Dehydrated onion powder from India, tested before it ships
Finely milled onion for spice blends, snack seasoning, soups and sauces. We find the plant that mills it, set the mesh, moisture and microbiology limits and test every lot.
Onion powder is dried onion milled fine enough to pass about 80 or 100 mesh, so it disperses into a sauce, blend or coating with no specks. Spice blenders, snack seasoning makers, soup and sauce producers and meat processors buy it in volume. The main risks are caking, because the powder is hygroscopic and rich in natural sugars, and faults that milling hides, such as burnt particles, foreign matter and high microbial counts. We work for you, not the factory: we write the mesh, moisture and microbiology limits into the spec, check the packing room and test each lot at an NABL-accredited lab before loading.
Specification
What goes into a dehydrated onion powder spec
| What to set | What buyers usually write, for illustration |
|---|---|
| Particle size | A minimum share passing a stated mesh, such as 80 or 100 mesh, with the sieve series named and a limit on oversize |
| Moisture | A maximum in the region of 5 to 6 percent or tighter, measured on the packed lot, with water activity as an optional extra |
| Flow and anti-caking | 100 percent onion with no flow agent, or a named anti-caking agent and maximum level only where your market allows it |
| Bulk density | A range agreed from approved samples with a named method, since it affects filling, dosing and container load |
| Colour | White to off-white for white onion, tested on the powder itself against a sealed reference sample |
| Microbiology | Limits for total plate count, coliforms, E. coli, yeast and mould by named ISO methods, set for treated or untreated product |
| Salmonella | Absent in 25 g on every lot, with no release until results are in |
| Treatment | Untreated or steam sterilised, no ethylene oxide (ETO) and no irradiation unless agreed, tested for ETO and 2-chloroethanol |
| Pesticide residues | A multi-residue screen against your market's limits, for example EU MRLs |
These are typical trade figures for illustration only, so set your own limits for your recipe, market and grade.
Uses
Where buyers use it
Spice blends and premixes
Fine powder blends evenly with other ground spices and looks uniform in the finished mix.
Snack seasoning
Fine particles stick to chips, extruded snacks and crackers. The seasoning is not cooked again, so most buyers ask for steam-sterilised powder.
Soups, sauces and gravies
Powder dissolves without specks and releases its flavour fastest of all the forms.
Meat brines and marinades
Powder suits brines and marinades for processed meat, where coarse particles could block injectors.
Bakery mixes and coatings
A smooth texture in batters, breadings and bakery mixes, with no visible pieces.
Ordering
What to write into the order
- The mesh, the sieve series and the minimum share passing
- Maximum moisture, the method and a sampling point just before packing
- 100 percent onion, or a named anti-caking agent and level agreed in writing
- Colour and flavour against a sealed reference sample of the powder
- Maximums for total and acid insoluble ash, and nil foreign matter
- Untreated or steam sterilised, and no ETO, tested for ETO and 2-chloroethanol
- Microbiology limits and Salmonella absent in 25 g
- Double sealed liners, a dry packing room and desiccants for humid voyages
Shipping
HS code, packing and loads
HS code
HS 0712.20 covers dried onion in powder, and the Indian 8-digit line is 0712 20 00. Powder mixed with salt or other spices can be classed elsewhere, so ask your customs broker before you order.
Packing
Cartons or strong multiwall bags with double sealed polyethylene liners, filled in a dry room once the powder has cooled. Powder is the form that most needs a good moisture barrier.
Container load
Powder is usually the densest form and loads the most weight, very roughly in the low to mid teens of tonnes in a 20 ft. Ask for the plant's last actual loading and check the line's weight limit.
Shelf life
Suppliers commonly state 12 to 24 months sealed, cool and dry, but powder loses flow and aroma faster than flakes. Store it off the floor, do not stack too high and use stock in date order.
Questions
Dehydrated onion powder: common questions
What mesh is onion powder?
Onion powder is commonly quoted as passing 80 or 100 mesh. On the US sieve series those openings are about 0.18 mm and 0.15 mm. Name the sieve series and the minimum share passing in your spec.
Why does onion powder cake?
It is hygroscopic and rich in natural sugars, so it absorbs moisture and the particles stick together. Low moisture at packing, double sealed liners, a dry packing room and cool, dry storage prevent most caking.
Can onion powder contain an anti-caking agent?
Some buyers ask for a flow agent such as silicon dioxide, but whether it is allowed and how it must be labelled depends on your market. Many buyers prefer pure onion. Never accept an additive that is not agreed in writing.
Should onion powder be steam sterilised?
If it goes into snack seasoning, dips or blends that are not cooked again, most buyers ask for steam treatment. Fine powder is the form most likely to lump after steaming, so check moisture and flow on the treated lot.
Do you sell dehydrated onion powder?
No. Creston & Co is a sourcing agent. You buy directly from the plant we help you choose, and we work for you: audits, lab tests, inspection and loading supervision, for a fee agreed in writing.
Buyer guides
Read more on dehydrated onion powder
- How do I write a specification for dehydrated onion powder?3 min
- Onion powder vs onion granules4 min
- Why does onion powder cake, and how do I prevent it?3 min
- Dehydrated onion powder, granules and mesh sizes explained3 min
- Are anti-caking agents used in spice powders, and are they allowed?3 min
- Steam-sterilised vs untreated dehydrated onion4 min
- What moisture level should dehydrated onion have?3 min
- Dehydrated onion and garlic powder manufacturers in India3 min
Start with a free 20-minute sourcing call.
Tell us the product, the spec and the volume. We'll tell you what it should cost from India, what to test for and where the risks are. No fee, no obligation, and you keep the notes.