Indian and African-origin cashews processed in India go through the same plants, the same steps and the same grading. The differences come from the raw nut: its size, kernel yield, colour and, some buyers say, its taste.
Because India imports a large share of its raw cashew nuts, many Indian kernels come from African nuts. Ask which origin your lot is, and agree it in the contract if it matters to you.
Why Indian processors use African nuts
India's own cashew harvest, roughly February to May, does not supply enough raw nuts for the processing industry. Processors import raw cashew nuts from West African countries such as Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Benin and Guinea-Bissau, and from East Africa, including Tanzania. Different African origins harvest at different times of year, which helps keep plants running.
The mix of origins in a plant changes with price and availability. A processor may use Indian nuts one month and African nuts the next.
How the raw nut affects the kernel
- Outturn: the weight of kernel recovered from a bag of raw nuts, often quoted as KOR in pounds per 80 kg bag. Higher outturn means more kernel per tonne of raw nut.
- Nut count: the number of raw nuts per kilogram. Fewer, larger nuts tend to give larger kernel grades.
- Size profile: some origins yield more W180 and W240, others more W320 and W450.
- Colour: kernel colour can vary with origin, storage time and processing.
- Moisture and storage: raw nuts stored long or shipped damp can produce darker or spotted kernels.
- Taste: many buyers find Indian-origin kernels sweet and well flavoured, but this is subjective. Taste samples yourself.
Origin labelling
How you may declare origin depends on your country's rules of origin and food labelling law. Some markets treat processing in India as conferring Indian origin. Others may expect the raw nut origin to be shown, or apply different rules for customs and for labels. Check with your customs broker and your food regulator before you print packaging.
If you need a single origin for a brand claim, write it into the contract and ask for supporting documents, such as raw nut import papers.
What stays the same
The grade names, the spec and the safety tests are the same for both origins. Moisture, aflatoxin, Salmonella, foreign matter and broken kernels must meet your limits whichever nut went in. Grade definitions are explained in what cashew grades like W180, W240 and W320 mean.
Quality depends more on the processor than on the origin. A careful plant using African nuts can produce better kernels than a careless plant using Indian nuts.
How Creston & Co handles this
We ask the processor to state the raw nut origin in writing and check it against their purchase documents during the audit. We compare samples from different origins side by side, with NABL lab results for each. Ask for a free sourcing review.