Buyer's Guide to Bulk Amchur: Grades, Specifications and Packing

Amchur is dried unripe green mango, traded either as whole dried slices or as a fine powder, and it is the primary sour agent in chaat masala, marinades and chutneys for Indian cuisine. This guide sets out the grades a buyer will be offered, the specification lines that should be fixed before the first order, and the packing options that protect a product that is both hygroscopic and colour-sensitive.

What is amchur and how is it produced?

Amchur (also spelled amchoor) is made by peeling unripe mangoes, cutting the flesh into slices, drying them to a moisture content of about 8 to 12 percent and, for the powder grade, milling the dried slices. Drying is traditionally done in the sun over several days; better processors use mechanical dryers at controlled temperature, which gives a lighter, more uniform colour and a lower microbial load. The fruit is harvested green, before sugars develop, so the finished product is sour rather than sweet: total acidity is typically 12 to 20 percent expressed as citric acid, and it varies by fruit maturity and season. Because unripe mangoes are available for only a few weeks each year, the entire annual supply is processed in a short window, and buyers who need consistent colour across the year contract for their full requirement at the start of the season rather than buying lot by lot.

How is amchur graded for bulk trade?

Amchur is graded on form (slices or powder), colour, and the level of processing (sun-dried versus machine-dried, and whether steam-treated). There is no single international grade standard comparable to those for pepper or cardamom, so grade names are commercial and vary between suppliers. In practice buyers see three tiers:

• Premium powder: light beige to pale yellow, machine-dried, milled to 60 to 80 mesh, moisture below 8 percent, free of added salt or turmeric. Used by seasoning manufacturers who need consistent colour in a finished blend.
• Standard powder: yellowish brown, typically 40 to 60 mesh, moisture up to 10 percent. Acceptable for chutneys, marinades and darker blends where colour is less critical.
• Whole slices: graded by size (typically 2 to 5 cm length, 3 to 8 mm thickness), colour and the proportion of broken pieces; sold for grinding at destination or for use in pickles and slow-cooked dishes.

The colour difference between tiers is mainly a function of drying method and age, not variety. Fresh-crop, machine-dried material is pale; sun-dried material browns at the edges; stock older than 12 months darkens throughout as natural sugars and acids react. A sample that is uniformly dark brown is usually old stock or over-dried material.

What specification should a bulk buyer fix for amchur?

The specification should fix moisture, acidity, colour, particle size, additive status and microbiology, because these are the parameters that vary most between lots and that a buyer can verify at destination. The table gives typical ranges seen in trade; the values agreed for a specific contract depend on grade and intended use.

Parameter	Amchur powder (typical)	Whole slices (typical)	Notes
Moisture	6 to 10 percent	8 to 12 percent	Powder above 10 percent cakes in transit
Total acidity (as citric acid)	12 to 20 percent	12 to 20 percent	Varies by fruit maturity and season
Total ash	3 to 6 percent	3 to 6 percent	Higher values indicate added salt or soil
Acid-insoluble ash	Max 1 percent	Max 1 percent	Indicator of sand and grit
Particle size	40 to 80 mesh, as agreed	Length 2 to 5 cm, thickness 3 to 8 mm	Fine grades cake faster
Colour	Light beige to yellowish brown	Pale yellow to brown	Fix against an approved sealed sample
Sulphur dioxide	Not detected, or declared	Not detected, or declared	Above 10 ppm must be labelled in the US and EU
Added salt, turmeric, starch	None unless specified	None	Verify by chloride and iodine tests
Total plate count	Max 100,000 cfu/g typical; lower with steam treatment	Max 500,000 cfu/g	Set to destination market requirement
Yeast and mould	Max 1,000 to 10,000 cfu/g	Max 10,000 cfu/g	Slices dried in humid weather run higher
Salmonella	Absent in 25 g	Absent in 25 g	Standard for all spices
E. coli	Absent in 1 g	Absent in 1 g
Shelf life	12 months	12 to 18 months	Below 25 degrees C and 60 percent RH

What does an experienced buyer check that a generic specification misses?

Four points separate a workable amchur contract from one that produces claims. First, adulteration: cheaper amchur powder is sometimes extended with salt, turmeric for colour, or starch. A chloride test picks up salt, an iodine test picks up starch, and total ash above 6 percent is a warning sign. Second, sulphite: some slices are treated with sulphur dioxide to hold a pale colour, and any residual above 10 ppm requires declaration on the label in the United States and the European Union. Ask for a sulphite result on every lot, or specify untreated material and accept a slightly darker colour. Third, caking: amchur powder is strongly hygroscopic, and a 25 kg bag with a single thin liner will arrive as hard lumps after a humid voyage. Specify double polyethylene liners and, if the destination process cannot handle lumps, ask whether an anti-caking agent is used and confirm it is declared. Fourth, pesticide residue: mango orchards are sprayed, and residue limits for dried fruit are assessed against the dried weight, which concentrates any residue by a factor of roughly five to eight compared with the fresh fruit. Request a multi-residue screen on the first lot and at least annually after that.

How is bulk amchur packed and shipped?

Bulk amchur powder is packed in 25 kg multiwall paper bags or HDPE woven bags with an inner polyethylene liner; slices are packed in 10 to 25 kg HDPE woven bags or cartons. Powder for seasoning manufacturers is often supplied in 20 or 25 kg cartons with a double food-grade liner, which stacks well and protects against liner punctures on the pallet. Bulk density for the powder is roughly 0.5 to 0.7 g/ml depending on mesh, so a 20 ft container carries approximately 8 to 10 tonnes; slices have lower bulk density and load around 5 to 7 tonnes per 20 ft. These payloads vary with pack format and should be confirmed in the quotation. Typical MOQ ranges from 500 kg for LCL consolidation to a full container, and ODOD LLC ships FCL and LCL worldwide on FOB, CIF, CFR or DDP terms, with the port of loading confirmed in the quotation. See the product pages for amchoor powder and amchur whole slices for pack options.

How should amchur be stored and what shelf life should a buyer expect?

Amchur keeps for 12 months (powder) to 18 months (slices) when stored below 25 degrees C and below 60 percent relative humidity in sealed liners. Two changes occur in storage: moisture uptake leads to caking and mould risk, and slow browning reduces the colour value that premium buyers pay for. Neither change affects acidity meaningfully, so a product that has darkened is still functional as a sour agent but no longer meets a premium colour grade. Buyers planning a full-year programme usually take delivery in two or three tranches rather than one and hold stock in climate-controlled warehousing. Where amchur is used alongside other dried sour agents, anardana powder behaves similarly and is stored under the same conditions.

What documents accompany a bulk amchur shipment?

A standard shipment carries a commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin, phytosanitary certificate where the destination requires it, a certificate of analysis against the agreed specification, and a fumigation certificate if the container was treated. ODOD LLC holds US FDA registration, ISO, Halal, HACCP and GMP certification, and copies are provided with each quotation. Origin of the goods is stated on the quotation and the shipping documents. For US importers, FDA prior notice is filed before arrival; for the EU, the health certificate and any residue documentation should match the specification agreed at contract stage.

Fix the grade, the additive status and the packing liner before the first order, and most amchur disputes never arise. To receive a specification sheet, current certificates and a sample of amchur in the grade you need, request a quotation with your quantity, destination and intended use.