A peanut count tells you how many kernels make up one ounce, which is about 28.35 grams. A 40/50 count means 40 to 50 kernels per ounce. A 60/70 count means 60 to 70 kernels per ounce, so the kernels are smaller.
The lower the count, the larger the kernel. Count is the main way groundnut kernels are graded and priced in the export trade.
How counts are produced
After shelling, kernels pass over a series of screens with different hole sizes. Each screen holds back kernels above a certain size and lets smaller ones through. The result is a set of size fractions, each sold as a count.
Screening sorts by width and thickness, not weight. So the count is checked afterwards by weighing out one ounce and counting the kernels, usually several times across the sample.
Common counts by type
- Bold (Virginia type): commonly traded as 35/40, 38/42, 40/50, 50/60 and 60/70.
- Java (Spanish type): commonly traded as 50/60, 60/70, 70/80, 80/90 and 90/100.
- Mixed or ungraded lots: sold for crushing, blanching or local trade without a tight count.
Why the count matters to you
Your process decides the count. Roasted and salted snack packs often want a large, even kernel. Coated peanuts need a consistent size so the coating is even. Peanut butter and confectionery makers often use smaller counts or blanched kernels, because size matters less once the kernel is ground or chopped.
Larger counts are usually scarcer in a given crop and command more, while smaller counts are more plentiful. The weather in a season changes the share of each size, so the counts on offer move from year to year. That is one reason to read the difference between Java and Bold peanuts before fixing your grade.
How to write the count in your contract
A count on its own is not enough. Suppliers can meet the range on average while including a spread of sizes. Spell out how the count is tested and what tolerance you accept.
- State the type and the count range, for example Java 60/70.
- Say the count is measured per ounce, as an average of a set number of tests.
- Set a tolerance for kernels outside the range, for illustration a small percentage of undersize.
- Ask for count, moisture and defects on the pre-shipment sample and on the inspection report.
- Keep a sealed reference sample of the approved lot.
Where we come in
At pre-shipment inspection we draw samples from the bags, count kernels per ounce ourselves and compare them with the approved sample and your spec. If the lot is off count we raise it before the container is sealed. To set your count and tolerances, ask for a free sourcing review.