Let’s set the record straight: ascorbic acid is not produced from mold, and the idea that it is, has no scientific basis. This myth has circulated through the alternative health community without factual backing or citations from actual chemical manufacturing literature.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Modern Vitamin C is produced via the Reichstein process or through a two-stage fermentation method – both using glucose, typically derived from corn, cassava, or sugar beets.
“In the Reichstein process, ascorbic acid is synthesized from D-glucose via several chemical steps, including microbial fermentation by Acetobacter suboxydans or Gluconobacter oxydans, but NOT mold.”
— U.S. National Library of Medicine, PubChem Database, CID 54670067 (Ascorbic Acid)
2. The micro-organisms used are bacteria – not fungi or mold. This is consistent across both the traditional Reichstein process and the more modern “two-step fermentation” used in China.
“The microbial steps use bacteria such as Ketogulonicigenium vulgare and Gluconobacter oxydans to convert sorbitol into ascorbic acid intermediates.”
— Journal of Biotechnology, Vol. 192, 2014, “Biotechnological production of L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C)”
3. The “mold origin” myth likely stems from confusion with the use of fungal enzymes in other fermentation industries – such as citric acid production, which does commonly use the mold Aspergillus niger. But that’s not the case for ascorbic acid.
“Although citric acid is typically produced with mold (Aspergillus niger), vitamin C is not. This confusion has led to misinformation in wellness circles.”
— Dr. Steve Hickey & Dr. Hilary Roberts, “Ascorbate: The Science of Vitamin C,” Chapter 2
4. There are no patents, industrial process documents, or pharmaceutical records that show mold being used to create ascorbic acid. Anyone claiming otherwise should be asked to present a peer-reviewed source or manufacturing patent.
“No commercial production of ascorbic acid involves mold fermentation; the process is rooted in carbohydrate chemistry and bacterial bioconversion.”
— US Patent No. 2,233,331 (Reichstein process), and modern patents from DSM Nutritional Products
The idea that ascorbic acid is made from mold is an unsubstantiated internet rumor. If you’re avoiding ascorbic acid because of this claim, you’ve been misled by pseudoscience. The real story is fermentation chemistry and microbiology – not mycology.
