How to Use This Checklist

Score each item 0–2: 0 = fails or refuses, 1 = partial or slow, 2 = clean pass. Fifteen items, thirty points. 25+ qualifies for a paid trial with verification; 18–24 means proceed only with independent pre-shipment testing; below 18 is a pass regardless of price.

Dimension 1 — The Assay (the category filter)

  1. A stated turmerone minimum with method. "Total turmerones NLT 50% by GC" scores 2. "100% pure turmeric oil" with no number scores 0 — it is unpriceable and unauditable.
  2. GC identification vs reference standard on the CoA — and a recent chromatogram available on request.
  3. The turmerone split (ar / α / β) on request. Costless for a supplier running a real method; revealing if refused.

Dimension 2 — Regulated-Market Documentation

  1. ICP-MS heavy-metal panel with numeric limits per metal (Pb / As / Cd / Hg), not a bare "complies".
  2. Residual solvents per USP <467> and Karl Fischer moisture on the CoA.
  3. Full microbiological panel — USP <61>/<62> including Salmonella, E. coli, Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus.
  4. The EU declaration set as standard: non-ETO, non-irradiated, non-GMO, BSE/TSE-free, allergen-free (EU 1169/2011). For turmeric-family ingredients this layer is not optional — ETO findings at EU borders end in destruction, not discounts.

Why this dimension outweighs price: a cheaper oil that cannot clear a cosmetic safety assessment or an EU border inspection has an effective cost of infinity. The documentation is the product in regulated channels.

Dimension 3 — Origin & Material Transparency

  1. Species and part declared: Curcuma longa, rhizome. Vague part-used language is where leaf oil and off-species material hide.
  2. Origin declared: India — with the supplier able to say who distils and where, even when the facility is a partner.
  3. Export registrations verifiable: FSSAI and APEDA for an Indian exporter — confirms a real, regulated trading entity.

Dimension 4 — Packaging & Stability

  1. Air-tight aluminium or HDPE packaging in sizes matched to your draw-down — evaluation bottles through drums.
  2. Stated shelf life with storage conditions: 24 months, room temperature, air-tight, away from moisture and light is the honest norm. Longer claims without stability data deserve scepticism.
  3. Fill discipline: full containers, minimal headspace, and sensible advice about decanting as stock draws down.

Dimension 5 — Commercial Behaviour

  1. Price coherent with the assay. A 50%-turmerone oil quoted at generic-aroma prices is a disclosure, not a bargain — the assay is either untrue or untested.
  2. Written terms and sample behaviour: Incoterms options (EXW/FOB/CIF/CIP) and payment structure on a proforma; evaluation samples (100 g–1 kg) dispatched promptly with the same documentation as bulk. Thin sample paperwork predicts thin bulk paperwork.

Running the Trial Order

For a supplier scoring 25+, close the loop with a structured first order: modest volume, independent GC-MS plus density verification on the shipped batch (Eurofins, SGS or Intertek), retained counter-samples both sides, and the agreed specification annexed to the purchase order. One clean, independently verified delivery converts the paper score into a qualified supplier — the verification logic is laid out in the authenticity guide.

SV Botanica supplies turmerone-standardised turmeric oil against every line above — stated GC minimum, ICP-MS panel, the full EU declaration set, named origin, and open third-party verification. Run the checklist on us; that is what it is for.