What is maca? The Andean root, and how it shows up on a food label

Maca facts

• Latin name: Lepidium meyenii
• Family: Brassicaceae (mustard family)
• Origin: central Andes of Peru, about 4,000 to 4,500 meters
• Cultivated for more than 2,000 years
• Food form: dried root ground into maca root powder
• Composition varies with ecotype, growing conditions, and post-harvest processing
• STAT: maca root powder in all three flavors, for flavor; no amount printed

What is maca?

Maca is Lepidium meyenii, a plant in the Brassicaceae family. Gonzales (2012) describes it as a Peruvian plant cultivated for more than 2,000 years that grows in the central Andes between 4,000 and 4,500 meters. The part used in food is the root, dried and ground into maca root powder.

Ulloa Del Carpio and colleagues (2024) note that maca is indigenous to the Andes and that its chemical composition varies with ecotype, growth conditions, and post-harvest processing. That variability is about what is in the plant material, not about a printed dose on a snack wrapper.

Where does maca come from?

The plant is tied to Peru's central Andes. Gonzales places cultivation in that highland band at 4,000 to 4,500 meters. When you see maca root powder on a US food label, that is the dried root of this Andean plant, listed by its common name in the ingredient list.

How does maca appear on a food label?

On a conventional food, maca shows up in the ingredient list under a common name such as "maca root powder." Under 21 CFR 101.4, ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. That order is not a milligram table. If the wrapper does not print an amount of maca, there is no dose to count.

The panel matters too. A Nutrition Facts panel means a food. A Supplement Facts panel means a dietary supplement, and that panel lists amounts per serving for dietary ingredients. Naming a plant is not a health claim. Our longer explainer on adaptogens in food covers how botanical names work on packaged food.

Is maca an adaptogen?

"Adaptogen" is a marketing word, not an FDA food category. Maca is commonly sold under that word. For how maca sits next to ashwagandha, cordyceps, and reishi on a protein bar label, see our protein bar with maca guide.

Which STAT flavors contain maca?

All three STAT Energy Bar flavors list maca root powder, for flavor. No amount is printed on the wrapper.

Every bar has 100mg caffeine and 0g added sugars (not a low calorie food). Full ingredient lists are on What's inside and STAT by the numbers.

100mg caffeine per bar. For healthy adults. Not for children. If you are pregnant, nursing, or caffeine sensitive, consult a healthcare professional. For most adults, FDA cites 400mg of caffeine a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects, so count the bar with your coffee and other caffeine.

Price note (checked October 18, 2026): the Build Your 4-Pack is $134.99 for 48 bars (regularly $159.96), about $2.81 a bar. Variety 3 Boxes is $104.99 for 36 bars (regularly $119.97), about $2.92 a bar. Subscribe and save 10% brings a 12-count box to $35.99 from $39.99. Orders over $50 ship free. Shop all STAT flavors.

Common questions

What is maca?

Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a plant in the Brassicaceae family from Peru's central Andes. Its root is dried and ground into a powder used in foods.

Where is maca grown?

In the central Andes of Peru, at about 4,000 to 4,500 meters, where it has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years.

Is there a protein bar with maca?

Yes. All three STAT Energy Bar flavors list maca root powder, for flavor. See our guide to the adaptogenic protein bar for every botanical by flavor.

How much maca is in a STAT bar?

No amount is printed on the wrapper. Maca is in the recipe for flavor.

Is maca a dietary supplement?

It depends on the product. Maca on a food with a Nutrition Facts panel is a food ingredient. STAT Energy Bars are food with a Nutrition Facts panel.

References

• Gonzales GF. Ethnobiology and Ethnopharmacology of Lepidium meyenii (Maca), a Plant from the Peruvian Highlands. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:193496. PMID 21977053. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
• Ulloa Del Carpio N, et al. Exploring the chemical and pharmacological variability of Lepidium meyenii: a comprehensive review of the effects of maca. Front Pharmacol. 2024;15:1360422. PMID 38440178. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
• 21 CFR 101.4, Food; designation of ingredients. ecfr.gov
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Label Claims for Conventional Foods and Dietary Supplements. fda.gov
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much? fda.gov