Specifications, HS codes, minimums, testing and logistics — the questions our export desk answers most often.
If your question is not here, the export desk replies to enquiries within 48 business hours.
Minimum order is 500 kg for raw turmeric fingers, turmeric powder, whole dried red chillies, red chilli powder and chilli flakes. Polished turmeric has a 1,000 kg minimum, because the polishing run is set up per lot. Recurring contracts are welcome at the same batch discipline.
Raw turmeric fingers run 4.0% to 5.5% curcumin, polished turmeric 3.5% to 4.8%, and turmeric powder 3.0% to 5.0% standardised to an agreed band. Polishing removes part of the outer layer, which carries some of the curcumin, so polished material sits slightly below raw fingers by design.
Turmeric is classified under HS heading 0910.30, whether it ships whole as fingers or bulbs, or ground as powder. Turmeric extracts and oleoresins fall under 1302.19 instead, and essential oils under 3301.29. Declaring the right code matters for duty rates and clearance speed in the destination market.
Whole dried chillies of the genus Capsicum are classified under HS 0904.21. Crushed or ground chilli — powder and flakes — falls under HS 0904.22. The split is by physical form, not by variety or heat level.
Teja S17, Sannam S4 and Byadgi, sourced from Guntur, Khammam and Byadgi. Across those varieties heat runs 8,000 to 100,000 SHU and colour 60 to 160 ASTA. Teja is the hot variety, Byadgi the high-colour and low-heat one favoured for extraction, and Sannam the general-purpose grinding grade.
SHU (Scoville Heat Units) measures pungency — how hot the chilli tastes. ASTA measures extractable colour — how red it is and how much of that colour transfers into a finished product. They vary independently: Byadgi is high in ASTA and low in SHU, while Teja is the reverse. A chilli specification needs both figures, not one.
Yes. Every batch is tested by a third-party laboratory before the container is sealed, and the report ships with the consignment. Turmeric is tested for curcumin; chilli for Scoville heat and ASTA colour. Both are tested for moisture, ash, heavy metals, aflatoxin and microbiological load.
European Union, United States, United Kingdom and the Middle East, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Sea and air freight are both available, with export documentation prepared in-house.
Within 48 business hours of receiving your grade, volume and destination port. The quote is tied to a specific batch, so the quality figures you are quoted are the figures for the material you would actually receive.
Bulk packing is 25 kg PP bags, 50 kg jute bags, and 40 kg jute bales for chilli. Retail formats run 500 g, 1 kg and 5 kg, with custom branding available for consumer-facing lines. Shipment is FCL in 20 ft or 40 ft containers, or LCL for smaller volumes.
Every consignment carries a batch ID that resolves to a specific sourcing region, harvest date, processing method and signed laboratory report. Scanning the QR code on the consignment returns the same record a buyer can see on this website, and each sack or bale is marked with the batch it came from.
Below 25°C in a steady temperature, with relative humidity under 65%, in dark or opaque food-grade moisture-proof packaging with steady air circulation. Stored that way, whole spices typically hold their quality for 12 to 24 months from harvest. Fluctuating temperature is the main risk — it drives condensation inside the sack.
Almost always for one of a short list: aflatoxins and ochratoxin A above the permitted maximum, pesticide residues over the applicable MRL, ethylene oxide residues, unauthorised colouring such as Sudan dyes, or excessive microbial load. Indian chilli in particular attracts additional border checks. We test against that list before the container is sealed rather than after a refusal.
Yes. Retail formats — 500 g pouches, 1 kg and 5 kg packs — can be produced with custom branding for consumer-facing lines. Bulk formats are batch-marked rather than branded.
Yes. Zenvira Spices holds Importer-Exporter Code AAEFZ4602K, issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). Our certification records and the documentation pack issued with each consignment are published on the Certifications page.
Longer reference material for teams building a sourcing specification.
Curcumin grading, HS classification, EU and US import requirements, documentation and storage.
Read the GuideTeja, Sannam and Byadgi profiles, SHU and ASTA, aflatoxin and dye controls, stemming and drying.
Read the GuideDatasheets for all six export lines — curcumin, SHU, ASTA, moisture, MOQ and packaging.
View ProductsTell us the destination market and we will tell you the documentation, the specification and the lead time it will take to clear it.