Freeze-Dried Cashew Grades and OEM Formats: Whole, Splits, Pieces and Custom Sizes
Whole, Butts, Splits and Pieces are recognized conventional cashew-kernel forms in the cited industry specification. Granules, dice, powder, flour and meal-style formats are custom transformations, not official AFI grades, so their dimensions or particle definitions must be agreed between buyer and supplier. A conventional form name does not prove post-freeze-drying breakage, density or application performance, those points require testing on the finished format. [1]
Why form terminology matters in an RFQ
A cashew sample name does more than describe appearance. It sets the starting point for the supplier’s interpretation of size, breakage, application context and packing requirements.
The safest RFQ begins with recognized cashew terminology where it applies. It then adds the information that a freeze-dried or custom-transformed format requires. A request for “freeze-dried cashew pieces” may still be incomplete if it does not define the piece category, size basis, allowed fines, intended use and sample condition.
This article uses conventional form language for vocabulary control. It does not treat the conventional grade name as proof that a finished freeze-dried sample will retain the same physical profile after processing or handling.
Recognized conventional cashew forms
Whole (W )
Whole kernels are conventionally identified by count-per-pound sizing examples such as 180, 210, 240, 320 and 450 under the cited AFI terminology. [1]
Those numbers describe conventional cashew-kernel size terminology in the cited specification. They should not be copied into a freeze-dried request without clarifying the buyer’s finished-format basis. A buyer may need to state whether the number refers to the incoming conventional kernel, the finished freeze-dried piece or another agreed measurement point.
The form name also does not establish how many kernels will remain whole after freeze-drying, packing or transport. Finished-format integrity must be checked on the relevant sample or lot.
Butts (B)
Butts are kernels broken crosswise, measuring less than 7/8 but not less than 3/8 of a whole kernel, with the cotyledons still naturally attached under the cited conventional definition. [1]
For an RFQ, the term should be kept separate from a general request for “broken cashew.” The buyer should confirm whether the conventional Butts definition is required or whether the project needs a custom finished-format description after freeze-drying.
Splits (S)
Splits are one longitudinal half of a cashew kernel, with no more than 1/8 of the cotyledon broken off under the cited conventional definition. [1]
A Split specification can be useful when the visible half-kernel form matters to the intended sample. The conventional term still does not establish finished freeze-dried breakage, fines generation or application behavior. Those characteristics require direct observation against the agreed acceptance criteria.
Pieces
The cited AFI terminology recognizes several Pieces categories, including Large Pieces, Small Pieces, Chips, Baby Bits, Fine Grains, Fines and Mixed Pieces. Piece-size determination uses calibrated wire-mesh sieves in the cited specification. [1]
A buyer should identify the required category and size basis rather than use “pieces” as a catch-all. If the finished product will be screened after freeze-drying or milling, the request should state where the size measurement occurs and how broken material or fines will be treated.
Conventional forms versus custom freeze-dried transformations
| Format language | Status | What the term can do | What it cannot establish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole | Recognized conventional form | Identify a conventional whole-kernel starting form and support a defined sample request. | Finished freeze-dried whole-kernel retention, breakage, density or application performance. |
| Butts | Recognized conventional form | Identify the conventional crosswise-broken form within the cited definition. | Finished FD integrity or the amount of material that will remain within the form after handling. |
| Splits | Recognized conventional form | Identify the conventional longitudinal-half form within the cited definition. | Finished FD breakage, fines or application performance. |
| Pieces | Recognized conventional form categories | Identify a category such as Large Pieces, Small Pieces, Chips or Fines when the conventional terminology applies. | A custom finished particle distribution or a guaranteed post-FD size profile. |
| Granules or dice | Custom transformation | Define a buyer-specific particle or cut format for sampling and application review. | An official AFI grade, a standard size or commercial availability without an approved specification. |
| Powder, flour or meal | Custom transformation | Define a downstream milled format for a specific R&D or ingredient brief. | A universal mesh, dispersion, caking, oxidation or application-performance result. |
The practical dividing line is whether the term comes from recognized conventional cashew form terminology or from a buyer-defined transformation. The latter needs its own measurable description.
How to specify a custom OEM format
A custom format should be named only after the buyer has defined how the supplier will measure and accept it. The following fields turn a general request into a testable format brief:
| Specification field | What to define |
|---|---|
| Format name | Granule, dice, powder, flour, meal or another buyer-defined term. |
| Nominal dimensions | Target length, width and thickness for dice or another dimensional definition where applicable. |
| Particle definition | Sieve basis, particle-size distribution or another agreed measurement approach for granules and milled formats. |
| Tolerance | Permitted deviation from the nominal dimension or particle definition. Do not assume a tolerance that has not been agreed. |
| Form distribution | Whole, broken, pieces and fines treatment where the format includes more than one physical fraction. |
| Intended application | The defined R&D or commercial application for which the sample will be assessed. |
| Sample basis | Incoming conventional kernel, finished freeze-dried format or downstream milled format. |
| Packaging state | Loose sample, inner package or another defined state at the time of inspection. |
| Acceptance method | Visual inspection, sieve analysis, dimensional measurement, application trial or another agreed test. |
Exact dimensions, mesh sizes and tolerances are not supplied in the current evidence. They should be filled from the buyer’s application and the agreed supplier specification, not borrowed from an unrelated ingredient or asserted as an industry standard.
Connect the format to the intended application
Format selection should begin with the physical requirement of the application, not with a prestige label. A buyer may need a visible whole or split form, a controlled piece fraction or a milled ingredient. The correct choice depends on what the application trial is designed to observe.
The application brief should state whether the team is assessing appearance, particle distribution, incorporation, handling, dispersion, texture or another defined criterion. The current evidence does not establish superior performance in cereal, bakery, confectionery, snack or beverage systems, so those outcomes must remain test questions.
A sample request should also state whether the finished format will be used as supplied or subjected to another downstream step. Powder, flour and meal-style formats may require separate checks for caking, oxidation and dispersion; those checks are not resolved by the format name alone.
Why finished format matters for packing
Format can affect voids, bulk density, breakage and the way a product responds to filling and handling. The current evidence does not establish exact freeze-dried cashew density, carton capacity or post-packing breakage for any format.
For that reason, a Whole sample, a Pieces sample and a powder sample should not automatically share one packing assumption. The buyer should qualify the chosen format in the relevant package state and record the physical results rather than transfer a conventional-kernel reference to the finished FD product.
Continue to the FD bulk-density and carton-packing qualification article when the format brief is ready for packing review. It owns the separate question of how to validate fill and net carton weight.
What should the buyer put in the RFQ?
The RFQ should state the recognized form or custom transformation first. It should then define the measurable basis used for sample acceptance.
| RFQ question | Example of the required decision |
|---|---|
| Is the format recognized or custom? | Whole, Butts, Splits, Pieces category, granules, dice, powder, flour or meal. |
| What is the size basis? | Conventional count terminology, dimensional measurement, sieve basis or another agreed definition. |
| What tolerance applies? | Buyer-supplier tolerance for dimensions, particle distribution or mixed fractions. |
| How are breakage and fines handled? | Allowed fraction, measurement point and acceptance method. |
| What application will be tested? | Defined R&D or commercial use context and the result the trial must observe. |
| What sample basis is being evaluated? | Incoming kernel, finished freeze-dried format or downstream milled format. |
| What package state applies? | Loose sample or the defined inner-package and handling condition. |
A format request is ready for sampling when a second person can read it and identify the same physical product without relying on an unstated supplier convention.
Frequently asked questions
Are granules or powder official AFI cashew grades?
No. They are custom transformations that require their own dimensional, sieve or particle-distribution definition. A buyer should not present a custom mesh or dice size as an official AFI grade without a separate basis.
Does a conventional grade name predict freeze-dried breakage?
Not from the current evidence. Whole, Butts, Splits and Pieces terminology identifies conventional form categories, but finished freeze-dried integrity must be checked on the actual format and package condition.
Should packing weight be fixed before the format is fixed?
No. The format should be defined first, followed by format-specific density, fill, breakage and handling tests. The freeze-dried cashew product guide provides product-level context, while the packing article covers the separate qualification method.
Can a supplier use “cashew pieces” for any broken or milled product?
The request should be more precise. “Pieces” can refer to recognized conventional categories, while granules, dice, powder, flour and meal-style formats are custom transformations. The buyer should state the category, particle basis and acceptance method.
Can the buyer specify a custom format with a preferred dimension?
Yes, as a buyer-defined development requirement. The request should include nominal dimensions or particle definition, tolerance, breakage and fines treatment, intended application, sample basis and packaging state. The current evidence does not establish standard custom dimensions or commercial availability.
Next step for buyers
Choose the recognized form or custom transformation before requesting a sample. Then define nominal dimensions or particle basis, tolerance, whole/broken/fines treatment, intended application, sample basis and packaging state.
For product-level context, review the freeze-dried cashew product guide. When the physical format is locked, continue to the FD bulk-density and carton-packing qualification article before fixing carton fill or net weight.
References
- Association of Food Industries: “AFI Specifications for Cashew Kernels” (https://afius.org/afi-specifications-for-cashew-kernels/ )
