Vietnam is the leading pepper exporter in the world. Vietnamese pepper has a characteristic spicy taste, no pesticides or genetically modified organism (GMO). Information below is full details of Vietnam black pepper quality standards. This information helps importers from all over the world get aware of the specifications required for black pepper before deciding to import.

ORIGIN OF BLACK PEPPER

Vietnam Pepper was known for the first time through the French growing them in VIetnam in the 17th century. Thanks to the suitable soil to grow high quality pepper, so far pepper has been widely grown in many other provinces in Vietnam. Currently, Vietnam has become the largest pepper producer and exporter in the world

BLACK PEPPER – KING OF SPICES

Pepper is considered as the King of spices when it accounts for a quarter of the world spice trading market. Tunisia is the leading country in pepper consumption with nearly 250g/person per year, while Americans consume about 125g/person per year.

TYPES OF BLACK PEPPER

WHOLE BLACK PEPPER

Whole black pepper includes 2 main types: black pepper FAQ and black pepper MC:

Black pepper FAQ is the type of pepper that is usually only processed simply: separating branches, impurities (soil, stones), not separating large and small seeds, not washed.

Black pepper specifications — Whole Black pepper 500G/L FAQ – Manufacturer: AGRIKIM

Black pepper MC, also known as ASTA standard, is pepper that has been separated from branches, impurities and cleaned with a machine.

Whole Black Pepper is also classified according to the weight of the pepper. For example, pepper 500 gram/l, pepper 550 gram/l, or pepper with a diameter of 5mm

Whole Black pepper 500G/L Machine Clean – Manufacturer: AGRIKIM

Whole Black pepper BOLD 5mm – Manufacturer: AGRIKIM

GROUND BLACK PEPPER

Ground black pepper is produced from whole black pepper. To be able to meet black pepper quality standards for export, AGRIKIM manufacturer will use high-density whole black pepper ingredients to grind into high-quality ground black pepper, and strong in flavor

Black pepper ground is classified according to mesh size, for example mesh 18, mesh 32, mesh 60,…

Ground black pepper mesh 60 – Manufacturer: AGRIKIM

For more details about black pepper price AGRIKIM is supplying: https://agrikim.com/black-pepper-wholesale-price/

BLACK PEPPER QUALITY STANDARDS

Below are the black pepper specifications for each type:

Physical standards

CRITERION	SPECIFICATIONS
CRITERION	WHOLE BLACK PEPPER FAQ	WHOLE BLACK PEPPER MACHINE CLEAN	GROUND BLACK PEPPER
Admixture	1% max	0.2% max	0.2% max
Light Berries	10% max	2% max	–
Broken	4% max	2% max	–

Chemical standards

CRITERION	SPECIFICATIONS
CRITERION	WHOLE BLACK PEPPER FAQ	WHOLE BLACK PEPPER MACHINE CLEAN	GROUND BLACK PEPPER
Moisture	13.5% max	12.5%max	12% max
Total ash	7% max	6% max	6% max
Volatile oil	2% min	2% min	1% min
Piperine	4% min	4% min	4% min
Aflatoxin B1	–	–	5ppb max
Aflatoxin Total (B1, B2, G1, G2)	–	–	10ppb max

Microbiological standards

CRITERION	SPECIFICATIONS
CRITERION	WHOLE BLACK PEPPER FAQ	WHOLE BLACK PEPPER MACHINE CLEAN	GROUND BLACK PEPPER
TPC	–	–	50.000cfu/g
Salmonella	Negative	Negative	Negative
E.Coli	Negative	Negative	Negative
Coliforms	100cfu/g max	100cfu/g max	100cfu/g max
Yeast & Mold	100cfu/g max	100cfu/g max	100cfu/g max

Flavor standard

Ground black pepper must have a spicy smell of black pepper, free from odors and strange tastes.

Black pepper should be free from mold, insects visible to the naked eyes (including magnifying glass).

Packaging – Transportation and Storage standards

Packaging: Whole black Pepper and ground black pepper are stored in clean, dry packaging, protecting the product from moisture absorption or loss of volatiles. Packaging must be new, durable, ensuring sea transportation after many times of transshipment. The top of the packaging should be secured with good quality thread
Preservation: Preserve pepper at dry, clean and cool place
Container and transportation: Containers must be new, clean, sturdy, bare, not patched, baited, not damp and free from odors, rot, or unpleasant odors, do not affect the quality of the product. When closed the door does not glow.

Some Sheet forms of Black Pepper Quality Standards from last shipments

Black pepper shipments exported from AGRIKIM manufacturer will always be provided with a SGS certificate. SGS is a reliable inspection unit who will inspect the black pepper specifications before exporting to ensure that the quality of pepper supplied by AGRIKIM meets international black pepper quality standards.

Specifications that SGS conducts inspection will be required by the clients. clients request to verify what specifications of black pepper, AGRIKIM will conduct inspection of that specifications