Dehydrated red onion from India, checked for colour before it ships
Red onion flakes, chopped, minced, granules and powder for products where the colour shows. We match each lot to your sealed colour sample and test it before loading.
Dehydrated red onion is made from red varieties and keeps a red to purple tint, mostly at the edge of each ring. Buyers choose it for salad toppings, dips, dressings and seasoning blends where the customer can see the onion. The main risk is colour: red onion can fade or darken with heat, light and time, and fewer plants run red lines than white. We work for you, not the factory: we find plants that actually dry red onion, fix the colour with a sealed reference and test every lot before you pay the balance.
Specification
What goes into a dehydrated red onion spec
| What to set | What buyers usually write, for illustration |
|---|---|
| Form and particle size | The form and range in mm or mesh, for example minced at about 1 to 3 mm, with limits on oversize and fines |
| Colour | Red to purple tint matched to a sealed reference sample, with a limit on brown, scorched or white pieces |
| Colour retention | No visible fading or darkening against the retained reference during the stated shelf life, stored sealed, cool and dark |
| Moisture | A maximum of around 5 to 6 percent, tighter for powder, with the test method named |
| Microbiology | Limits for total plate count, coliforms, E. coli, yeast and mould, by named ISO methods |
| Salmonella | Absent in 25 g, tested before loading, with no release until results are in |
| Treatment | Untreated or steam sterilised, approved on a treated sample, and no ethylene oxide (ETO) |
| Pesticide residues | A multi-residue screen against your market's limits, for example EU MRLs |
| Foreign matter | Limits on skin, root, stones and metal, with sieving and magnets at the plant |
These are typical trade figures for illustration only; set your own limits with the plant and your lab.
Uses
Where buyers use it
Salad toppings and garnishes
Red flakes and chopped pieces add visible colour to salads, bowls and ready-to-eat toppings, where white onion would disappear.
Dips and dressings
Minced red onion gives flecks of colour in dips, dressings and sandwich fillings. Approve it after rehydration, as the colour can change in a wet product.
Seasoning blends
Red granules and coarse pieces show in visible blends and rubs. In a fine powder blended into a sauce, the colour adds little, so white is usually the better buy.
Ethnic and regional foods
Some recipes and markets expect red onion flavour and colour, and buyers use the dried form to keep a steady supply all year.
Ordering
What to write into the order
- Colour: red onion, matched to a sealed reference sample kept by both sides
- Form and particle size by sieve analysis, with oversize and fines limits
- A limit on brown, scorched and white or uncoloured pieces
- Maximum moisture with a named test method
- Untreated or steam sterilised, with no ETO and a test for ETO and 2-chloroethanol
- Microbiology limits and Salmonella absent in 25 g before release
- Pesticide residues screened against your market's limits
- Packing in sealed liners inside opaque cartons, stored away from light
Shipping
HS code, packing and loads
HS code
Dried red onion is still dried onion, so it sits under 0712.20 in the first six digits, like white onion. Your customs broker confirms the full national code.
Packing
Cartons with sealed polyethylene liners, as for white onion. Keep red onion out of clear packs and direct light, which speed up fading.
Container load
Depends on form and pack, as for white onion: flakes load far less weight than granules or powder. Ask for the plant's last actual loading of red onion in your pack.
Shelf life and storage
Suppliers commonly state 12 to 24 months sealed, cool and dry. Colour is the first thing to go, so store it cool and dark and check it against the retained sample.
Questions
Dehydrated red onion: common questions
How is red dehydrated onion different from white?
It is made from red varieties and keeps a red to purple tint after drying. Red varieties usually have lower dry matter, so yields are lower, and the colour can fade or darken with heat, light and time.
Which forms of red onion can I buy?
Plants offer red onion as flakes, chopped, minced, granules and powder, but not every plant makes every form in red. Ask which forms the plant actually runs on its red line, and when.
Does red dehydrated onion keep its colour?
It keeps some of it, but the colour can fade or darken over time, faster in warm storage and under light. Pack it in sealed liners inside opaque cartons and check each lot against a sealed reference sample.
Is red onion worth it in a powder?
Often not. Once a powder is blended into a sauce or seasoning the colour barely shows, so white onion usually does the same job. Red makes most sense where pieces are visible.
Do you sell dehydrated red onion?
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 red onion
- What is the difference between white, red and pink dehydrated onion?3 min
- Which onion colour is best for my application?3 min
- What causes browning in dehydrated onion, and how is it prevented?3 min
- What are the standard particle sizes for each onion form?3 min
- How should dehydrated onion be packed: cartons with liners or bags?3 min
- What is the shelf life of dehydrated onion and garlic?3 min
- Are pre-shipment samples the same as approval samples?3 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.