Groundnut export grades explained

Most groundnut consignments that get held at a destination port are not held because of price or paperwork. They are held because the lot did not match the specification the buyer thought they had agreed.

Four numbers decide almost everything about a groundnut contract: count per ounce, variety, moisture and aflatoxin. This page explains what each one means and what a sensible figure looks like, so you can write an enquiry that gets you a comparable quote.

Count per ounce is exactly what it says: how many kernels it takes to make one ounce (28.35 g). A lower number means a bigger kernel. 38/42 counts are large; 80/90 counts are small.

It is the single most important commercial parameter, because it drives price more than anything else. It is not a measure of quality — a well-cleaned 80/90 lot is a better product than a poorly sorted 40/50 lot. Larger counts simply command a premium because fewer kernels reach that size.

Indian groundnut is traded mainly in three types. Bold kernels are the elongated, larger-seeded types that reach the low counts. Java is rounder and smaller, generally sweeter, and dominates the mid counts. TJ is a Spanish-type kernel, uniform and well suited to blanching.

Blanched kernels — skin removed — and split kernels are processed from these rather than being separate varieties. If your process needs blanched or split, say so in the enquiry, because it changes both the price and the lead time.

Export groundnut is normally held at 7-8% moisture. That range is not arbitrary. Below about 6% kernels become brittle and split in handling, which costs you yield. Above roughly 9% the lot becomes biologically active in a warm container, and that is the condition in which mould grows and aflatoxin develops in transit.

A lot can leave India inside your aflatoxin limit and arrive outside it if it was shipped wet. Moisture is the specification that protects the specification you actually care about.

Aflatoxin is a toxin produced by Aspergillus moulds. It is the parameter most likely to cause a rejection at the destination port, and the permitted level differs sharply between markets — which is why the destination has to be named in the enquiry.

The European Union sets far stricter limits than the United States, and within the EU the limit depends on whether the groundnut will be sorted or processed before it reaches a consumer, or eaten as it is. Indicative figures:

Foreign matter and admixture limits, usually expressed as a maximum percentage. Oil content, if the lot is for crushing rather than table use. Free fatty acid, for oil-grade material. And packing: jute bags, PP bags, vacuum packing or bulk container all carry different costs.