Agriculture & Organic Commodities
Nuts & dried fruits knowledge centre
A truthful specification distinguishes the plant product, shell or pit status, whole/piece style, count method, treatment, defects and lot-specific food-safety evidence.
Programme is not proof
“Aflatoxin-control programme” describes an intended control system. Only representative sampling and a lot-linked result support compliance for a shipment.
Product identities
Prunus dulcis
Declare shelled/in-shell status, cultivar or market type, kernel size/count method and processing treatment.
Anacardium occidentale
Whole, splits and pieces are kernel styles—not different botanical products. A commercial cashew grade combines style, colour and count/size.
Pistacia vera
Specify in-shell or kernel, naturally/mechanically opened status, size/count and whether roasted or salted.
Juglans regia
In-shell walnuts and shelled kernels need different style terminology; kernel halves, quarters and pieces should be contracted explicitly.
Vitis vinifera
Dark colour does not by itself establish grape variety or drying method. Declare variety, seed status, treatment and colour range.
Vitis vinifera
Golden appearance may be process-related. Sulphur-dioxide use and residual limit must be declared rather than inferred from colour.
Phoenix dactylifera
Variety, pitted/unpitted status, moisture class and count/size materially change application and shelf behaviour.
Prunus armeniaca
Declare pitted status, halves/whole style, sulphured or unsulphured treatment and colour expectations.
Ficus carica
Variety, presentation style and size/count must accompany aflatoxin and infestation controls.
Contract whether this means in-shell fruit, a whole shelled kernel, or whole dried fruit; the legacy word alone is ambiguous.
State the count or screen method and tolerance. ‘Calibrated’ without a numeric method is not a grade.
Declare the style distribution, minimum piece size, fines and foreign/shell-fragment tolerances.
Lot evidence
Build a nut or dried-fruit request