Turkish hazelnut wholesale specifications: buyer’s handbook
A wholesale specification turns a product name into an auditable agreement. It should define identity, measurable quality, food-safety requirements, packaging, documents and commercial acceptance before quotations are compared.
1. Product identity
Record the product name, botanical or commercial description where needed, origin requirement, natural or processed state and intended use. Add crop, production or lot references when commercially relevant. Avoid ambiguous terms such as “premium” unless they are translated into measurable criteria.
2. Calibre and particle size
For whole kernels, state the screen range and sizing convention. UNECE DDP-04 provides a reference for sizing and commercial quality. Define tolerances for material outside the range. For chopped hazelnuts and flour, use a particle distribution with upper, target and fine fractions where line behaviour depends on consistency.
3. Defects and physical condition
Specify tolerances relevant to the format: broken or shrivelled kernels, damaged areas, rancid or mouldy material, foreign matter, shell fragments and other visible defects. Definitions and methods must be aligned so supplier and buyer classify the same observation in the same way.
Include odour and flavour requirements and rejection criteria for rancid, musty, fermented, burnt or otherwise atypical notes.
4. Processing characteristics
For roasted product, define the approved sensory and colour profile and whether further roasting will occur. For blanched product, define residual skin. For paste, state roast, texture, particle-size expectation and handling requirements. For chopped products, indicate whether natural, roasted or blanched material is used.
5. Food safety and legal destination
Define the destination market and intended use. Under EU Regulation 2023/915, aflatoxin categories distinguish nuts intended for further sorting or physical treatment from hazelnuts placed on the market for final consumption or use as an ingredient. Confirm current limits and the appropriate sampling and analytical approach for the transaction.
Hazelnuts and their products are listed allergens under EU Regulation 1169/2011. The buyer remains responsible for appropriate factory controls and finished-product information.
6. Sampling, analysis and documents
State who samples, at what point, according to which method and which laboratory or accreditation requirements apply. Agree whether release is based on supplier certificate, buyer testing or both. The document list may include certificate of analysis, traceability or lot statement, origin documents, packing list and available certification.
An analytical value without a defined sample and lot is not a complete acceptance system.
7. Packaging, marking and shelf life
Specify material, net weight, liner, closure, pallet pattern and label fields. Labels commonly need product name, lot, net weight, production or packing reference, durability information and storage conditions as applicable. Agree remaining shelf life at delivery and conditions under which it is valid.
8. Commercial acceptance and change control
Link the specification to the approved sample and offer. Define quantity tolerance, Incoterm, delivery point, inspection period, notification route, evidence needed for a claim and disposition options. Require notification before material changes to origin, process, site, pack or specification.
Frequently asked questions
What makes two wholesale hazelnut prices comparable?
They must refer to equivalent product, processing, calibre, tolerances, testing, packaging, Incoterm and destination.
Should aflatoxin requirements be copied from an old specification?
No. Confirm the current legal category, destination, intended use and sampling requirements for each programme.
Why is an approved sample not enough?
A sample supports sensory and visual agreement but does not by itself define food-safety, documentary, packaging or commercial requirements.