Dried herbs keep their colour and aroma best when packed dry, sealed in a food-grade liner and kept away from light, heat and air. The outer bag or carton protects the liner. The liner protects the herb.
The right pack depends on the form. Cut leaf and roots travel well in lined bags or cartons. Powders and aromatic herbs need tighter barriers.
Common export packs for herbs
- Multi-wall paper bags with a polyethylene inner liner, common for cut leaf and powders.
- PP woven bags with an inner liner, used for roots, barks and some cut herbs.
- Corrugated cartons with a liner, good for light leaves that crush easily.
- Fibre drums with liners, used for powders and extracts in smaller quantities.
- Compressed bales, used for some bulky leaves such as senna, to fit more into a container.
- Foil or multilayer laminate bags, sometimes with nitrogen flushing, for sensitive or high-value herbs.
What each threat needs
- Moisture: pack at or below the agreed moisture limit, seal the liner, and keep bags off wet floors.
- Light: use opaque outer packs and avoid clear bags for green herbs.
- Air: tie or heat-seal the liner and fill it well. Barrier laminates help for powders.
- Heat: avoid storing packed herbs under tin roofs or in direct sun before loading.
- Crushing: do not overfill bags of leaf, and avoid heavy goods stacked on top.
- Odour: do not store or ship herbs next to strong-smelling cargo.
The container journey
Sea containers can heat up by day and cool by night. Moisture in the air and in the cargo condenses on the roof and drips back as "container rain". This can wet the top layer of bags and cause mould.
Common measures include lining the container walls and roof with kraft paper, using desiccant strips, and making sure the floor and walls are dry before loading. Ask the supplier what they use, and check it at loading.
Herbs are light and bulky, so a 20 ft container often fills by volume well before its weight limit. Ask for the last actual loading of the same herb and pack. Our guide to how much fits in a container explains why.
Labelling and retail packs
Each bag should show the product, botanical name, lot number, net weight, packing date and best before date. Your importer and broker will check these against the documents.
If you want retail or tea-bag packs filled in India, the supplier needs the right packing line and your artwork approved in writing. Our article on private label packing in India covers the steps.
Where we come in
We agree the pack in your spec, check the bags, liners and labels at the factory, and supervise loading so the container is dry and lined as agreed. Photos and a loading report reach you before the container leaves. Request a free sourcing review.