Who is the Manufacturer of Vitamin B12?

November 27, 2025 •

4 min read

Unlike other vitamins, vitamin B12 is produced exclusively by certain microorganisms, not by plants or animals, making its industrial production a feat of biotechnology. This means that the question of who is the manufacturer of vitamin B12 can be answered by looking at the specialized companies that perform this complex microbial fermentation process.

Quick Summary

The majority of vitamin B12 is manufactured by a few specialized companies using microbial fermentation, with China dominating global supply. Key producers like Hebei Yuxing and Europe's EUROAPI provide the raw API for supplement brands worldwide.

Key Points

Microbial Fermentation: Vitamin B12 is produced exclusively by specific microorganisms, primarily bacteria like Propionibacterium freudenreichii, not by chemical synthesis due to its complex structure.
Dominance of Chinese Manufacturers: Over 80% of the world's vitamin B12 is manufactured by specialized companies located in China, such as market leader Hebei Yuxing.
Key Global Producers: Prominent manufacturers of the raw Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) include China's Hebei Yuxing and Europe's EUROAPI, a major Western supplier.
Manufacturer vs. Brand Distinction: Specialized manufacturers produce the raw B12 API, which is then purchased and formulated into final products by consumer brands like Nature Made and Thorne.
Complex and Costly Process: The production process involves multi-stage fermentation, extraction, and purification, which is both complex and costly, driving up the price of the raw material.
Different Forms: B12 is manufactured in various forms, most commonly cyanocobalamin (stable) and methylcobalamin (bioavailable), to suit different applications.

The Microbial Origin of Vitamin B12

The industrial production of vitamin B12 is a process rooted entirely in microbiology. The vitamin, a complex compound containing a central cobalt ion, cannot be synthesized by plants or animals. Instead, commercial-scale production relies on microbial fermentation, primarily using select species of bacteria like Propionibacterium freudenreichii and Pseudomonas denitrificans. These bacteria are cultured in massive fermentation tanks, often exceeding 100,000 liters, for a period of several days to a week or more to produce the vitamin.

Following fermentation, the process involves several critical steps to harvest the vitamin. These include separating the bacterial cells, extracting the vitamin from inside the cells, and then purifying it to the high standards required for pharmaceutical or food-grade products. This process is highly technical, and its complexity, along with the necessary strict quality controls, makes B12 one of the most expensive nutrients to manufacture. While the total chemical synthesis of B12 has been achieved in a laboratory, it requires an extremely long and complex series of chemical steps, making it commercially unviable.

Leading Global Manufacturers and Their Market Share

The global landscape for vitamin B12 manufacturing is highly consolidated, with a handful of major players responsible for producing the vast majority of the world's supply. The market is overwhelmingly dominated by producers located in China. According to various market reports, Chinese facilities produce as much as 90% of the global output of cyanocobalamin, the most stable form of B12.

Prominent Manufacturers in China

Hebei Yuxing Bioengineering Co., Ltd.: Often cited as the world's leading manufacturer of vitamin B12, Hebei Yuxing holds a significant share of the global market. Its robust production capacity and advanced facilities contribute to its dominant position.
Ningxia Kingvit Pharmaceutical CO., LTD: As a major Chinese manufacturer, Ningxia Kingvit is a key contributor to the global B12 supply chain.
CSPC Pharmaceutical Holdings Group Co., Ltd.: This major pharmaceutical group also has a strong presence in the vitamin B12 market, expanding its production capacity and global reach.

Key Western Manufacturer: EUROAPI

Outside of China, Europe's EUROAPI is a significant manufacturer, particularly in the pharmaceutical segment. The company has a long history of B12 production, tracing its origins back to 1966. EUROAPI produces its vitamin B12 at its site in St-Aubin-lès-Elbeuf, France, and provides API that meets stringent European and American quality standards.

Manufacturer vs. Brand: The Supply Chain Explained

It is crucial to understand the difference between the primary manufacturer of the raw vitamin B12 ingredient (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient, or API) and the brand that sells the finished consumer product. Large-scale manufacturers like Hebei Yuxing and EUROAPI are the source of the raw B12 powder. Consumer-facing brands like Thorne, Nature Made, and others purchase this raw material and then formulate it into their specific products, such as capsules, gummies, or liquid sprays.

For example, while you might buy a bottle of Nature's Bounty B-12 gummies, Nature's Bounty is the brand, not the manufacturer of the actual B12 compound within the gummy. The API likely originated from one of the major producers mentioned above, underwent further processing and testing, and was then combined with other ingredients by a contract manufacturer before being sold under the brand's label.

A Comparison of Manufacturers vs. Brands


Feature	Primary Manufacturers (e.g., Hebei Yuxing, EUROAPI)	Consumer Brands (e.g., Nature Made, Thorne)
Product	Raw vitamin B12 (API), typically a crystalline powder	Finished dietary supplements (capsules, gummies, liquids)
Business Model	Business-to-business (B2B); supply pharmaceutical and nutraceutical companies	Business-to-consumer (B2C); sell finished products to end-users
Production Process	Complex microbial fermentation, extraction, purification	Formulation, blending, encapsulation, and packaging
Key Focus	High-volume, high-purity production of raw material; R&D for process efficiency	Product development, marketing, distribution, and branding
Certifications	GMP, ISO, FDA approval for API production	May include GMP, NSF, USP verification for finished products

Optimizing Vitamin B12 Production

Manufacturers are constantly seeking ways to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of vitamin B12 production. The traditional fermentation process can be improved through modern biotechnology. Researchers are using advanced techniques like genetic engineering and metabolic engineering to develop new microbial strains that can produce higher yields of vitamin B12.

Strategies for Enhanced Production

Strain Engineering: Modifying the DNA of bacteria like E. coli to make them more efficient at producing B12 or pathway intermediates.
Process Optimization: Using inexpensive, readily available raw materials like molasses to reduce costs and improve sustainability.
Improved Recovery: Developing quicker and more efficient purification methods to accelerate the downstream process and lower costs.

Research from institutions like the Quadram Institute has also focused on reducing the environmental impact of B12 manufacturing, specifically targeting the use of heavy metals like cobalt and hazardous compounds like cyanide in the production and purification process. These innovations aim to make B12 more accessible and environmentally friendly in the future.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the manufacturing of vitamin B12 is not attributed to a single entity but is dominated by a small group of highly specialized companies that use microbial fermentation. China is the primary global source, led by companies such as Hebei Yuxing and Ningxia Kingvit, while EUROAPI is a key Western manufacturer. These producers supply the raw vitamin B12 API to the numerous consumer-facing brands that formulate and sell the final dietary supplements. This unique production method, driven by biotech and microbiology, underscores the complexity and cost associated with delivering this vital nutrient to consumers worldwide. For more information on vitamin B12 and its dietary sources, the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheet provides a comprehensive overview.

Frequently Asked Questions

Vitamin B12 is produced naturally by microorganisms like certain bacteria and archaea. Industrial-scale production relies entirely on carefully controlled microbial fermentation, as chemical synthesis is not commercially viable due to the vitamin's complex structure.

China is the dominant global manufacturer of vitamin B12, producing over 80% of the world's total supply. Key production hubs are concentrated in provinces like Shaanxi and Guangdong.

Major global producers include China-based companies like Hebei Yuxing Bioengineering Co., Ltd., Ningxia Kingvit Pharmaceutical, and CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. In the West, EUROAPI (France) is a prominent manufacturer.

Yes, there is a crucial distinction. Manufacturers like Hebei Yuxing produce the raw vitamin B12 powder (API), which is then purchased by various consumer brands (e.g., Thorne, Nature Made) to formulate their finished supplement products.

The molecular structure of vitamin B12 is exceptionally intricate, making full-scale chemical synthesis prohibitively difficult, expensive, and impractical for mass commercial production. As a result, microbial fermentation remains the only feasible method.

The process involves culturing specific bacteria in large fermentation tanks, followed by several steps: harvesting the bacteria, extracting the vitamin from the cells, and purifying and crystallizing the compound to produce the final raw material.

The most common manufactured forms are cyanocobalamin, known for its stability and cost-effectiveness, and methylcobalamin, valued for its higher bioavailability. Other forms include adenosylcobalamin and hydroxocobalamin.

Yes, many major Chinese manufacturers comply with international standards such as GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) and ISO, as their products are widely exported to global markets, including North America and Europe.