How do you take a freeze-dried cashew supplier from sample to first container without surprises?
Approve on evidence at each step, and make the container match what you approved. With us the path is short: samples ready in 3–5 working days, a 20 ft container produced in 20–30 days after deposit, a pre-shipment sample from the packed lot before loading, and a third-party lot COA before stuffing. One qualified partner facility is locked to your contract, and a retained sample from every lot is kept for up to 24 months.
The goal is simple: the kernel your R&D team approves in the first sample is the kernel your line receives in every container. Ivory white, light in the hand, with a soft, clean snap and a fresh, mildly sweet cashew taste. The steps below, the contract terms that hold them in place and the checks to run at each stage are what make that repeatable for FruitBuys freeze-dried cashew nuts.
What are the steps from sample to first container?
| Step | What happens | Timing | What you decide |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Sample and RFQ | You send the grade, application, volume and destination; we prepare samples of the cuts you are comparing | 3–5 working days + courier | Which grades and cuts to test |
| 2. Your evaluation | Your team snaps, tastes and runs the sample in your recipe; one sealed pouch goes to your lab | Your schedule | Whether the product fits |
| 3. Specification and contract | Release limits, grade, packing, loading mode, documents, payment and Incoterm are written into the contract | Usually one round of comments | The reference every lot is judged against |
| 4. Production | Deposit paid; kernels are graded, moisture-conditioned, freeze-dried, sorted and packed at the locked partner facility under FruitBuys’ processing protocol | 20–30 days per 20 ft | Any market-specific tests to book now |
| 5. Pre-shipment sample (PSS) | 100–200 g from the packed lot, in two sealed foil pouches with desiccant, sent by courier within 24–48 hours | Before loading | Written approval of the PSS |
| 6. Lot COA and loading | Independent ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory tests the lot before stuffing; container loaded to the agreed plan; export dossier issued | Results in about 3–5 working days | Release for shipment |
| 7. Arrival | You check cartons from the door, middle and back; claims windows run from unloading | 14 / 30 days | Acceptance of the lot |
The step I insist on with every new buyer is the pre-shipment sample: it is drawn from the packed lot, so approving it means approving the container. Book any extra tests your market needs, such as Listeria, heavy metals or a pesticide screen, when you confirm the order in step 4. We arrange them at an accredited laboratory of your choice, such as Eurofins or SGS in Vietnam; they are available for each lot on request, before the container is sealed, so the ship date holds.
What should you test on the first sample?
Five checks tell you most of what you need, and four of them take minutes:
- Snap. A good kernel breaks with a soft, clean crack and shows a fine porous cross-section. A dense, glassy core means it was dried without moisture conditioning.
- Colour. Ivory white and even, with no scorched tips or brown patches.
- Water activity. Read it within a minute of opening the pouch; ≤0.30 shows the lot was dried and sealed right.
- 1-litre cup. Level a cup of whole kernels without pressing and weigh it: 250–400 g is typical for freeze-dried whole kernels; well above 430 g calls for a check of the batch record.
- Smell, taste and recipe. Fresh, mildly sweet cashew with no oily, stale or cardboard note. Then run it in your actual base and taste again after the hold time your product will see on shelf.
For whole grades, also count a 100 g sample against the AFI kernels-per-pound range of the grade you ordered. Keep the second sealed pouch for your own laboratory, where you can test moisture, free fatty acids, peroxide value and microbiology against the limits in the freeze-dried cashew specification.
Which questions should you put to any freeze-dried cashew supplier?
These are the questions every buyer should ask, of any supplier, FruitBuys included:
| Question | What a good answer looks like | FruitBuys |
|---|---|---|
| Is the kernel moisture-conditioned before freeze-drying? | Yes, with a porous cross-section and a light cup weight to show for it | Conditioned to about 35–45% before deep-freezing; whole kernels 250–400 g per litre |
| What is on every lot COA? | Moisture, Aw, oxidation and core microbiology, from an independent accredited lab | Moisture, Aw, FFA ≤1.0%, peroxide value ≤2.0 meq/kg, TPC, yeasts and moulds, E. coli, Salmonella; aflatoxin for EU lots |
| Which facility makes my product, and can it change? | One named facility per contract; change only with written notice and re-approval | One qualified partner facility locked per contract; written notice and PSS re-approval before any change |
| Can we audit? | Yes, including social-compliance audits | Audit access under contract, including audits you commission |
| Where are the raw nuts grown? | A named origin, traceable by lot | Vietnam-grown raw nuts as standard, traceable to region and intake batch |
| What certifications does the facility hold? | Recognised food-safety systems, shown in the technical file | HACCP, ISO 22000, US FDA Facility Registration, BRC (qualified processing facility); Halal certification available on request |
| What happens if a lot does not match? | Written claim windows and a retained sample | 14 days from unloading; 30 days for lab results; retained sample for up to 24 months |
What should the contract lock in?
A contract that holds the approved sample in place covers ten points:
- Release limits: moisture ≤5.0%, Aw ≤0.30, FFA ≤1.0%, peroxide value ≤2.0 meq/kg, the microbiology limits, and aflatoxin limits for EU lots.
- Grade and tolerance: W240, W320, W450 equivalents, splits, pieces or dice; lower grade ≤10% and broken ≤10% for whole grades.
- Packing: bag size (1–5 kg), desiccant or the agreed oxygen option, carton weight (10–15 kg whole, up to 20 kg pieces and dice).
- Loading: floor-loaded or palletised, 6 or 7 layers.
- The approved PSS as the quality reference for the lot.
- Facility lock: one named partner facility, written notice and PSS re-approval before any change, and your audit access.
- Origin and traceability: Vietnam-grown raw nuts, lot traceable to growing region and intake batch.
- Retained sample from every lot, kept for the shelf life, up to 24 months.
- Claim windows: 14 days from unloading for packaging, appearance, breakage and water activity; 30 days for laboratory results.
- Documents: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, C/O (EUR.1 or CEPA by market), phytosanitary certificate with every shipment, and the lot COA.
Add payment and Incoterm terms (T/T 40% deposit and 60% before shipment or against copy of B/L, or L/C at sight; FOB Cat Lai, CIF or DDP) and a line on who carries any duty change between order and arrival. Codes, duty and border checks by market are in which HS code freeze-dried cashews ship under.
Can you start with a trial before a full container?
Yes, and it is the fastest way to de-risk a new SKU. On a trial or LCL order, we send our in-house QC log for moisture, water activity and sensory with the lot, and a third-party COA on the trial lot is available on request in 3–5 working days, so you can test the full COA scope before committing to a container. A trial can also ride in a container shared with other FruitBuys freeze-dried products.
If the season is tight and you are tempted to skip the PSS, run the trial instead. It gives your team real product and a full COA on the same timeline, and the PSS step then becomes a formality on the first container. OEM, ODM and private-label programmes start at 500 kg per SKU.
What happens when the container arrives?
Open cartons from the door, the middle and the back. Snap, smell and read water activity on each, and weigh broken kernels in whole grades. Compare what you find with the approved PSS and the lot COA. If something does not match, raise it within the claim window with photos and readings; both sides then test the same retained sample, and the answer comes from numbers rather than opinions. Loading plans and carton weights by format are in how many kilograms fit in a 20 ft container.
Start with a sample and a draft specification
Send your grades, application, volumes and destination. We return samples, a draft specification with the limits above and a loading plan, so your approval runs on documents from day one. Email [email protected] or message WhatsApp Export +84 919 739 589.
FAQ
How long does it take from sample to first container?
Samples are ready in 3–5 working days plus courier. After you approve and pay the deposit, a 20 ft container is produced in 20–30 days, with the PSS and lot COA completed before loading.
What is a pre-shipment sample?
A 100–200 g sample drawn from the packed lot, sent in two sealed foil pouches before loading: one for your sensory check, one for your laboratory. Your written approval makes it the reference for that container.
Can the production facility change after we approve?
Only with written notice and re-approval of the pre-shipment sample. We lock one qualified partner facility to each contract, and you keep audit access.
Can we audit the facility?
Yes. Audit access is part of the contract, including social-compliance audits you commission.
How long do we have to raise a claim?
14 days from unloading for packaging, appearance, breakage and water activity; 30 days for laboratory results. A retained sample from every lot is kept for up to 24 months.
What is the minimum order?
500 kg per SKU for OEM, ODM and private label. Trials can travel LCL or in a container shared with other FruitBuys freeze-dried products.
