[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":1564},["ShallowReactive",2],{"insights-index":3},[4,319,669,947,1233],{"id":5,"title":6,"audiences":7,"body":9,"category":282,"cover":283,"coverAlt":284,"date":285,"description":286,"extension":287,"factChecked":288,"keyPoints":289,"meta":295,"navigation":296,"path":297,"products":298,"seo":303,"sitemap":304,"sources":306,"stem":317,"updated":288,"__hash__":318},"insights/insights/bulk-cardamom-spices-hotels-restaurants.md","Buying cardamom and spices in bulk for hotels, restaurants and cafés",[8],"horeca",{"type":10,"value":11,"toc":272},"minimark",[12,17,21,24,27,31,40,43,99,102,106,113,119,125,131,135,138,197,200,216,219,223,226,246,249,253,256,264],[13,14,16],"h2",{"id":15},"why-bulk-buying-needs-a-plan","Why bulk buying needs a plan",[18,19,20],"p",{},"A kitchen that buys spice by the kilo is buying a cost line and a flavour. The cost is easy to see on an invoice. The flavour is harder to hold steady: the cardamom in a biryani, a masala chai or a pastry cream should taste the same in January as it did in October, and the same in the second outlet as in the first.",[18,22,23],{},"Demand for that kind of supply is growing. IBEF reported on 10 July 2026, citing a Redseer Consulting report, that India's food-services market was about US$90 billion in FY26 (Rs 7,95,330 crore) and is projected to reach US$150 billion (Rs 14,28,150 crore) by FY31. The same article projects the online share of that market rising from 11 per cent to 18 per cent. Those FY31 numbers are projections, not results, and IBEF notes that its article draws on secondary research.",[18,25,26],{},"More outlets and more menus mean more purchasing managers writing the same kind of order. The rest of this guide covers the choices that matter most when the buyer is a hotel, restaurant or café: which grade for which job, whole or seed, how to store it, and how to keep every delivery matching the last.",[13,28,30],{"id":29},"which-cardamom-grade-for-which-use","Which cardamom grade for which use",[18,32,33,34,39],{},"Green cardamom is sold by pod size, and grade names differ between sellers. Our guide to ",[35,36,38],"a",{"href":37},"/insights/cardamom-grades-explained","cardamom grades explained"," covers why \"8 mm\" and \"AGEB\" are labels rather than measurements. For a kitchen, the practical question is simpler: where will the pod be seen, and where will it be crushed, ground or infused?",[18,41,42],{},"The table below is general culinary guidance, not a PureNest specification. Pod size mostly affects appearance, and flavour depends on the lot, so taste a sample before you commit.",[44,45,46,62],"table",{},[47,48,49],"thead",{},[50,51,52,56,59],"tr",{},[53,54,55],"th",{},"Use in the kitchen",[53,57,58],{},"Grade that usually fits",[53,60,61],{},"Why",[63,64,65,77,88],"tbody",{},[50,66,67,71,74],{},[68,69,70],"td",{},"Pods shown on the plate or in a dish: garnish, pulao, a dessert finish",[68,72,73],{},"Larger, well-formed pods (for example 8 mm+ or 7-8 mm)",[68,75,76],{},"Appearance counts, so uniform whole pods help",[50,78,79,82,85],{},[68,80,81],{},"Pods simmered whole in rice, curries, tea or milk, then removed",[68,83,84],{},"7-8 mm or 6-7 mm",[68,86,87],{},"Looks are less important, so a smaller size can do the same flavour job",[50,89,90,93,96],{},[68,91,92],{},"Crushed or ground into masala, spice mixes, bakery or beverage syrups",[68,94,95],{},"6-7 mm, or a rejection grade where the lot description suits",[68,97,98],{},"The pod is broken anyway, so shape matters less",[18,100,101],{},"PureNest's green cardamom is supplied as whole pods from Idukki, Kerala, in 6-7 mm, 7-8 mm and 8 mm+ size grades, plus rejection grades in the same three sizes. Rejection grades have no official definition, so ask what a given lot contains and have it described in the agreed product specification before you buy for grinding.",[13,103,105],{"id":104},"whole-pods-seed-pepper-and-cloves","Whole pods, seed, pepper and cloves",[18,107,108,112],{},[109,110,111],"strong",{},"Whole pods versus seed."," Whole pods protect the seed inside until you open them, which is why many kitchens crack pods to order. Cardamom seed is the seed without the husk. PureNest lists cardamom seed separately from whole pods, for food manufacturers and trade buyers. Seed suits recipes where no husk is wanted, such as batters, ground mixes or infusions, and it saves the labour of cracking pods. If you need both, order them as two lines, each with its own agreed specification.",[18,114,115,118],{},[109,116,117],{},"Ground versus whole."," As general kitchen practice, buying whole and grinding in small batches keeps aroma fresher than buying ground spice, because ground spice has far more surface exposed to air. A café that grinds a day's cardamom each morning will usually taste the difference. The same applies to pepper: a grinder at the pass gives a fresher result than a pre-ground tin.",[18,120,121,124],{},[109,122,123],{},"Black pepper."," PureNest's black pepper is whole, Idukki origin, supplied garbled or un-garbled, with a litre weight range of 500-600 g/L. As general guidance, \"garbled\" pepper has usually been cleaned of light berries and foreign matter and \"un-garbled\" has not, so a kitchen that wants less sorting work may prefer garbled. The terms are used differently between sellers, so confirm what each means in your specification.",[18,126,127,130],{},[109,128,129],{},"Cloves."," PureNest's cloves are whole, Idukki origin grade. Whole cloves go into stocks, rice dishes, pickling liquids and spice blends, and can be pulled out before service.",[13,132,134],{"id":133},"storage-and-freshness-basics","Storage and freshness basics",[18,136,137],{},"Whole spices are sensitive to moisture, heat and neighbouring smells. The German insurance industry's Transport Information Service (TIS), which publishes handling guides for cargo underwriters, gives these figures for transport and storage:",[44,139,140,152],{},[47,141,142],{},[50,143,144,146,149],{},[53,145],{},[53,147,148],{},"Cardamom",[53,150,151],{},"Black pepper",[63,153,154,165,175,186],{},[50,155,156,159,162],{},[68,157,158],{},"Relative humidity",[68,160,161],{},"60-70%; protect from above 75%",[68,163,164],{},"50-60%; \"very moisture-sensitive\"",[50,166,167,170,173],{},[68,168,169],{},"Favourable temperature range",[68,171,172],{},"5-25 °C",[68,174,172],{},[50,176,177,180,183],{},[68,178,179],{},"Above 25 °C",[68,181,182],{},"Essential oils may be lost",[68,184,185],{},"Essential oils may be lost, with a risk of self-heating",[50,187,188,191,194],{},[68,189,190],{},"Odours",[68,192,193],{},"Keep away from odour-emitting products",[68,195,196],{},"\"Extremely odor-sensitive\"",[18,198,199],{},"Those are cargo conditions, but a store room faces the same enemies. As general guidance for a kitchen:",[201,202,203,207,210,213],"ol",{},[204,205,206],"li",{},"Keep sealed bags in a cool, dry store, away from the stove, dishwasher steam and direct sun.",[204,208,209],{},"Do not store spices beside strong-smelling goods such as cleaning chemicals or onions.",[204,211,212],{},"Decant into airtight, food-safe containers for the line, and keep the bulk bag closed.",[204,214,215],{},"Label each container with the delivery date and use older stock first.",[18,217,218],{},"Treat cloves the same way, and keep every spice in its own labelled container so that a strongly scented one does not taint its neighbours. We found no equivalent TIS figures for cloves, so the table does not include them.",[13,220,222],{"id":221},"keeping-every-order-the-same","Keeping every order the same",[18,224,225],{},"The most common complaint from a kitchen is not \"bad spice\", it is \"different spice\". Three habits prevent most of it.",[201,227,228,234,240],{},[204,229,230,233],{},[109,231,232],{},"Write the grade into the order."," \"Green cardamom, 7-8 mm, whole pods\" is clearer than \"good cardamom\". For pepper, state garbled or un-garbled and the litre weight range.",[204,235,236,239],{},[109,237,238],{},"Use the agreed specification as the reference."," A product specification is agreed and shared with every quotation. Keep it with your purchasing file and check each delivery against it, rather than against memory.",[204,241,242,245],{},[109,243,244],{},"Approve a sample first."," Compare your first delivery with the sample you approved, and keep a small retained portion from each delivery for side-by-side tasting.",[18,247,248],{},"Whoever receives the delivery should check the seal, the label and the grade against the order before signing, and note any damp bags or off smells the same day, while the supplier can still look into it. Pack sizes matter in a kitchen: a bag that is opened too slowly goes stale, and one that is too small means more orders. Pack sizes are agreed with your quotation, so tell us how fast you use each spice when you ask.",[13,250,252],{"id":251},"how-purenest-can-help","How PureNest can help",[18,254,255],{},"PureNest supplies Idukki-origin green cardamom (whole pods in 6-7 mm, 7-8 mm and 8 mm+ size grades, plus rejection grades in the same sizes), cardamom seed, whole black pepper (garbled and un-garbled) and whole cloves. We supply HoReCa buyers in India and overseas, and all orders are quoted on request. We send a sample of the lot for your approval.",[18,257,258,259,263],{},"A product specification is agreed and shared with every quotation. Batches and lots are tested regularly by authorised laboratories, based on production and sourcing. A Certificate of Analysis (COA) is issued for each tested batch or lot. Every shipment comes with a Certificate of Origin issued by the chamber of commerce. Our ",[35,260,262],{"href":261},"/quality#documents","quality page"," describes these documents.",[18,265,266,267,271],{},"Tell us the product, grade, quantity and how you use it, and request a quotation from this page for current pricing. Related reading: ",[35,268,270],{"href":269},"/insights/new-crop-cardamom-2026","new-crop cardamom in 2026",".",{"title":273,"searchDepth":274,"depth":274,"links":275},"",2,[276,277,278,279,280,281],{"id":15,"depth":274,"text":16},{"id":29,"depth":274,"text":30},{"id":104,"depth":274,"text":105},{"id":133,"depth":274,"text":134},{"id":221,"depth":274,"text":222},{"id":251,"depth":274,"text":252},"guide","/images/insights/bulk-cardamom-spices-hotels-restaurants.webp","Rows of green cardamom plants under tall shade trees on a misty Idukki hillside, with no people in view","2026-10-30","A buyer guide for hotels, restaurants and cafés: which cardamom grade suits which use, whole pods versus seed, storage basics and keeping orders consistent.","md",null,[290,291,292,293,294],"Match the grade to the job: large pods for visible use, smaller or rejection grades for grinding or infusing","Whole pods keep their aroma better than ground spice; seed suits recipes that need no pod","Store whole spices cool, dry and away from strong odours; pepper is very moisture-sensitive","Write the grade and the agreed product specification into every order so batches match","India's food-service market was put at about US$90 billion in FY26, with a US$150 billion FY31 projection",{},true,"/insights/bulk-cardamom-spices-hotels-restaurants",[299,300,301,302],"green-cardamom","black-pepper","cloves","cardamom-seed",{"title":6,"description":286},{"loc":297,"lastmod":305},"2026-10-30T00:00:00.000Z",[307,311,314],{"title":308,"url":309,"date":310},"IBEF, India's food services market projected to reach US$150 billion by FY31 (attributes the figures to a Redseer Consulting report)","https://www.ibef.org/news/india-s-food-services-market-projected-to-reach-us-150-billion-by-fy31","2026-07-10",{"title":312,"url":313,"date":285},"TIS (German Insurance Association, GDV), Transport Information Service: Cardamom (storage and transport conditions; page undated, accessed 30 Oct 2026)","https://www.tis-gdv.de/tis_e/ware/gewuerze/kardamom/kardamom.htm",{"title":315,"url":316,"date":285},"TIS (German Insurance Association, GDV), Transport Information Service: Pepper (storage and transport conditions; page undated, accessed 30 Oct 2026)","https://www.tis-gdv.de/tis_e/ware/gewuerze/pfeffer/pfeffer.htm","insights/bulk-cardamom-spices-hotels-restaurants","f2y-RAZFeaJBSRgbGEkplSgYAS1uvgExq2d_BAywLgo",{"id":320,"title":321,"audiences":322,"body":325,"category":282,"cover":638,"coverAlt":639,"date":285,"description":640,"extension":287,"factChecked":288,"keyPoints":641,"meta":647,"navigation":296,"path":37,"products":648,"seo":649,"sitemap":650,"sources":651,"stem":667,"updated":288,"__hash__":668},"insights/insights/cardamom-grades-explained.md","Cardamom grades explained: 8 mm, 7 mm, AGEB and what they mean",[323,324],"importers","traders",{"type":10,"value":326,"toc":629},[327,331,334,337,398,404,407,410,413,417,420,423,432,435,439,442,445,448,452,455,458,462,465,515,518,522,525,612,615,617,620],[13,328,330],{"id":329},"why-the-same-grade-has-two-sizes","Why the same grade has two sizes",[18,332,333],{},"Ask three cardamom suppliers for \"AGEB\" and you may get three different pod sizes. The confusion is old, and it comes from two systems that use similar names.",[18,335,336],{},"The first is the official one. India's Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) publishes the Agmark rules for whole cardamom capsules in Schedule IX. Under that schedule, a lot may carry an area mark only when it is produced in that particular area. The marks are defined by the diameter of the holes in the sieve that retains the pods:",[44,338,339,349],{},[47,340,341],{},[50,342,343,346],{},[53,344,345],{},"Agmark mark",[53,347,348],{},"Sieve hole diameter (pods retained)",[63,350,351,359,367,375,383,391],{},[50,352,353,356],{},[68,354,355],{},"Alleppey Green Extra Bold (AGEB)",[68,357,358],{},"7.0 mm",[50,360,361,364],{},[68,362,363],{},"Alleppey Green Bold (AGB)",[68,365,366],{},"6.0 mm",[50,368,369,372],{},[68,370,371],{},"Alleppey Green Superior (AGS)",[68,373,374],{},"5.0 mm",[50,376,377,380],{},[68,378,379],{},"Coorg Green Extra Bold (CGEB)",[68,381,382],{},"8.0 mm",[50,384,385,388],{},[68,386,387],{},"Coorg Green Bold (CGB)",[68,389,390],{},"7.5 mm",[50,392,393,396],{},[68,394,395],{},"Coorg Green Superior (CGS)",[68,397,366],{},[18,399,400],{},[401,402,403],"em",{},"Source: WDRA, Agmark Schedule IX, general characteristic 7 (file dated 25 August 2025).",[18,405,406],{},"The second system is trade usage. Exporter guides commonly describe the top grade as \"8 mm and above\", with the next grade at 7-8 mm and the one below at roughly 6-7 mm. One exporter guide dated 29 August 2026 puts AGEB at \"approximately 8 mm and above\", and adds that the Spices Board does not publish numeric specifications, so buyers should confirm each supplier's cut-offs. That is trade commentary, not a standard. A university text on spice technology (INFLIBNET, undated) lists AGEB at 7 mm and above, so published sources themselves disagree.",[18,408,409],{},"We can see three reasons for the gap. First, the Agmark names are area marks: the Coorg equivalent of \"extra bold\" is 8.0 mm, so an \"8 mm extra bold\" has an official home, just not under the Alleppey name. Second, the standard defines size by a sieve, while buyers often think in terms of measured pod length or a visual impression. A sieve hole diameter and a ruler reading are not the same measurement. This second point is our reading of the situation, not something either source states. Third, \"AGEB\" has become a trade word for \"the biggest regular grade\", whatever the exact cut-off.",[18,411,412],{},"The practical lesson is simple. Treat \"AGEB\" and \"8 mm\" as labels, not specifications. What binds a seller is the number and the measuring method written into your order.",[13,414,416],{"id":415},"litre-weight-a-density-check-not-a-size","Litre weight: a density check, not a size",[18,418,419],{},"Litre weight (also called bulk density or mass per litre) is the mass of loosely filled pods that fit in one litre, in grams. Heavier pods fill the litre more densely. A pod can be large but light if it is thinly filled with seed.",[18,421,422],{},"Public figures to know:",[424,425,426,429],"ul",{},[204,427,428],{},"The Agmark schedule sets minimum mass per litre for its two grades, Special and Standard. Reading the table in the PDF, the minimums are 435 g/L and 385 g/L respectively.",[204,430,431],{},"INFLIBNET lists 435 g/L for AGEB, 415 g/L for AGB and 385 g/L for AGS. The exporter guide above gives the same three figures.",[18,433,434],{},"Litre weight and size usually move together, which is why a grade name often implies both. But they are tested separately. If your product depends on seed content, ask for litre weight as its own line on the order rather than assuming the grade name covers it.",[13,436,438],{"id":437},"colour-clipping-and-the-other-things-that-grade-a-lot","Colour, clipping and the other things that grade a lot",[18,440,441],{},"Size is only one input. CBI, the Dutch import-promotion agency, lists the factors that grading considers: colour, clipping (trimmed pod tips), size, whether the pods are bleached, extraneous matter and origin. It also notes that the share of split or open pods and the drying method affect quality.",[18,443,444],{},"Colour has a formal mechanism in the Agmark schedule. Capsules may be light green, green, deep green or pale brownish, and pale cream to white when bleached with sulphur dioxide. They must be packed by colour group, the group must be shown on the label, and at least 95 per cent of the capsules must fall in that group. CBI summarises the same rule for the European market: if 95 per cent share a colour, the label states it; if colour is not uniform, it need not be stated.",[18,446,447],{},"So \"green\" on a quotation is not a measurement. A colour group, declared on the label and held to 95 per cent, is. The Agmark schedule also limits extraneous matter, empty and malformed capsules, immature and shrivelled capsules and insect-damaged matter, which is a useful checklist of what a buyer can ask to see controlled.",[13,449,451],{"id":450},"rejection-grades","Rejection grades",[18,453,454],{},"Rejection grades are pods set aside from the main grades during sorting. We found no public standard that defines \"rejection\" by size or defect, so the following is a description of trade usage and not a published definition. In practice, pods that fall outside the tolerance for a main grade (for example empty, split, light or uneven pods) may be sold separately, often within the same size bands. They suit uses where appearance matters less than flavour, such as grinding or further processing, but that depends entirely on what the lot contains.",[18,456,457],{},"Because the term has no official definition, do not accept \"rejection\" on its own. Ask what the lot excludes from the main grade and what defects it can contain, and have that described in the agreed product specification.",[13,459,461],{"id":460},"how-to-write-a-grade-on-a-purchase-order","How to write a grade on a purchase order",[18,463,464],{},"A grade line that leaves little room for dispute covers the following:",[201,466,467,473,479,485,491,497,503,509],{},[204,468,469,472],{},[109,470,471],{},"Product and form."," Green cardamom, whole capsules (not seed).",[204,474,475,478],{},[109,476,477],{},"Origin."," The growing region you are paying for.",[204,480,481,484],{},[109,482,483],{},"Size grade and the way it is measured."," For example \"7-8 mm, measured by sieve\" or \"measured pod length\", not just \"AGEB\".",[204,486,487,490],{},[109,488,489],{},"Litre weight."," A minimum in g/L, if your use depends on it.",[204,492,493,496],{},[109,494,495],{},"Colour group."," One of the Agmark colour groups, declared on the label.",[204,498,499,502],{},[109,500,501],{},"Defect limits."," Extraneous matter, empty or malformed pods, shrivelled pods and insect damage.",[204,504,505,508],{},[109,506,507],{},"Reference standard, if any."," For example Agmark Schedule IX, or the applicable Indian or ISO standard that CBI cites (IS 1987:1984, ISO 882-1).",[204,510,511,514],{},[109,512,513],{},"Documents."," What accompanies the lot, and how a tested lot is identified.",[18,516,517],{},"If a supplier's grade name and your own reading of it differ, the order should say which governs. When in doubt, ask for a sample drawn from the lot to be measured against the line you wrote.",[13,519,521],{"id":520},"purenest-grades-at-a-glance","PureNest grades at a glance",[18,523,524],{},"PureNest supplies Idukki green cardamom as whole pods. The grades are described by size.",[44,526,527,543],{},[47,528,529],{},[50,530,531,534,537,540],{},[53,532,533],{},"Grade type",[53,535,536],{},"Size",[53,538,539],{},"Format",[53,541,542],{},"Origin",[63,544,545,559,570,581,592,602],{},[50,546,547,550,553,556],{},[68,548,549],{},"Size grade",[68,551,552],{},"6-7 mm",[68,554,555],{},"Whole pods",[68,557,558],{},"Idukki, Kerala",[50,560,561,563,566,568],{},[68,562,549],{},[68,564,565],{},"7-8 mm",[68,567,555],{},[68,569,558],{},[50,571,572,574,577,579],{},[68,573,549],{},[68,575,576],{},"8 mm+",[68,578,555],{},[68,580,558],{},[50,582,583,586,588,590],{},[68,584,585],{},"Rejection grade",[68,587,552],{},[68,589,555],{},[68,591,558],{},[50,593,594,596,598,600],{},[68,595,585],{},[68,597,565],{},[68,599,555],{},[68,601,558],{},[50,603,604,606,608,610],{},[68,605,585],{},[68,607,576],{},[68,609,555],{},[68,611,558],{},[18,613,614],{},"The grades are named by size and are not presented as Agmark marks. Appearance may vary by lot.",[13,616,252],{"id":251},[18,618,619],{},"Our green cardamom comes from Idukki, Kerala, as whole pods in the three size grades above, with rejection grades in the same three sizes. Tell us the grade, quantity and packing you need, and we will send a quotation for your destination. Request a quotation from this page and we will take it from there.",[18,621,258,622,624,625,271],{},[35,623,262],{"href":261}," describes these documents, and you can see the grades on the ",[35,626,628],{"href":627},"/products/green-cardamom","green cardamom product page",{"title":273,"searchDepth":274,"depth":274,"links":630},[631,632,633,634,635,636,637],{"id":329,"depth":274,"text":330},{"id":415,"depth":274,"text":416},{"id":437,"depth":274,"text":438},{"id":450,"depth":274,"text":451},{"id":460,"depth":274,"text":461},{"id":520,"depth":274,"text":521},{"id":251,"depth":274,"text":252},"/images/insights/cardamom-grades-explained.webp","An open palm holding a small handful of whole green cardamom pods","Why AGEB is 7.0 mm in the Agmark schedule but 8 mm+ in trade talk, what litre weight and colour tell you, and how to write a grade on a purchase order.",[642,643,644,645,646],"Agmark sets AGEB at a 7.0 mm sieve; many exporters quote 8 mm+","Litre weight (g/L) is a density check, not a size","Colour group is declared on the label when 95% of pods match","Write size, how it is measured, litre weight and colour on the PO","PureNest grades: 6-7 mm, 7-8 mm, 8 mm+, plus rejection grades",{},[299],{"title":321,"description":640},{"loc":37,"lastmod":305},[652,656,660,663],{"title":653,"url":654,"date":655},"WDRA, Agmark cardamom grading rules, Schedule IX (PDF)","https://wdra.gov.in/documents/d/wdra/cardamom_agmark","2025-08-25",{"title":657,"url":658,"date":659},"CBI, Entering the European market for cardamom (market entry)","https://www.cbi.eu/market-information/spices-herbs/cardamom-0/market-entry","2025-02-19",{"title":661,"url":662,"date":285},"INFLIBNET, Technology of spices and condiments, ch. 18 Cardamom: Grading (accessed 30 Oct 2026, undated)","https://ebooks.inflibnet.ac.in/ftp07/chapter/211/",{"title":664,"url":665,"date":666},"Shree Agro International, Cardamom grading 8mm 7mm explained (exporter commentary)","https://shreeagrointernational.com/cardamom-grading-8mm-7mm-guide/","2026-08-29","insights/cardamom-grades-explained","ArCQ9msn9ZggfAOfrUdxY4itEW4JjZvL0IQBcuiLxCQ",{"id":670,"title":671,"audiences":672,"body":674,"category":895,"cover":896,"coverAlt":897,"date":285,"description":898,"extension":287,"factChecked":288,"keyPoints":899,"meta":905,"navigation":296,"path":906,"products":907,"seo":908,"sitemap":909,"sources":910,"stem":945,"updated":288,"__hash__":946},"insights/insights/eu-pesticide-limits-ethylene-oxide-indian-spices.md","EU pesticide limits and ethylene oxide: what to ask your Indian spice supplier",[323,673],"food-manufacturers",{"type":10,"value":675,"toc":887},[676,680,683,686,689,693,696,699,702,706,709,712,773,776,779,783,786,789,793,796,870,873,875,878,884],[13,677,679],{"id":678},"the-eu-default-limit-001-mgkg","The EU default limit: 0.01 mg/kg",[18,681,682],{},"Pesticide residues in food sold in the EU are governed by Regulation (EC) No 396/2005. Article 18(1)(b) sets a default maximum residue level of 0.01 mg/kg for products where no specific limit is set out in the regulation's annexes. In practice, a substance with no EU limit for a given spice is judged against that very low default.",[18,684,685],{},"That default matters because of what is happening around it. FreshPlaza reported on 23 July 2026, drawing on a report from Rural Voice, that the EU is proposing to remove import tolerances for pesticides no longer authorised in the EU. Under that proposal, the default limit of 0.01 parts per million (the same figure as 0.01 mg/kg) would apply to more imports. The same article says the EU has issued 365 food safety notifications against Indian products. It quotes UNIDO's finding that non-pesticide issues account for 81% of rejections and pesticide residues for 19%.",[18,687,688],{},"Read that last figure for what it is. Most rejections of Indian food have other causes, but residues are a real and recurring one, and a proposal is not yet a rule. If you import into the EU, check the current position with your own regulatory adviser. This article is trade information, not legal advice.",[13,690,692],{"id":691},"cardamom-at-the-eu-border","Cardamom at the EU border",[18,694,695],{},"The Dutch government's export-promotion agency CBI, in its guide to the EU cardamom market (updated 19 February 2025), says the main reason for banning cardamom from the European market is the presence of pesticide residues. It reports that between July 2021 and August 2024 there were 13 pesticide residue cases for cardamom in RASFF, the EU's rapid alert system, and that most concerned cardamom from India. It adds that when imports repeatedly violate food law, the frequency of official checks at the border goes up, and that \"for cardamom, India is the only country currently subject to more frequent checks\".",[18,697,698],{},"The FreshPlaza report describes a separate, wider pattern. It says that products such as sesame, chilli peppers, curry leaves, okra and some herbals face physical inspection and laboratory testing on 20% to 50% of consignments entering the EU. Cardamom is not among the products it names, so do not read that range as a cardamom figure. For cardamom, the source to rely on is CBI, which gives no percentage.",[18,700,701],{},"The practical reading for a buyer is simple. A cardamom consignment from India may be checked more often than the same product from another origin, so a supplier's residue evidence is part of your delivery risk, not a formality.",[13,703,705],{"id":704},"ethylene-oxide-how-it-reached-indian-spices","Ethylene oxide: how it reached Indian spices",[18,707,708],{},"Ethylene oxide (EtO) is described by the Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety (CFS) in its alerts as a pesticide, and the CFS notes that the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies it as a Group 1 carcinogen.",[18,710,711],{},"Eastern Eye, on 25 April 2024, reported RASFF data on EtO covering September 2020 to April 2024. It says 332 of the flagged products originated solely from India and that 60 were herbs and spices. This is secondary reporting of RASFF figures, so treat the numbers as indicative and check RASFF directly for current counts.",[44,713,714,727],{},[47,715,716],{},[50,717,718,721,724],{},[53,719,720],{},"Date",[53,722,723],{},"What happened",[53,725,726],{},"Source",[63,728,729,740,751,762],{},[50,730,731,734,737],{},[68,732,733],{},"5 Apr 2024",[68,735,736],{},"Hong Kong CFS reports EtO in four Indian-made spice mixes and orders sales stopped",[68,738,739],{},"CFS press release",[50,741,742,745,748],{},[68,743,744],{},"2 May 2024",[68,746,747],{},"Spices Board makes a cleared analytical report for EtO mandatory for spice consignments to Hong Kong and Singapore, from 6 May 2024",[68,749,750],{},"Circular 01/2024-25",[50,752,753,756,759],{},[68,754,755],{},"5 Jun 2025",[68,757,758],{},"Spices Board notes it has issued Official Certificates for exports to EEA countries based on a cleared analytical report, on request from the exporter, and sets out a Swiss requirement from 9 Jun 2025",[68,760,761],{},"Circular 02/2025-26",[50,763,764,767,770],{},[68,765,766],{},"15 Jul 2026",[68,768,769],{},"Hong Kong CFS reports EtO in an organic oregano product (origin India) and a crushed red pepper product (origin US); sales stopped",[68,771,772],{},"CFS food alert",[18,774,775],{},"Two points from the Spices Board circulars are worth knowing. The May 2024 circular states that the Singapore Food Agency's limit for EtO in spices is 50 ppm, while Hong Kong has \"zero tolerance\". So the destination changes the acceptable result, and a COA that was fine for one market may not satisfy another. And the 2025 circular shows that an official certificate based on an analytical report is something an exporter can request for EEA destinations.",[18,777,778],{},"None of the items above concern cardamom or black pepper. The lesson is about the category: RASFF notifications since September 2020 include herbs and spices, and Indian-origin spice products have featured in EtO alerts in Hong Kong in both 2024 and 2026.",[13,780,782],{"id":781},"the-us-is-a-different-issue","The US is a different issue",[18,784,785],{},"Buyers sometimes lump the US FDA into the same conversation. It is a separate matter. FDA Import Alert 99-19 is titled \"Detention Without Physical Examination of Food Products Due to the Presence of Salmonella\". It is about a microbiological hazard, not ethylene oxide, and it is firm-specific. Shipments from firms on its Red List may be held at the border without being physically examined, and the alert says the owner or consignee can seek release by submitting evidence that the product is free of Salmonella, such as a private laboratory analysis of a representative sample.",[18,787,788],{},"The Red List contains many Indian firms and products across spices, spice blends and other foods, and some entries date from 2026. In the sections of the page we read, we did not see cardamom among the Salmonella-flagged entries. For a US importer, the question to ask a supplier is whether the exporting firm is on any import alert, and whether the lot has been tested for Salmonella.",[13,790,792],{"id":791},"what-buyers-commonly-ask-for","What buyers commonly ask for",[18,794,795],{},"There is no single list that fits every destination, and what your market requires is for you and your adviser to confirm. These are the documents and answers importers and food manufacturers commonly request from an Indian spice supplier before they commit to a lot.",[44,797,798,808],{},[47,799,800],{},[50,801,802,805],{},[53,803,804],{},"Ask for",[53,806,807],{},"Why buyers ask",[63,809,810,822,830,838,846,854,862],{},[50,811,812,815],{},[68,813,814],{},"The agreed product specification, in writing, before you order",[68,816,817,818,821],{},"It defines what you are buying, so the lot can be checked against something fixed. Our guide to ",[35,819,820],{"href":37},"cardamom grades"," explains how to write the grade",[50,823,824,827],{},[68,825,826],{},"A Certificate of Analysis (COA) for the tested lot",[68,828,829],{},"It shows the result for the lot you receive. Check that the lot or batch number matches your shipment and that the date is current",[50,831,832,835],{},[68,833,834],{},"Certificate of Origin",[68,836,837],{},"It records the country of origin of the goods",[50,839,840,843],{},[68,841,842],{},"Which residue and contaminant tests were run, and for which market",[68,844,845],{},"Limits differ by destination, as the Hong Kong and Singapore figures show",[50,847,848,851],{},[68,849,850],{},"Whether the supplier or its exporter is on any import alert",[68,852,853],{},"Matters for US shipments in particular",[50,855,856,859],{},[68,857,858],{},"A sample of the lot for approval before shipment",[68,860,861],{},"Lets you test it yourself, at your own laboratory, against your own limits",[50,863,864,867],{},[68,865,866],{},"Lot or batch identification on every document and carton",[68,868,869],{},"Lets you trace a problem back to one lot if one is found",[18,871,872],{},"Two habits make this easier. First, ask for these documents at the quotation stage, not after the order is placed. Second, keep the destination in every conversation: tell your supplier where the goods will be sold, because a certificate for one market is not a guarantee for another.",[13,874,252],{"id":251},[18,876,877],{},"PureNest Ventures supplies Idukki-origin green cardamom, cardamom seed, black pepper and cloves from Kerala, India. We supply to retail, HoReCa, export and food-manufacturing buyers in India and overseas, and every order is quoted on request.",[18,879,880,881,271],{},"Our documents match the first and third items on that list. A product specification is agreed and shared with every quotation. Batches and lots are tested regularly by authorised laboratories, based on production and sourcing, and a Certificate of Analysis (COA) is issued for each tested batch or lot. Every shipment comes with a Certificate of Origin issued by the chamber of commerce. You can read more on our ",[35,882,883],{"href":261},"quality and documents page",[18,885,886],{},"We also send a sample of the lot for your approval. Tell us the product, grade, quantity and destination, and request a quotation from this page.",{"title":273,"searchDepth":274,"depth":274,"links":888},[889,890,891,892,893,894],{"id":678,"depth":274,"text":679},{"id":691,"depth":274,"text":692},{"id":704,"depth":274,"text":705},{"id":781,"depth":274,"text":782},{"id":791,"depth":274,"text":792},{"id":251,"depth":274,"text":252},"compliance","/images/insights/eu-pesticide-limits-ethylene-oxide-indian-spices.webp","Close-up of small green cardamom capsules and white flower petals on a low panicle lying on brown soil, with blurred green growth behind","The EU default residue limit is 0.01 mg/kg, CBI says Indian cardamom faces more border checks, and EtO alerts continue. A buyer's checklist of what to ask for.",[900,901,902,903,904],"EU default residue limit is 0.01 mg/kg where no specific limit is set","CBI: India is the only origin with more frequent EU checks on cardamom","Hong Kong and Singapore: Spices Board made ethylene oxide tests mandatory from 6 May 2024","FDA Import Alert 99-19 concerns Salmonella, not ethylene oxide, and is firm-specific","Ask for the agreed specification, a COA for the tested lot and a Certificate of Origin",{},"/insights/eu-pesticide-limits-ethylene-oxide-indian-spices",[299,300],{"title":671,"description":898},{"loc":906,"lastmod":305},[911,915,919,921,925,929,933,937,941],{"title":912,"url":913,"date":914},"Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, Article 18 (compiled text via LawPlayer, data current as of 4 Jul 2026; the official EUR-Lex text prevails)","https://lawplayer.com/eu/act/32005R0396","2026-07-04",{"title":916,"url":917,"date":918},"FreshPlaza, India-EU FTA raises concerns over pesticide residue limits (reporting Rural Voice)","https://www.freshplaza.com/europe/article/9860120/india-eu-fta-raises-concerns-over-pesticide-residue-limits/","2026-07-23",{"title":920,"url":658,"date":659},"CBI, Entering the European market for cardamom (updated 19 Feb 2025)",{"title":922,"url":923,"date":924},"Eastern Eye, EU ethylene oxide report on Indian food products (citing Deccan Herald and RASFF data; secondary reporting)","https://www.easterneye.biz/eu-ethylene-oxide-indian-food-products-report/","2024-04-25",{"title":926,"url":927,"date":928},"Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety, press release on ethylene oxide in prepackaged spice mix products","https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/press/20240405_10919.html","2024-04-05",{"title":930,"url":931,"date":932},"Spices Board of India, Circular No. 01/2024-25: ETO test for spice consignments to Hong Kong and Singapore","https://www.indianspices.com/indianspices/sites/default/files/Circular0001.pdf","2024-05-02",{"title":934,"url":935,"date":936},"Spices Board of India, Circular No. 02/2025-26: analytical report and Official Certificate for consignments to Switzerland","https://indianspices.com/indianspices/sites/default/files/Circular%20No%2002%202025%2026.pdf","2025-06-05",{"title":938,"url":939,"date":940},"Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety, food alert on ethylene oxide in Organic Oregano (origin India) and crushed red pepper","https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/whatsnew_fa/2026_620.html","2026-07-15",{"title":942,"url":943,"date":944},"US FDA, Import Alert 99-19: Detention without physical examination of food products due to the presence of Salmonella","https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/CMS_IA/importalert_263.html","2026-10-29","insights/eu-pesticide-limits-ethylene-oxide-indian-spices","RvtTvEHzEViOXqhcAAUuyfL8M4Ap795e7g2AW6R2U2g",{"id":948,"title":949,"audiences":950,"body":951,"category":1179,"cover":1180,"coverAlt":1181,"date":285,"description":1182,"extension":287,"factChecked":288,"keyPoints":1183,"meta":1189,"navigation":296,"path":269,"products":1190,"seo":1191,"sitemap":1192,"sources":1193,"stem":1231,"updated":288,"__hash__":1232},"insights/insights/new-crop-cardamom-2026.md","New-crop cardamom 2026: what the auctions and a dry monsoon mean for buyers",[323,324,673,8],{"type":10,"value":952,"toc":1172},[953,957,960,1064,1069,1072,1075,1078,1081,1084,1087,1090,1094,1097,1100,1103,1107,1110,1113,1117,1120,1161,1163,1166,1169],[13,954,956],{"id":955},"what-the-spices-board-auctions-show","What the Spices Board auctions show",[18,958,959],{},"The Spices Board of India publishes a weekly market report that includes a \"Total for the Week\" line for the Kerala and Tamil Nadu cardamom e-auctions (Puttady and Bodinayakanur centres). It gives quantity sold, the average price in rupees per kilogram, and the figure for the same week a year earlier. These are the numbers below.",[44,961,962,978],{},[47,963,964],{},[50,965,966,969,972,975],{},[53,967,968],{},"Week ending",[53,970,971],{},"Quantity sold (kg)",[53,973,974],{},"Average price (Rs/kg)",[53,976,977],{},"Same week a year earlier (Rs/kg)",[63,979,980,994,1008,1022,1036,1050],{},[50,981,982,985,988,991],{},[68,983,984],{},"14 Mar 2026",[68,986,987],{},"584,374",[68,989,990],{},"2,289.99",[68,992,993],{},"2,679.72",[50,995,996,999,1002,1005],{},[68,997,998],{},"25 Jul 2026",[68,1000,1001],{},"649,989",[68,1003,1004],{},"3,202.74",[68,1006,1007],{},"2,676.07",[50,1009,1010,1013,1016,1019],{},[68,1011,1012],{},"1 Aug 2026",[68,1014,1015],{},"611,629",[68,1017,1018],{},"3,162.99",[68,1020,1021],{},"2,709.68",[50,1023,1024,1027,1030,1033],{},[68,1025,1026],{},"15 Aug 2026",[68,1028,1029],{},"520,362",[68,1031,1032],{},"3,123.23",[68,1034,1035],{},"2,430.93",[50,1037,1038,1041,1044,1047],{},[68,1039,1040],{},"29 Aug 2026",[68,1042,1043],{},"523,805",[68,1045,1046],{},"2,999.55",[68,1048,1049],{},"2,512.45",[50,1051,1052,1055,1058,1061],{},[68,1053,1054],{},"12 Sep 2026",[68,1056,1057],{},"680,218",[68,1059,1060],{},"3,042.45",[68,1062,1063],{},"2,557.42",[18,1065,1066],{},[401,1067,1068],{},"Source: Spices Board weekly market reports for the dates shown. The Board describes the prices as indicative.",[18,1070,1071],{},"Three things stand out.",[18,1073,1074],{},"First, the direction changed. In mid-March the weekly average was about 15% below the same week of 2025. By late July it was Rs 3,202.74, almost 40% above the March level and nearly 20% above a year earlier.",[18,1076,1077],{},"Second, the level then held. From August to mid-September the weekly average stayed between Rs 2,999.55 and Rs 3,162.99. The 12 September report is headed \"2026-2027 crop season\", which is the first report in our set to compare the new season with the old one: Rs 3,042.45 against Rs 2,557.42 for the same week of 2025-26, about 19% higher.",[18,1079,1080],{},"Third, the quantities were not thin. Weekly volumes in the table range from about 520,000 kg to 680,000 kg, so the higher price was set in busy auctions, not on a few small lots.",[18,1082,1083],{},"A note on method. The weekly figure is an average across all auctioneers that traded that week, so it blends different grades and lots. It is not the price of a particular size grade, and it is not a price anyone can buy at. A buyer of 8 mm+ pods should expect to pay above the average, and a buyer of smaller or rejection grades below it. The value of the series is the trend and the year-on-year comparison, which the Board prints in the same table.",[18,1085,1086],{},"The year-on-year column puts the 2026 level in context. A year earlier, the weekly average sat between about Rs 2,430 and Rs 2,710 across the same July to September weeks, so buyers who budgeted on last year's levels have seen a clear step up.",[18,1088,1089],{},"The most recent figures we could read directly are from the Spices Board daily auction page for 29 October 2026. Two auctioneers are listed that day: Cardamom Growers Forever Private Limited, with an average of Rs 2,898.95/kg and a maximum of Rs 3,491, and Speciality Indian Food Parks Exports Private Limited, with an average of Rs 3,101.23/kg and a maximum of Rs 3,982. Single-day, single-auctioneer averages move more than the weekly total, so use them as a snapshot of the spread, not as a new trend.",[13,1091,1093],{"id":1092},"a-dry-monsoon","A dry monsoon",[18,1095,1096],{},"Idukki is the main cardamom district in Kerala, so its rainfall is the first number to check. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) figures reported by Onmanorama on 23 August 2026, Kerala received 1,255.5 mm of rain from 1 June to 23 August against a normal of 1,659.4 mm, a seasonal deficit of about 24%. Idukki's deficit was 46%, the second worst in the state after Wayanad at 52%.",[18,1098,1099],{},"What a deficit like that does to the crop is a separate question, and the answer arrives gradually through the picking rounds. Trade commentary from Commodity Board News (a trade website, not an official source) said in its 25 October 2026 edition that arrivals had \"normalised after earlier concerns over deficient monsoon rains\", and described the current move as \"steady, demand-led firming rather than a weather shock\". The same commentary puts June to July rainfall in the Idukki belt at about 40% below normal and says later rain improved prospects. Treat that as one trade view; the IMD figure above is the better-sourced one.",[18,1101,1102],{},"Read together with the auction data, the reasonable summary is this. The dry spell is a supply risk, the auctions have held at a higher level since July, and no source we checked shows prices spiking in October.",[13,1104,1106],{"id":1105},"india-and-guatemala-where-the-supply-picture-is-less-clear","India and Guatemala: where the supply picture is less clear",[18,1108,1109],{},"India and Guatemala are the two main origins buyers compare, and many buyers compare them on price and availability. Reliable Guatemalan crop data is harder to find than Indian auction data, because we found no equivalent of the Spices Board's weekly public report.",[18,1111,1112],{},"One trade publication, Does Spice, reports a Guatemalan 2025-26 harvest of 16,549 tonnes, up about 17% on the previous season but below a long-term average it puts above 30,000 tonnes. This figure is trade commentary and unverified: the page was undated and returned an error when we checked it on 30 October 2026, so we have not confirmed it against the producers' association or Guatemalan export statistics. If Guatemalan volume matters to your decision, ask your supplier for current figures from the origin instead of relying on this number.",[13,1114,1116],{"id":1115},"what-buyers-can-do-now","What buyers can do now",[18,1118,1119],{},"None of the sources above predicts where the price goes next, and neither do we. These are practical points that follow from the data.",[424,1121,1122,1128,1134,1140,1149,1155],{},[204,1123,1124,1127],{},[109,1125,1126],{},"Do not wait for a \"low\"."," The weekly average has stayed at about Rs 3,000/kg or higher since late July. If your purchasing plan assumes a return to March levels, test that assumption.",[204,1129,1130,1133],{},[109,1131,1132],{},"Decide your cover before you decide your price."," Work out how many months of cardamom you need, and for which grade, before you look at the daily auction. That turns the market into a timing question rather than a guessing game.",[204,1135,1136,1139],{},[109,1137,1138],{},"Ask for a sample of the lot."," Pod size, colour and cleanliness vary between lots and between harvest rounds. Approve the actual lot before you commit, not a photograph.",[204,1141,1142,1145,1146,1148],{},[109,1143,1144],{},"Write the grade and delivery window into the order."," Size is measured in different ways, so state the grade and how it is measured. Our guide, ",[35,1147,321],{"href":37},", covers this.",[204,1150,1151,1154],{},[109,1152,1153],{},"Check the date on any price you are quoted."," Auction averages change daily and are indicative. A price from a trade website is commentary, and the Spices Board's own reports are the reference.",[204,1156,1157,1160],{},[109,1158,1159],{},"Budget for a range."," Late-October highs on the Board's daily page ran about Rs 590 to Rs 880/kg above the day's average. Your price depends on the grade and lot you actually buy.",[13,1162,252],{"id":251},[18,1164,1165],{},"PureNest Ventures supplies green cardamom of Idukki origin, in whole pods, in 6-7 mm, 7-8 mm and 8 mm+ size grades, plus rejection grades in the same sizes. Our family has farmed and traded spices in Idukki for 30 years, and we source close to the harvest.",[18,1167,1168],{},"Before you commit, we send a sample of the lot for your approval. A product specification is agreed and shared with every quotation. Batches and lots are tested regularly by authorised laboratories, based on production and sourcing, and a Certificate of Analysis (COA) is issued for each tested batch or lot. Every shipment comes with a Certificate of Origin issued by the chamber of commerce.",[18,1170,1171],{},"We do not publish prices, because prices are quoted per order. Tell us the grade, quantity and destination, and request a quotation for current pricing from this page.",{"title":273,"searchDepth":274,"depth":274,"links":1173},[1174,1175,1176,1177,1178],{"id":955,"depth":274,"text":956},{"id":1092,"depth":274,"text":1093},{"id":1105,"depth":274,"text":1106},{"id":1115,"depth":274,"text":1116},{"id":251,"depth":274,"text":252},"market","/images/insights/new-crop-cardamom-2026.webp","Green cardamom capsules and a single white flower on a flowering panicle near the base of the plant, with soil behind","Spices Board auction averages rose from Rs 2,290/kg in March to above Rs 3,000 by July and held there. What the dry monsoon means for buyers planning cover.",[1184,1185,1186,1187,1188],"Weekly auction average: Rs 2,290/kg in March, Rs 3,203 in late July","By 12 Sep, averages were 19% above the same week of the 2025-26 season","IMD data: Idukki rainfall 46% below normal, 1 Jun to 23 Aug","Price rose and then held near Rs 3,000-3,100/kg through September and October","Agree grade, sample and delivery window early, rather than chase the daily auction",{},[299],{"title":949,"description":1182},{"loc":269,"lastmod":305},[1194,1198,1202,1206,1210,1213,1217,1220,1224,1228],{"title":1195,"url":1196,"date":1197},"Spices Board, Spices Market weekly report, week ending 14 Mar 2026 (PDF)","https://indianspices.com/sites/default/files/14.03.2026%20SPICE%20MARKET.pdf","2026-03-14",{"title":1199,"url":1200,"date":1201},"Spices Board, Spices Market weekly report, week ending 25 Jul 2026 (PDF)","https://indianspices.com/indianspices/sites/default/files/25.07.2026%20SPICES%20MARKET.pdf","2026-07-25",{"title":1203,"url":1204,"date":1205},"Spices Board, Spices Market weekly report, week ending 1 Aug 2026 (PDF)","https://indianspices.com/indianspices/sites/default/files/01.08.2026%20SPICEMARKET.pdf","2026-08-01",{"title":1207,"url":1208,"date":1209},"Spices Board, Spices Market weekly report, week ending 15 Aug 2026 (PDF)","https://indianspices.com/indianspices/sites/default/files/15.08.2026%20Spicemarket_.pdf","2026-08-15",{"title":1211,"url":1212,"date":666},"Spices Board, Spices Market weekly report, week ending 29 Aug 2026 (PDF)","https://indianspices.com/indianspices/sites/default/files/29.08.2026%20Spicemarket.pdf",{"title":1214,"url":1215,"date":1216},"Spices Board, Spices Market weekly report, week ending 12 Sep 2026 (PDF)","https://indianspices.com/indianspices/sites/default/files/12.09.2026%20SPICEMARKET.pdf","2026-09-12",{"title":1218,"url":1219,"date":944},"Spices Board, Daily auction price of small cardamom, 29 Oct 2026 entries","https://www.indianspices.com/marketing/price/domestic/daily-price-small.html",{"title":1221,"url":1222,"date":1223},"Onmanorama, Kerala faces 24% seasonal rainfall deficit; Wayanad worst-hit at 52% (IMD figures)","https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2026/08/23/kerala-faces-24-seasonal-rainfall-deficit-wayanad-worst-hit-at-52.html","2026-08-23",{"title":1225,"url":1226,"date":1227},"Commodity Board News, Indian cardamom edges higher as new-crop auctions stay firm (trade commentary)","https://commodity-board.com/indian-cardamom-edges-higher-as-new-crop-auctions-stay-firm","2026-10-25",{"title":1229,"url":1230,"date":285},"Does Spice, Guatemala cardamom harvest 2025-26 (trade commentary; undated, page not reachable when checked on 30 Oct 2026)","https://doesspice.com/en/news/guatemala-cardamom-harvest-2025%E2%80%93202","insights/new-crop-cardamom-2026","SJDxC6cTOPhHXQ6yJ1M_RaXDRRU0-0BNodqWVUSTl5k",{"id":1234,"title":1235,"audiences":1236,"body":1237,"category":1179,"cover":1500,"coverAlt":1501,"date":285,"description":1502,"extension":287,"factChecked":288,"keyPoints":1503,"meta":1509,"navigation":296,"path":1510,"products":1511,"seo":1512,"sitemap":1513,"sources":1514,"stem":1562,"updated":288,"__hash__":1563},"insights/insights/us-tariff-indian-spices-2026.md","Zero extra US tariff on Indian spices: what changes for US importers",[323,324],{"type":10,"value":1238,"toc":1492},[1239,1243,1246,1317,1320,1323,1327,1330,1333,1336,1340,1343,1372,1377,1381,1384,1454,1457,1461,1478,1480,1483,1489],[13,1240,1242],{"id":1241},"what-the-us-has-actually-decided-on-spices","What the US has actually decided on spices",[18,1244,1245],{},"US tariff policy on Indian goods has changed several times in twelve months, and the headline \"zero duty on Indian spices\" compresses a sequence that is easy to misread. Here is the sequence, with the primary text where we could read it.",[44,1247,1248,1260],{},[47,1249,1250],{},[50,1251,1252,1254,1257],{},[53,1253,720],{},[53,1255,1256],{},"Action",[53,1258,1259],{},"What it said about spices",[63,1261,1262,1273,1284,1295,1306],{},[50,1263,1264,1267,1270],{},[68,1265,1266],{},"14 Nov 2025",[68,1268,1269],{},"Executive Order 14360, effective for goods entered on or after 12:01 a.m. EST on 13 Nov 2025",[68,1271,1272],{},"The White House fact sheet lists \"cocoa and spices\" among agricultural products no longer subject to the reciprocal tariff. The order text itself names no products; they sit in annexes",[50,1274,1275,1278,1281],{},[68,1276,1277],{},"6-7 Feb 2026",[68,1279,1280],{},"India-US interim trade framework; the extra 25% duty on India removed from 7 Feb",[68,1282,1283],{},"India's commerce minister Piyush Goyal named spices among farm goods with zero US duty (newsonair, 7 Feb). KPMG's summary of the joint statement does not mention spices",[50,1285,1286,1289,1292],{},[68,1287,1288],{},"20 Feb 2026",[68,1290,1291],{},"US Supreme Court rules that IEEPA does not authorise tariffs",[68,1293,1294],{},"The reciprocal tariff, and the exemption list written into it, lost their legal basis",[50,1296,1297,1300,1303],{},[68,1298,1299],{},"24 Feb to 24 Jul 2026",[68,1301,1302],{},"Temporary 10% surcharge under Section 122",[68,1304,1305],{},"This post does not cover entries made in this window",[50,1307,1308,1311,1314],{},[68,1309,1310],{},"24 Jul 2026",[68,1312,1313],{},"USTR Section 301 tariffs on 60 economies; 10% on India",[68,1315,1316],{},"Pepper, cardamom and cloves are listed in Annex II as not covered",[18,1318,1319],{},"The last row is the one that matters today. The USTR notice of 23 July 2026 imposes a 10% additional tariff on products of India \"except as provided in Annex I and Annex II, Part A\". Annex II, Part A (\"Goods of Any Investigated Economy\") lists, among other spices, pepper of the genus Piper (HTS 0904.11.00 whole, 0904.12.00 crushed or ground), cloves (0907.10.00 and 0907.20.00) and cardamoms (0908.31.00 whole, 0908.32.00 crushed or ground). The annex states that products properly classified in a listed provision are not covered by the action. It applies to goods entered on or after 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on 24 July 2026.",[18,1321,1322],{},"So the accurate version of the headline is \"no additional Section 301 tariff on these spices\", not \"no duty of any kind\".",[13,1324,1326],{"id":1325},"why-the-order-of-events-matters","Why the order of events matters",[18,1328,1329],{},"The November 2025 order and the February 2026 deal were both built on the reciprocal tariff that the Supreme Court ruling removed. If you read older trade coverage quoting 50% or 18% on India, or a zero-duty exemption \"from the reciprocal tariff\", it describes a regime that no longer exists. The exemption did not simply carry over: the July notice has its own annexes, and spices were listed again in them.",[18,1331,1332],{},"Two cautions follow. First, an annex lists tariff lines, not trade names. Whether your shipment falls in a listed line depends on how it is classified at entry. Second, the July notice recounts that the exemptions USTR proposed earlier included certain products that \"cannot be grown or produced in sufficient quantities in the United States or obtained from other sources\". Tariff policy has moved several times this year, so check the current annex on the date of entry, not once at the start of the season.",[18,1334,1335],{},"Duty beyond the additional tariff is a separate line. The notice does not tell you the ordinary (most-favoured-nation) rate for a given product; that comes from the general column of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. Ask your customs broker for the rate and the classification they will use.",[13,1337,1339],{"id":1338},"what-still-applies-at-the-us-border","What still applies at the US border",[18,1341,1342],{},"A tariff exemption changes what you pay at entry. It does not change what the FDA expects. The points below are a general description from FDA pages, not legal advice, and your customs broker or regulatory adviser should confirm what applies to your shipment.",[424,1344,1345,1351,1357,1363],{},[204,1346,1347,1350],{},[109,1348,1349],{},"Prior notice."," Under 21 CFR 1.279, prior notice of an incoming food shipment must reach FDA no less than 2 hours before arrival by road, 4 hours by rail or air, and 8 hours by water. Under 21 CFR 1.281 the notice information is required \"for each article of food\".",[204,1352,1353,1356],{},[109,1354,1355],{},"Food facility registration."," FDA says facilities that manufacture, process, pack or hold food for consumption in the United States must register, and registrations must be renewed every other year. Ask your supplier whether its facility is registered.",[204,1358,1359,1362],{},[109,1360,1361],{},"FSVP."," FDA defines the importer as the US owner or consignee of the food. Under the Foreign Supplier Verification Programs rule, the importer must keep a separate programme for each food and each foreign supplier, run a hazard analysis, approve suppliers on a risk basis and carry out verification activities such as sampling and testing, review of supplier food-safety records or audits. This falls on the importer, not on the exporter.",[204,1364,1365,1368,1369,271],{},[109,1366,1367],{},"Import alerts."," FDA uses import alerts for products with a history of violations. Goods covered by \"detention without physical examination\" can be held at the border unless the importer shows the violation does not apply. Some alerts are firm-specific, and a supplier's name on one is a real delivery risk. We cover the Salmonella alert in our guide to ",[35,1370,1371],{"href":906},"EU pesticide limits and ethylene oxide",[18,1373,1374,1375,271],{},"For documents you can ask a supplier for before shipment, see the same guide, and for grade wording on a purchase order, see ",[35,1376,38],{"href":37},[13,1378,1380],{"id":1379},"landed-cost-more-than-duty","Landed cost: more than duty",[18,1382,1383],{},"With the additional tariff at nil for listed lines, duty stops being the biggest swing factor. These are the lines worth pricing before you compare quotations.",[44,1385,1386,1396],{},[47,1387,1388],{},[50,1389,1390,1393],{},[53,1391,1392],{},"Cost factor",[53,1394,1395],{},"What to check",[63,1397,1398,1406,1414,1422,1430,1438,1446],{},[50,1399,1400,1403],{},[68,1401,1402],{},"Ordinary (MFN) duty",[68,1404,1405],{},"The rate for your classification, from your customs broker",[50,1407,1408,1411],{},[68,1409,1410],{},"Additional Section 301 tariff",[68,1412,1413],{},"Whether your HTS line is in Annex II on the date of entry",[50,1415,1416,1419],{},[68,1417,1418],{},"Ocean freight",[68,1420,1421],{},"Outlook Business (16 Aug 2026) put freight roughly 25-40% above normal and said it rose 200-400% at the peak on some India-US routes",[50,1423,1424,1427],{},[68,1425,1426],{},"Transit time",[68,1428,1429],{},"The same article says many container vessels still go round the Cape of Good Hope, adding about 10-14 days, and that Suez traffic remains 60-70% below pre-crisis levels",[50,1431,1432,1435],{},[68,1433,1434],{},"War-risk insurance",[68,1436,1437],{},"Outlook Business says vessels face higher war-risk insurance costs",[50,1439,1440,1443],{},[68,1441,1442],{},"Testing and documents",[68,1444,1445],{},"Samples and lot testing you do for FSVP, plus the certificates you ask the supplier to provide",[50,1447,1448,1451],{},[68,1449,1450],{},"Time at the border",[68,1452,1453],{},"An import alert or a missing prior notice can hold a shipment, so build a margin into delivery dates",[18,1455,1456],{},"Freight figures are one outlet's reporting on one date and move with the Red Sea situation. Treat them as a reason to ask for a current freight quotation, not as a budget number.",[13,1458,1460],{"id":1459},"what-to-do-before-your-next-order","What to do before your next order",[201,1462,1463,1466,1469,1472,1475],{},[204,1464,1465],{},"Ask your customs broker for the HTS classification and current rates for each spice and form you buy (whole or ground).",[204,1467,1468],{},"Check the current tariff annex for your entry date.",[204,1470,1471],{},"Confirm the supplier's facility registration and whether it appears on any import alert.",[204,1473,1474],{},"Confirm your FSVP: who is the importer, what hazard analysis exists and which verification activities you will run.",[204,1476,1477],{},"Ask for current freight and transit time with each quotation.",[13,1479,252],{"id":251},[18,1481,1482],{},"PureNest Ventures supplies Idukki-origin green cardamom and black pepper, along with cardamom seed and cloves, from Kerala, India. We supply retail, HoReCa, export and food-manufacturing buyers in India and overseas, and every order is quoted on request.",[18,1484,1485,1486,1488],{},"A product specification is agreed and shared with every quotation. Batches and lots are tested regularly by authorised laboratories, based on production and sourcing. A Certificate of Analysis (COA) is issued for each tested batch or lot. Every shipment comes with a Certificate of Origin issued by the chamber of commerce. More detail is on our ",[35,1487,883],{"href":261},". We also send a sample of the lot for your approval.",[18,1490,1491],{},"Tell us the product, grade, quantity and destination, and request a quotation from this page.",{"title":273,"searchDepth":274,"depth":274,"links":1493},[1494,1495,1496,1497,1498,1499],{"id":1241,"depth":274,"text":1242},{"id":1325,"depth":274,"text":1326},{"id":1338,"depth":274,"text":1339},{"id":1379,"depth":274,"text":1380},{"id":1459,"depth":274,"text":1460},{"id":251,"depth":274,"text":252},"/images/insights/us-tariff-indian-spices-2026.webp","Base of a cardamom plant in red Idukki soil, with green pseudostems and trailing flower stalks carrying small green capsules and white flowers","Pepper, cardamom and cloves are listed as exempt from the US 10% Section 301 tariff on India from July 2026. What this means, plus FDA rules and freight.",[1504,1505,1506,1507,1508],"The 10% Section 301 tariff on India from 24 Jul 2026 lists pepper, cardamom and cloves as not covered","The Nov 2025 exemption and the Feb 2026 deal rested on IEEPA tariffs, which the Supreme Court struck down","Ordinary (MFN) duty is a separate line; confirm the HTS classification with your customs broker","FDA prior notice, facility registration, FSVP and import alerts still apply to every shipment","Red Sea freight was still 25-40% above normal in Aug 2026, so landed cost is not only duty",{},"/insights/us-tariff-indian-spices-2026",[299,300],{"title":1235,"description":1502},{"loc":1510,"lastmod":305},[1515,1519,1522,1526,1530,1534,1537,1540,1543,1546,1550,1554,1558],{"title":1516,"url":1517,"date":1518},"White House, Fact Sheet: President Trump modifies the scope of the reciprocal tariffs with respect to certain agricultural products","https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/11/fact-sheet-following-trade-deal-announcements-president-donald-j-trump-modifies-the-scope-of-the-reciprocal-tariffs-with-respect-to-certain-agricultural-products","2025-11-14",{"title":1520,"url":1521,"date":1518},"Executive Order 14360, Modifying the Scope of the Reciprocal Tariff With Respect to Certain Agricultural Products (American Presidency Project text)","https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/executive-order-14360-modifying-the-scope-the-reciprocal-tariff-with-respect-certain",{"title":1523,"url":1524,"date":1525},"newsonair (All India Radio), India-US trade deal cuts tariff on Indian exports to 18%: Piyush Goyal","https://www.newsonair.gov.in/india-us-trade-deal-cuts-tariff-on-indian-exports-to-18-piyush-goyal","2026-02-07",{"title":1527,"url":1528,"date":1529},"KPMG TaxNewsFlash, United States removes additional tariffs on imports from India","https://kpmg.com/us/en/taxnewsflash/news/2026/02/united-states-removes-tariffs-imports-india.html","2026-02-09",{"title":1531,"url":1532,"date":1533},"Cozen O'Connor, Supreme Court rules President lacks IEEPA tariff authority; President imposes Section 122 tariffs","https://www.cozen.com/news-resources/publications/2026/supreme-court-rules-president-lacks-ieepa-tariff-authority-president-imposes-section-122-tariffs","2026-02-24",{"title":1535,"url":1536,"date":1533},"Griffin, Hamilton & Yates (GHY), US 10% Section 122 tariff (states the 24 Feb start and 24 Jul 2026 end)","https://www.ghy.com/trade-compliance/us-10-percent-section-122-tariff/",{"title":1538,"url":1539,"date":918},"USTR, Section 301 final action on 60 economies (forced labor import prohibitions), notice with Annexes I and II","https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/files/Press/Releases/2026/FLIP%20301%20Investigation%20Final%20Action%20FRN%207-23-26%20FINAL.pdf",{"title":1541,"url":1542,"date":285},"21 CFR 1.279, Prior notice: when must it be submitted to FDA (eCFR)","https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-1.279",{"title":1544,"url":1545,"date":285},"21 CFR 1.281, Prior notice: what information must be submitted (eCFR)","https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-1.281",{"title":1547,"url":1548,"date":1549},"FDA, Registration of Food Facilities and Other Submissions","https://www.fda.gov/food/guidance-regulation-food-and-dietary-supplements/registration-food-facilities-and-other-submissions","2026-01-12",{"title":1551,"url":1552,"date":1553},"FDA, FSMA Final Rule on Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP) for Importers of Food for Humans and Animals","https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-modernization-act-fsma/fsma-final-rule-foreign-supplier-verification-programs-fsvp-importers-food-humans-and-animals","2026-05-01",{"title":1555,"url":1556,"date":1557},"FDA, Import Alerts","https://www.fda.gov/industry/actions-enforcement/import-alerts","2025-03-03",{"title":1559,"url":1560,"date":1561},"Outlook Business, 1,000 days of Red Sea crisis: why Indian exporters are still paying the price","https://www.outlookbusiness.com/news/1000-days-of-red-sea-crisis-why-indian-exporters-are-still-paying-the-price","2026-08-16","insights/us-tariff-indian-spices-2026","JYotSGr4T2juFnZP7g1TYyKx-j9vyTHnuktglViYdd0",1793339059566]