Turmeric finger specification for export: the limits and a sheet format

Key takeaways

• The Indian baseline is FSSAI clause 2.9.18, which has separate limits for whole turmeric and powder [1].
• Whole turmeric has no curcumin minimum. The 2.0% figure often quoted is the powder limit [1].
• EU lots need more. Spices Board's list adds aflatoxin limits for whole turmeric [3].
• A limit is not a spec. Show your own tested value beside each limit, with the lot number.

What does the standard say turmeric fingers are?

FSSAI defines whole turmeric as the primary or secondary rhizomes of Curcuma longa L., commercially called bulbs or fingers [1]. The rhizomes must be cured by soaking in boiling water and then dried, and they may be in their natural state or machine polished [1].

The clause also sets what must be absent. The product must be free from mould, living and dead insects, insect fragments and rodent contamination. It must also be free from lead chromate, added starch and other extraneous colouring matter [1].

What are the limits for turmeric fingers?

These are the FSSAI limits for whole turmeric [1]:

"Defective" has a set meaning. It covers shrivelled fingers or bulbs, internally damaged, hollow or porous rhizomes, rhizomes scorched by boiling, and other damaged rhizomes [1].

Microbiological limits apply too. Chapter 2.9 says spices must conform to Table 3 of Appendix B. For dried spices, that includes Salmonella absent in 25 g [2].

How should you set your own limits?

Don't copy the legal limit onto your sheet. "Moisture max 12.0%" only tells a buyer that the lot is legal, and every serious supplier can say that.

Use your own results instead. Look at your last few lots and state a figure you can hold on every shipment. A buyer's lab will test your sample against it, and the bulk shipment has to match.

Why is curcumin missing from the table?

Because the whole turmeric clause doesn't set a minimum. The requirement of at least 2.0% curcuminoid content on a dry basis appears only in the powder clause [1].

Buyers still ask for it. A figure alone doesn't help them, because results depend on how they were measured. State three things:

• the value, such as "curcuminoids [__]%";
• the basis, such as dry basis;
• the test method and the lab.

Don't copy a figure from another seller's listing. If your lot tests lower, the buyer's lab will find it.

Which origin name should you use?

Buyers often ask by origin, so state it plainly. Spices Board's list of GI tags includes Sangli Turmeric and Waigaon Turmeric from Maharashtra, Erode Manjal from Tamil Nadu and Lakadong Turmeric from Meghalaya [6].

Check before you print a GI name. Each one is registered to a named body [6]. If you aren't sure you may use it, give the district and state instead. If you trade as single or double polished, say which.

What do export markets add?

Requirements depend on where the lot is going. Spices Board's list of mandatory tests gives these for whole turmeric [3]:

Ethylene oxide needs its own check. Our guide to ethylene oxide in Indian spices sets out the current EU position and the limits in other markets.

Buyers can ask for more than the law does. A buyer's own specification can be tighter than any of these limits, so ask for it before you quote.

What should a turmeric finger spec sheet include?

Keep it to one page per form. A buyer should be able to compare your sheet with another supplier's in a minute. Use this order:

Product: Turmeric fingers, dried, [natural / machine polished]
Botanical name: Curcuma longa L.
Origin: [State, India]
HS code: 0910 30 20 (confirm with your CHA)
Moisture: max [__]%
Extraneous matter: max [__]%
Defective rhizomes: max [__]%
Insect-damaged matter: max [__]%
Lead chromate: negative, [lab, report number]
Curcuminoids: [__]%, [basis], [method]
Aflatoxin B1 / total: [__] / [__] ppb
Ethylene oxide: [result], [lab, report number]
Packing: [bag type, net weight, liner]
Shelf life and storage: [your tested claim]
Version: [date], Lot: [number]

The HS line comes from Spices Board's ITC (HS) list, which gives 0910 30 20 for dried turmeric [5]. Our turmeric HS code guide covers the other forms.

Packing matters for moisture. Spices Board's guidelines call for non-porous bags, recommend new bags for food contact, and say fully ventilated containers are preferable for spices in bags, especially from a high-humidity region [4].

Which mistakes cost the most?

• Quoting the powder limits for fingers. Moisture is 12.0% for whole turmeric and 10.0% for powder [1].
• Writing "curcumin 3-5%" with no method. The buyer can't compare it with anything.
• Leaving out lead chromate. FSSAI requires a negative test, and polished turmeric is where buyers will look for added colour.
• Not saying whether it is polished. A buyer who expects one form and receives the other has a reason to reject the lot.
• Sending a sheet with no date or lot. Nobody can match it to what you ship.

Next step. See how the same limits look for powder on our turmeric spec sheet. Before a buyer reads your sheet, they usually check your company. Our free Buyer Check is a 1-page report on your Google listing, website and spec gaps, with the 3 fixes that matter most, within 24 hours.