry (Sambucus nigra – Commercial Benchmark): The gold standard for industrial juice extraction and nutraceutical formulations. Grown extensively across Central and Eastern Europe, Sambucus nigra delivers significantly higher total phenolic and anthocyanin concentrations compared to other species, making it the preferred choice for high-potency 65° Brix elderberry juice concentrate, immunity syrup bases, and dietary supplements.

  • American Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis): Native to eastern North America, offering a slightly sweeter, milder flavor profile with moderate acidity. While produced in smaller commercial quantities, American elderberry NFC juice is highly valued for regional craft beverages, specialty syrups, and artisan preserves.

Brothers International partners with origin processors who harvest elderberries at full dark-purple maturity. Because raw elderberries contain naturally occurring cyanogenic glycosides (primarily sambunigrin) in their seeds and stems, our processing partners utilize immediate mechanical de-stemming, gentle pressing, and precise thermal flash-pasteurization to completely deactivate these heat-sensitive compounds while preserving bioactive polyphenols.

Global Sourcing Through the Brothers International Network:
Securing a continuous, year-round supply of commercial elderberry ingredients requires an expansive agricultural reach across prime European growing belts. Elderberry crops are sensitive to spring frosts during flowering, drought conditions during fruit set, and heavy autumn rains during harvest. Brothers International bridges origin processors and North American manufacturers through our established international network of audited processing partners.

We source high-grade elderberry ingredients from leading global agricultural regions:

  • Central & Eastern Europe (Poland, Austria, Hungary, Germany & Ukraine): The undisputed global epicenter for commercial Sambucus nigra cultivation and processing. European processors operate state-of-the-art pressing, de-pectinization, and vacuum evaporation lines, yielding ultra-pure 65° Brix clarified elderberry juice concentrate and dark single-strength elderberry NFC juice.

  • North America (United States & Canada): Domestic agricultural hubs supplying specialty American elderberry NFC juices and USDA Organic certified batches for clean-label wellness brands.

By coordinating supply across multiple European processing hubs and domestic growers, Brothers International insulates your manufacturing operations against localized crop shortfalls, European weather anomalies, and supply chain bottlenecks.

Harvest Cycles & Continuous Supply Management:
In Northern Hemisphere growing zones, elderberries are harvested during a compressed late-summer window, typically running from late August through September. Because the small, soft berries deteriorate rapidly post-harvest, origin processors operate 24/7 during harvest, rapidly pressing the fruit into single-strength elderberry NFC juice or concentrating it into 65° Brix liquid formats before filling aseptic drums or bulk totes.

Managing this intensive seasonal harvest and coordinating trans-Atlantic cold-chain freight is a core competency of Brothers International. Our operations and logistics teams oversee multi-quarter inventory allocations, temperature-monitored maritime shipping, USDA/FDA import clearances, C-TPAT supply chain security, and strategic cold-storage warehousing across North America. Whether your line requires frozen pails of NFC juice for pilot runs or bulk totes of 65° Brix clarified juice concentrate for full-scale commercial manufacturing, our network guarantees ready inventory year-round.

Rigorous Quality Control, Traceability & Compliance:
Processing elderberry ingredients requires stringent quality monitoring to verify bioactive anthocyanin levels, confirm complete deactivation of cyanogenic glycosides, guarantee zero artificial dye adulteration, and maintain microbiological safety. Every supplier within the Brothers International network undergoes a comprehensive auditing process to guarantee complete supply chain traceability, sustainable farming practices, and strict compliance with USDA, FDA, and international food safety standards.

Through our network, we deliver elderberry ingredients backed by complete technical documentation and top-tier industry certifications, including GFSI benchmarks (BRC, SQF, FSSC 22000), USDA Organic (NOP), Kosher, Non-GMO, and Halal standards. Our quality assurance protocols include High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) testing for anthocyanin quantification, pesticide residue screening, heavy metal testing, microbial validation, titratable acidity, and Brix adherence.

The Brothers International

Quality Promise

Brothers International and its 4 divisions, Brothers Ingredients, Dennick Fruit Source, Hosh International and Food Partners, are trusted global importers of premium ingredients to major food and beverage manufacturers in North America. We deliver consistent quality and supply across every format the industry demands. Our Elderberry is sourced from the earth’s prime growing regions where farming expertise, climate and soil composition come together to produce Elderberry of exceptional caliber. All of our suppliers undergo a rigorous vetting process to ensure we work with only the highest-quality processors and can fully guarantee traceability, sustainability, and compliance with all international regulations.

Each of our divisions has a specialized operations team to manage shipments and coordinate with customers and suppliers. They work closely with our in-house customs team to ensure efficient clearance, and collaborate with the USDA and FDA to maintain full regulatory compliance. This ensures your ingredients move seamlessly through every stage of import, arriving on time and ready for production with complete confidence. With decades of sourcing expertise and a strong commitment to customer success, you can count on Brothers International to deliver the premium ingredients your products require.

Your elderberry NFC juice and elderberry juice concentrate supplier.
All the information you need to navigate the fruit ingredient buying process.

Industry Glossary

A Reference Guide for Fruit Ingredient Terminology

Check out our glossary for a consolidated reference of commonly used terminology across the global fruit ingredient industry. It provides straightforward definitions and context for the language and concepts referenced throughout the industry.

Elderberry NFC Juice and Juice Concentrate

Additional Facts and Questions About Elderberry NFC Juice

As fruit ingredient experts, we can work with manufacturers to provide nearly any specification of elderberry juice concentrate and elderberry NFC juice – contact our team to get started. The table below represents a handful of the most common brix levels and concentration.

Target Brix Level Approx. Concentration Product Format Why Manufacturers Choose It & Applications
65° Brix ~5.9-Fold (5.9:1) Clarified / Filtered Elderberry Juice Concentrate High Potency & Freight Efficiency. De-pectinized and ultra-filtered to remove cloud and seed fiber while concentrating natural anthocyanins and organic acids. Drastically reduces freight and cold-storage costs. Used in dietary supplements, gummy candies, immune syrups, hard seltzers, and beverage bases.
50° – 55° Brix ~4.5-Fold to 5.0-Fold Cloudy Elderberry Juice Concentrate Retains natural fruit cloud and micro-pulp particles for an authentic, opaque appearance, rich mouthfeel, and deep dark violet color. Preferred for traditional syrups, craft beers, wellness tonics, and fruit preserves.
11.0° – 13.0° Brix 1-Fold (1:1) Single Strength / NFC Elderberry Juice Baseline standard (Single-strength at 11.0°–13.0° Brix). Un-concentrated fresh-pressed juice (*Sambucus nigra*). Delivers authentic dark pigmentation, crisp acidity, and raw berry aromatics. Preferred for clean-label 100% functional juices, premium immunity shots, and botanical beverages.

Elderberry NFC Juice (11.0°–13.0° Brix) is pressed directly from fresh elderberries and pasteurized without any water removal. It retains its natural, un-concentrated fruit matrix, subtle earthy aromatics, and crisp acidity for clean-label functional beverages. Clarified Elderberry Juice Concentrate (65° Brix) undergoes enzymatic de-pectinization, ultra-filtration, and low-temperature vacuum evaporation to remove insoluble pulp and cloud while concentrating natural fruit sugars and anthocyanins. Clarified concentrate offers maxed-out freight efficiency, high solubility, and clear dark-red color, making it the industry standard for gummy candies, dietary syrups, and seltzers.

Elderberry is a specialized botanical superfruit and is not explicitly listed in the FDA’s 21 CFR § 101.30 table for standard of identity. In food, beverage, and supplement manufacturing, the reconstitution baseline for 100% single-strength elderberry juice is determined by the natural soluble solids content of raw pressed elderberry juice, which naturally benchmarks between 11.0° and 13.0° Brix (commonly calculated at 11.0° Brix baseline).

To reconstitute 65° Brix Clarified Elderberry Juice Concentrate back to single-strength juice at the 11.0° Brix baseline:

  • Mix 1 part concentrate with 4.91 parts water by weight (a weight dilution ratio of approximately 4.91:1).

Raw elderberries, stems, and seeds contain naturally occurring cyanogenic glycosides (principally sambunigrin), which can release hydrogen cyanide if consumed raw. Brothers International eliminates this risk entirely through strict thermal processing controls. Our origin processing partners utilize specialized mechanical de-stemmers to eliminate plant debris, followed by controlled thermal flash-pasteurization. High-temperature short-time (HTST) heat processing permanently denatures and breaks down cyanogenic glycosides into harmless compounds, ensuring our elderberry NFC juice and elderberry juice concentrate are 100% safe for human consumption.

Anthocyanins are dark water-soluble flavonoid pigments responsible for elderberry’s deep purple-black color and high antioxidant capacity. European black elderberry (Sambucus nigra) contains up to five times the anthocyanin density of many standard dark berries. For Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) brands and nutraceutical formulators, high anthocyanin content allows marketing teams to make front-of-pack label claims regarding “Immune Support,” “Antioxidant Rich,” and “Natural Defense,” while providing vibrant, dye-free natural red-to-purple color to finished formulas.

  • Nutraceuticals & Immunity Products: Foundational active ingredient for 2oz immunity shots, daily wellness syrups, liquid dietary supplements, and vitamin-infused gummies.

  • Beverages & Hard Seltzers: Elderberry NFC juice is used in functional RTD teas, kombucha, sparkling botanical waters, hard seltzers, and energy drinks.

  • Craft Brewing & Distilling: Highly popular in fruited sour ales, dark stouts, Belgian dubbels, hard ciders, and botanical gins.

  • Confectionery & Food Preps: Essential for pectin gummies, fruit chews, pastry fillings, and artisan jams.

Brothers International supplies commercial elderberry NFC juice, elderberry juice concentrate and other elderberry ingredients in standard B2B industrial packaging formats – you can contact us directly here on our website to get additional specific details:

  • 5-Gallon Pails (~45–50 lbs): Designed for pilot plant runs, R&D bench testing, and craft manufacturing.

  • 55-Gallon Steel Drums (~500–550 lbs): Standard commercial industrial packaging, shipped frozen (-18°C) or aseptic with protective liners.

  • Frozen Storage (-18°C / 0°F or lower): Highly recommended for all non-aseptic elderberry NFC juices and cloudy concentrates to preserve delicate anthocyanin pigments, volatile aromatics, and Vitamin C for 18 to 24 months.

  • Chilled Storage (0°C–4°C / 32°F–40°F): Recommended for 65° Brix Clarified Elderberry Juice Concentrate to prevent natural thermal darkening and color degradation over 12 to 18 months. Once unsealed, containers must remain strictly refrigerated.

Because global demand for elderberry can spike during cold-and-flu seasons, lower-tier open markets have historically faced supply shortages and economic adulteration (such as blending with cheaper dark berry juices or synthetic dyes). Brothers International completely eliminates these risks. We bypass spot traders and maintain direct, long-term contracts with thoroughly audited, GFSI-certified European processing plants in Poland, Austria, and Hungary. Every production batch undergoes rigorous third-party HPLC testing to verify 100% Sambucus nigra species authenticity, anthocyanin density, and purity before export.

Every beverage and food formulation requires precise technical parameters to perform consistently on automated production lines. Beyond standard ingredient delivery, Brothers International supports your R&D and QA teams with comprehensive technical documentation and specification matching. We provide batch-specific Certificates of Analysis (COA), detailed product specification sheets, allergen statements, Non-GMO declarations, and heavy metal/pesticide testing.

Whether your product requires a specific pH range, custom titratable acidity, precise color intensity, or tailored seed filtration (down to specific mesh screen sizes), our technical specialists collaborate directly with your formulators to match your operational requirements. To accelerate your product development cycle, we maintain a rapid-ship sample program for bench testing and pilot-scale trials.

Navigating global fruit commodity markets requires proactive supply chain management and real-time market intelligence. Seasonal weather anomalies, shifting freight rates, and harvest yield fluctuations can impact elderberry ingredient pricing and availability. Brothers International acts as a strategic procurement partner, offering market forecasts, crop reports, and flexible contracting structures—including multi-quarter forward contracts to lock in budget stability, as well as spot-market sourcing to fill unexpected inventory gaps.

As direct importers, we handle the complexities of international trade so you don’t have to. Our logistics team manages C-TPAT supply chain security, USDA/FDA import clearances, and customs brokerage to eliminate port delays. Backed by strict temperature-monitored cold-chain logistics, we ensure your frozen strawberry concentrates, purees, and essences maintain complete color, flavor, and microbial integrity from origin to your facility floor.

Table of Contents

Certifications

As a leader in sourcing organic ingredients, we work closely with our suppliers to ensure full traceability, sustainability and to ensure they comply with all international regulations for chemical residues and pesticides. We are organic certified and all our organic products are NOP certified and Kosher certified.

Brothers International Food Holdings is a proud member of the CUSTOMS – TRADE PARTNERSHIP AGAINST TERRORISM (C-TPAT) program. C-TPAT is a voluntary U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program that partners with businesses to strengthen supply chain security and reduce risks, including terrorism. For more information, visit www.cbp.gov

All our products are Kosher and GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) Certified. We can supply all of our products with organic certification and, if required, unpasteurized purées and juices.

We have joined the global movement to protect the environment and improve lives for farmers and workers around the world. We help farmers in developing countries builds sustainable businesses that positively influence their communities. Brothers International can assist you in sourcing Fair Trade Certified™ and Demeter (Bio-dynamic)™ ingredients.

Brothers International is a part of CTPAT.
USDA Organic Logo
The logo for Demeter.
The logo for FAIRTRADE.
The logo for FSSC 22000.
The logo for GFSi.
The logo for HACCP International.
The logo for HALAL.
The logo for IFS Food.
The logo for ISO.
The logo for Kosher.
The logo for SGF.
The logo for SGS.
The logo for BRC Food Certified.
The logo for The Consumer Goods Forum.