Yes. Many Indian spice grinders make masala blends to a buyer's own recipe, from curry powders and garam masala to seasonings for snacks and ready meals. Some will also develop a blend from a brief if you do not have a fixed recipe.
The work is in getting the blend right once and then making it the same way every time. That depends on a clear brief, an approved sample and a written spec.
How the process usually works
Sampling rounds can take several weeks, so start well ahead of your launch date. The usual steps are these.
- You send a recipe or a brief: target flavour, heat, colour, use and market.
- The factory makes trial samples, often in several versions.
- You test the samples in your own product and give feedback.
- You approve a final sample, which becomes the reference standard.
- You agree the recipe, the spec and the packing in writing.
- The factory runs a first production batch, which is tested against the approved sample before shipment.
What to put in your brief
- The list of ingredients and target percentages, if you have them.
- The particle size you need, so the blend does not separate in the pack.
- Limits for salt, if any, and whether you want added sugar, flavours or anti-caking agents.
- Your microbiological spec and whether you need steam sterilisation.
- Allergen rules for your market, so the factory knows what must be declared or kept out.
- Whether you want bulk packs or retail packs.
What to check about the factory
A blend is only as good as its weakest ingredient. Ask whether the factory grinds the main spices itself or buys powders in. Ask how it weighs and records each ingredient, how long it mixes, and how it cleans the mixer between blends. Allergen control matters too, because a line that runs mustard or wheat-based blends can contaminate yours.
Look for metal detection, sieving and a food safety system. A buyer selling to supermarkets will often need a recognised certification. Our guide to certifications a spice grinding unit should have covers the common ones.
Keeping the blend consistent
Raw spices vary by crop and lot, so the same recipe can taste different from batch to batch. Good factories adjust for colour or heat within agreed limits. Agree which parameters can be adjusted and which cannot. Keep a retained sample from each batch, and compare every pre-shipment sample with your approved standard. If you are worried about the recipe leaving your control, read how to protect your blend recipe.
How we help
We shortlist grinders that can make your type of blend, run the sampling rounds with you, and write the recipe and spec into the contract. During production we check weighing, mixing and allergen control, and we test each batch before loading. Ask for a free sourcing review to start.