A good specification describes the product so clearly that two different suppliers would ship the same thing. It names the product and grade, lists every quality parameter with a limit and a test method, and says how the goods are packed, labelled and checked.
Anything you leave out is the supplier's choice. If the spec does not mention moisture, you will get whatever moisture the market had that week.
Start with the identity of the product
- Product name, including the botanical name where it removes doubt.
- Form: whole, split, crushed, powder, flakes, granules, and the particle size or mesh where relevant.
- Origin: country, and region if it matters to you.
- Crop year, so you know the goods are from the current season.
- Grade and cleaning level, for example machine-cleaned or sortex-cleaned. See what those terms mean.
- Processing: conventional or organic, steam sterilised or not, and "no ETO treatment".
Then the quality parameters
Each parameter needs three things: what is measured, the limit, and the method used to measure it. A limit without a method invites arguments, because different methods give different numbers.
- Physical: moisture, purity, foreign matter, admixture of other seeds, damaged or discoloured seeds, insect damage.
- Chemical: volatile oil where relevant, total ash, acid insoluble ash, colour value for products such as chilli or turmeric.
- Contaminants: aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, pesticide residues to your market's maximum residue levels, ethylene oxide and 2-chloroethanol.
- Microbiological: total plate count, yeast and mould, Salmonella and others your customer requires.
- Sensory: colour, aroma and taste typical of the product, free from mustiness.
Set limits from your own market
The right limits come from three places: your country's food law, your customer's spec, and what the product and grade can realistically achieve. Indian standards do not decide what you may sell at home. For guidance on setting the physical limits, read what tolerances to include for moisture, purity and foreign matter.
Ask your customer for their spec before you write yours. If you supply several customers, write to the strictest one.
Packing, labelling and checking
- Pack type and net weight, for example 25 kg PP woven bags with liner or cartons for dehydrated products.
- Marking on each bag: product, lot number, crop year, net and gross weight, and any shipping marks you need.
- Palletisation or loose loading, and how the container should be prepared.
- Who draws the sample, which lab tests it, and which results decide acceptance.
- What happens if a result is out of spec: rejection, replacement or an agreed allowance.
Make it part of the contract
A spec sent by email and never signed is weak. Attach it to the purchase contract, refer to its version number, and have both sides sign. Keep the approved sample alongside it so physical appearance is also agreed.
Review the spec after each shipment. If a problem came up that the spec did not cover, add a line for next time.
Keep the language plain. Avoid terms such as "good quality" or "export quality", which mean whatever the reader wants them to mean. A figure, a method and a pass or fail rule are harder to argue with.
How we help
We draft the specification with you, check it against what Indian processors can actually deliver, and test against it at an NABL-accredited lab before shipment. Start with a free sourcing review.