Kabuli chickpeas 12 mm means the beans are graded by sieve size, with most of the lot above a 12 mm screen. Steam sterilized spices have been treated with pressurised steam to cut the microbial load. ETO free spices have not been treated with ethylene oxide, a fumigant that is restricted in some markets.
The first is a physical size, the others are process claims. You verify a size with a sieve and a process claim with records and tests.
How is a 12 mm chickpea graded?
Kabuli chickpeas are sorted over a series of screens. A 12 mm grade means the lot is retained on a 12 mm screen, and the sheet should give the percentage allowed to pass below it. Sizes are also expressed as counts per ounce, as set out in size counts for Kabuli chickpeas.
Larger sizes carry more value, but size says nothing about taste or cooking quality. Ask for moisture, split and damaged beans, foreign matter and colour as well.
What does steam sterilised mean?
Steam sterilisation exposes whole or ground spice to saturated steam, followed by drying and cooling, to reduce bacteria and mould. It is chosen over chemical treatment because it leaves no residue. It must be controlled, as too much heat can lose volatile oils and colour.
Ask for the treatment record for your lot, the log reduction the plant validates, and a post-treatment plate count. How steam sterilisation works for spices covers it.
What are ETO free spices, and who checks?
Ethylene oxide was widely used to treat spices against microbes. Its residues are tightly restricted in the EU, and a series of European alerts in recent years made buyers wary. The exact limits are in EU law and change, so confirm the current rule for your market with your importer or the competent authority.
ETO free is a claim about the plant's process, not the product. To support it, ask for a written statement that the plant does not use ethylene oxide, a record of the alternative treatment, and a laboratory test of ethylene oxide and 2-chloroethanol on your lot. How to be sure a spice powder is ETO free goes through this.
How should you write the claims into the order?
Treat each claim as an obligation with proof attached.
- State the size as a screen size and a maximum share below it, not just the headline number.
- State the treatment method and ask for the batch treatment record with each shipment.
- Name the residue tests you require, and the limit, and ask for the report from an accredited laboratory.
- Keep a sealed sample of each lot and retest it yourself if there is any doubt.
Which claim causes most disputes?
Treatment claims cause more disputes than size, because size can be measured on arrival while a treatment cannot be seen. For that reason, ask for the supplier's record of each treated batch, and tie it to the lot number printed on the bags. A lot that cannot be traced to a treatment batch should be treated as untreated, whatever the invoice says.
Next step
Cost depends on size, treatment, testing and pack, so a quote needs your specification. If you want treatment and size claims checked against real lots, book a free sourcing review. See also why quality drops after the first container.