Which cashew grade and freeze-dried cut fits your snack, bar or coating?
Match the cut to what your consumer sees. Whole W240 and W320 kernels suit retail snack packs and chocolate centres, where the curved kernel is the product. W450 and splits suit trail mixes and coated snacks. Pieces and 2–4 mm or 4–6 mm dice suit bars, clusters, cereal and toppings, cost less per kilogram and ship up to 20 kg per carton instead of 10–15 kg.
Every cut of FruitBuys freeze-dried cashew nuts comes from the same kernel and the same process, so the eating quality does not change with the size. Each piece is ivory white, light in the hand, and breaks with a soft, clean crack before it melts into a clean, mildly sweet cashew taste with no roasted or oily note. One kernel can therefore run across a whole range: whole kernels for the hero snack, dice for the bar, pieces for the granola. This page explains the grade names and maps each cut to the products it serves best.
What do W240, W320 and W450 mean?
Cashew kernels are graded by colour and by size. “W” stands for white, the first-quality colour class: white, light yellow or pale ivory, uniform across the lot. The number is the count of kernels per pound, so a smaller number means bigger kernels.
The Association of Food Industries (AFI) Specifications for Cashew Kernels is the specification most cashew sale contracts cite, in the US and well beyond it. It sets these counts:
| Size designation | Kernels per pound | Kernels per kilogram | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 180 (SLW, super large) | 140–180 | 266–395 | Gift packs, top-end display |
| 210 (LW, large) | 180–210 | 395–465 | Gift packs, retail display |
| 240 | 220–240 | 485–530 | Retail snack packs, chocolate centres |
| 320 | 300–320 | 660–706 | The workhorse grade: snacking, trail mix, coating |
| 450 | 400–450 | 880–990 | Trail mix, coated snacks, value retail |
We supply freeze-dried whole kernels as W240, W320 and W450 equivalents. The kernels are sorted to these AFI size grades before conditioning and freeze-drying, so each grade is processed as one batch and arrives even in size. In whole grades, kernels of a lower size grade stay at ≤10% and broken kernels and pieces at ≤10% by weight.
Whole, splits, butts, pieces and dice: what is the difference?
Kernels that do not stay whole in shelling and peeling are graded by how they broke. The AFI definitions:
| Cut | What it is | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Whole (W) | Keeps the characteristic cashew shape; up to 1/8 of the kernel may be broken off | The recognisable curve on pack and in hand |
| Butts (B) | Broken crosswise; less than 7/8 but not less than 3/8 of a whole kernel | Chunky bite at a lower cost per kg |
| Splits (S) | One half of a kernel, split lengthwise | Flat face that takes coatings evenly; packs well in mixes |
| Pieces | Broken kernel fragments, graded by sieve into large and small pieces | Even dispersion in cereal, bakery and toppings |
| Dice 2–4 mm / 4–6 mm | Pieces cut and sieved to a set size range | Uniform bite in bars and clusters, steady dosing on a line |
Freeze-drying does not change these definitions. A freeze-dried split is still a split; it is simply lighter, drier and crisper than its roasted or raw counterpart. Because the porous kernel is fragile, the carton weight follows the cut: whole kernels and splits are packed 10–15 kg per carton so they arrive whole, pieces and dice up to 20 kg.
Which cut fits which product?
| Product | Recommended cut | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Plain or lightly seasoned retail snack | W240, W320 | The whole, curved kernel is what the shopper pays for; supports a premium snack-segment shelf |
| Trail mix with freeze-dried fruit | W320, W450, splits | Similar size to fruit pieces; same low water activity, so the mix stays crisp |
| Seasoned or coated snack (salt, spice, cheese, wasabi, honey) | W320, W450, splits | The porous surface takes coating after drying; more kernels per kg spreads coating evenly |
| Chocolate panning and enrobing | W240, W320 | A crisp, light centre that contrasts with the chocolate shell |
| Protein, energy and granola bars; clusters | Dice 2–4 mm or 4–6 mm, small pieces | Even distribution and a crunch that holds in low-moisture recipes |
| Cereal, granola, muesli | Pieces, splits, butts | Visible nut at a lower cost per kg |
| Bakery toppings | Dice 4–6 mm, pieces | Add after baking to keep the bite |
| Ice cream, yogurt, desserts | Dice, pieces | Add at the point of consumption; wet bases soften a porous kernel |
| Plant-based dairy, cashew-milk powder base, sauces | Cold-milled meal (on request) | Dry kernel mills to a fine, creamy-tasting base |
Combining cuts also simplifies supply. A brand launching a whole-kernel snack can run W320 for the pouch and dice from the same lots for a bar in the same range, with one specification, one supplier audit and one container. To build a mix with freeze-dried mango, jackfruit or pineapple, see freeze-dried fruit and cashew mixes.
Where freeze-dried is the wrong pick. In a wet base that sits for days, such as a pre-mixed yogurt or a filled pastry, a porous kernel will draw moisture and lose its snap. For those, add the cashew at serving, use it as a topping packed separately, or move to cold-milled meal for flavour and body. We can send dice and meal together so your R&D team can test both in the same week.
What custom formats can R&D order?
Beyond the stock cuts, these formats are made to order for OEM and product development:
- Larger dice, 5–10 mm, for chunky bars and bakery inclusions.
- Fine granules, for coatings, dusting and confectionery fillings.
- Cold-milled cashew meal, for bakery, ice cream, cashew-milk powder bases and plant-based cheese sauces. The dry, porous kernel mills without turning to paste when milling heat is kept down, so the meal stays free-flowing.
State the target size, the fines your line can accept and the application in your RFQ, and the sample is prepared to that brief.
Can you coat or season freeze-dried cashews?
Yes, after drying. The porous kernel takes salt, spice, cheese, honey, wasabi, durian or chocolate coatings well, and because the base kernel is not roasted or fried, the flavour you add stays in front. Seasoned and coated SKUs are made to order from 500 kg per SKU.
Once a kernel is salted, seasoned, coated or roasted, it moves from HS 0801.32 to 2008.19, nuts otherwise prepared. That changes the documents and, for some markets, the duty, so agree the final recipe before booking. The codes and checks by market are in which HS code freeze-dried cashews ship under.
What does each cut cost to ship?
The carton is the same 58 × 28 × 34 cm for every cut, and it fills by volume. Light whole kernels fill it at 10–15 kg; denser pieces and dice reach 20 kg.
| Cut | Net per carton | Per 20 ft (550 cartons) | Sea freight per kg vs a 10 kg carton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole W240 / W320 / W450, splits | 10–15 kg | 5.5–8.25 t | Baseline to about 33% lower |
| Pieces | up to 20 kg | up to 11 t | Up to about 50% lower |
| Dice 2–4 mm / 4–6 mm | up to 20 kg | up to 11 t | Up to about 50% lower |
Against whole kernels at 10–15 kg, pieces and dice at 20 kg cut sea freight per kilogram by roughly 25–50%, on top of a lower price per kilogram. For any product where the whole kernel is not visible, that is money that goes straight into your margin. The loading plans, pallet options and 40 ft HC figures are in how many kilograms fit in a 20 ft container.
How should you sample grades side by side?
When I prepare grades side by side for a new customer, size evenness is the first thing I check, then bite in the recipe. Ask for the two or three cuts you are weighing in one sample shipment, each in two sealed foil pouches: one to snap, taste and run in your recipe, one kept sealed for your laboratory. Check four things for each:
- Size evenness. Count a 100 g sample against the AFI range for whole grades. A freeze-dried kernel is a little drier, and so a little lighter, than the same kernel before processing, so counts per kilogram can run a few percent above the range; size is graded before processing. Check dice on the sieve sizes you specified.
- Breakage. Weigh broken kernels in whole grades; they should stay at or below 10%.
- Bite in the recipe. Run each cut in your actual base, then taste again after the hold time your product will see on shelf.
- Colour. Ivory white and even, with no scorched tips.
The approved sample becomes the reference for your container. Moisture, water activity and oxidation limits for every cut are set out in the freeze-dried cashew specification.
Request samples of your grades
Tell us the products you are developing and we send the matching cuts together, ready in 3–5 working days. OEM, ODM and private label start at 500 kg. Email [email protected] or message WhatsApp Export +84 919 739 589.
FAQ
What is the difference between W240 and W320 cashews?
W240 has 220–240 kernels per pound, W320 has 300–320, so W240 kernels are larger. W240 suits display packs and chocolate centres; W320 is the most widely used grade for snacking, mixes and coating.
What does the “W” in cashew grades mean?
White, the first-quality colour class: white, light yellow or pale ivory, uniform across the lot. The number after it is the kernel count per pound.
Are freeze-dried cashews graded the same way as regular cashews?
Yes. Kernels are sorted to AFI size grades before freeze-drying and supplied as W240, W320 and W450 equivalents, with the same tolerances for lower grade and broken kernels.
Which cashew cut is best for granola bars?
Dice of 2–4 mm or 4–6 mm, or small pieces. They spread evenly through the bar, keep their crunch in a low-moisture recipe and cost less per kilogram than whole kernels.
Why are whole kernels packed lighter than pieces?
Freeze-dried whole kernels are light and porous, so a carton fills at 10–15 kg. Pressing it to 20 kg would break them past the 10% broken tolerance. Pieces and dice pack tighter and reach 20 kg.
Can I get cashew meal or flour?
Yes, on request. Cold-milled freeze-dried cashew meal is made to order for bakery, ice cream and plant-based dairy; state the target particle size in your RFQ.
