Foeniculum vulgare Mill. · Family: Apiaceae · Dried Seed, Whole & Ground
Fennel is graded on seed size and green colour — and on this spice colour is a drying indicator rather than a cosmetic preference, because the conditions that bleach a seed also cost it volatile oil. We certify purity, grade colour and declare the variety, since sweet and bitter fennel differ in more than sweetness.
Graded on size and colour, and colour means something here
India is among the world's largest producers of fennel, with Gujarat and Rajasthan the principal growing regions. It is a staple export and a domestic fixture — fennel is the saunf served after meals across the subcontinent, which supports a large domestic market alongside the export trade.
The trade grades fennel on seed size and green colour. European Type denotes bold, large seed with good green retention and tight purity, and commands the premium. FAQ is the general commercial grade. Sortex cleaned material has been optically sorted, removing discoloured seed and foreign matter mechanically.
Colour deserves particular attention because on fennel it is a drying and freshness indicator rather than an aesthetic preference. Good fennel is a fresh, bright green; a dull, yellowed or grey seed signals over-drying, sun exposure or age — and the same conditions that fade the seed drive off the volatile oil that carries its sweet anise character. A faded lot is usually a weaker one.
We certify purity, grade colour retention, report volatile oil on request, and declare the variety — sweet fennel being anethole-dominated and rounder, while bitter varieties carry more fenchone and read sharper. EU MRL is tested per lot.
What carries the character
The dominant constituent and the source of fennel's sweet, anise-like character.
Camphoraceous and bitter. Low in sweet fennel, considerably higher in bitter varieties — the constituent that most distinguishes them.
A naturally occurring constituent that attracts regulatory attention in extracted and concentrated forms. Reported on request; more material to extract buyers than to whole-seed culinary buyers.
Typically 1–3% in whole seed, carrying the aroma. Reported on request and relevant to extraction buyers.
Supporting monoterpenes giving fresh citrus and resinous top notes.
Green colour indicates prompt, controlled drying. Yellowed or grey seed signals over-drying, sun exposure or age — and lost volatile oil.
Why buyers specify Indian fennel by grade
A genuine quality indicator on fennel — the drying that fades a seed also costs it aroma.
Certified on the lot you are buying, with Sortex optical sorting available where purity is binding.
Bold, uniform seed with good green retention for premium retail and mukhwas applications.
Sweet or bitter fennel stated — they differ in fenchone and read quite differently.
Relevant where seed is bought as extraction feedstock rather than for culinary or mukhwas use.
The principal Indian growing regions, with depth of supply across the season.
These are functional and physico-chemical properties of the actives; SV Botanica does not make medical or therapeutic claims for this ingredient.
Size, colour and cleaning grades
| Grade | Standardisation | Form | Best For | Solubility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Type (Large Seed) Premium export | Bold large seed; bright green; purity 99%+ | Large, bright green seed | Premium retail, mukhwas, EU export | Whole |
| Sortex Cleaned Optically sorted | Purity 99.5%+; discoloured seed removed | Clean, uniform green seed | Where purity and colour are binding | Whole |
| FAQ Grade Standard commercial | Fair average quality; purity 98–99% | Mid green to green-brown seed | General trade, grinding, domestic | Whole |
| Ground Fennel Powder Ground | Milled to buyer-specified mesh | Pale green-brown powder | Seasoning blends, food manufacturing | Ground |
| Sugar-Coated / Mukhwas Grade Confectionery | Selected bold seed for coating | Large uniform seed | Mukhwas, sugar-coated confectionery | Whole |
Colour is graded because it is a freshness signal. Fennel dried promptly and stored well holds a bright green; over-drying, sun exposure and age all fade it toward yellow or grey — and the same conditions drive off the volatile oil carrying the sweet anise character. So a colour grade is a proxy for aroma, not merely appearance, which is why we grade it per lot alongside purity. European Type denotes bold, large seed with good green retention and is the grade for premium retail and mukhwas, where the seed is seen as well as tasted. Sortex optical sorting is worth specifying where colour uniformity matters, since it removes discoloured seed that screening cannot.
Export specification for Indian fennel seed. Values are specification limits and typical grade ranges; a batch-specific CoA is issued per shipment.
| Parameter | Specification / Limit | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical Source | Foeniculum vulgare Mill. | — |
| Plant Family | Apiaceae | — |
| Part Used | Dried seed (fruit) | — |
| Country of Origin | India | — |
| Form | Whole seed or ground | — |
| Colour | Bright green (European Type) to green-brown — graded per lot | Organoleptic |
| Odour & Taste | Characteristic, sweet and anise-like | Organoleptic |
| Purity (%) | 98–99.5 by grade — certified per lot | Manual / Sortex |
| Colour Grade | Graded per lot | Visual / colour sorter |
| Variety | Sweet fennel — declared per lot | Declaration |
| Volatile Oil (% v/w) | Typically 1–3 — reported on request | Distillation |
| Estragole | Reported on request | By GC |
| Moisture (% w/w) | NMT 10 | Gravimetric |
| Total Ash (% w/w) | NMT 9 | Gravimetric |
| Acid Insoluble Ash (% w/w) | NMT 1.5 | Gravimetric |
| Extraneous / Foreign Matter (%) | NMT 1.0 (NMT 0.5 on European Type) | Manual |
| Mesh (ground) | Buyer-specified | Sieve |
| Pesticide Residues | EU Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 MRL compliant — tested per lot | GC-MS / LC-MS/MS |
| Aflatoxin | Total NMT 10 ppb; B1 NMT 5 ppb — EU compliant | HPLC-FLD |
| Ochratoxin A | NMT 10 ppb | HPLC-FLD |
| Heavy Metals | Lead NMT 3 ppm, Cadmium NMT 0.2 ppm | ICP-MS |
| Microbial | Salmonella absent/25g; TPC NMT 100,000 cfu/g | USP <2021> / <2022> |
| Ethylene Oxide (ETO) | Not treated — declaration provided | LC-MS/MS (on request) |
| Irradiation | Non-irradiated grade available on request | Declaration |
| Organic | USDA NOP / EU Organic available | Certification |
| Kosher / Halal | Certified (on request) | Certification |
| HS Code | 0909.61 (Whole); 0909.62 (Crushed/ground) | — |
| Documentation | Phytosanitary Certificate, CoA, MSDS, Allergen Declaration, Non-GMO | — |
| Packaging | Buyer-specified — jute, PP, multi-wall paper or vacuum | — |
| Storage | Cool, dry, well-ventilated; away from direct sunlight and strong odours | — |
Colour on this specification is a freshness indicator, not a cosmetic grade. Fennel dried promptly holds a bright green; sun exposure, over-drying and age fade it toward yellow and grey, and the same conditions drive off the volatile oil carrying its sweet anise character. So a faded lot is generally a weaker one, and grading colour is a proxy for aroma quality rather than an aesthetic preference — particularly relevant for mukhwas and premium retail where the seed is seen. Variety is declared because sweet and bitter fennel differ in fenchone: sweet is anethole-dominated and rounder, bitter carries more fenchone and reads sharper and more medicinal. Estragole is reported on request; it attracts more regulatory attention in concentrated and extracted forms than in whole culinary seed, but buyers whose products carry high inclusion or target infants and young children should ask for it. Pesticide MRL is tested per lot.
From Gujarat field to certified consignment — graded, cleaned, documented
Sourcing & Grading: Sourced from Gujarat and Rajasthan, the principal Indian fennel growing regions. Material is graded on seed size, green colour retention and purity, with Sortex optical sorting available where colour uniformity and purity are binding requirements. Variety is recorded at intake and declared.
Testing: Every lot is certified for purity and colour grade, with volatile oil and estragole reported on request. Pesticide residues are tested per lot against EU MRL limits, alongside aflatoxin, ochratoxin A, heavy metals by ICP-MS and a full microbiological panel. Non-irradiation and non-ETO declarations are standard.
Documentation: Every shipment is supplied against a batch-specific Certificate of Analysis with Phytosanitary Certificate, MSDS, allergen and non-GMO declarations. Non-irradiation and non-ETO declarations are standard; organic, Halal and Kosher certification are available on request. See our guides on EU pesticide MRL compliance and EU import requirements.
What backs every batch of Fennel spice
Key information for global product registration and labelling
Worth putting in proportion. Fennel contains estragole, a naturally occurring constituent that has been the subject of safety evaluation in Europe, and it attracts most regulatory attention in concentrated and extracted forms rather than in whole culinary seed used at ordinary levels. Fennel remains a widely consumed food with a very long history of use. Where it becomes a live question for a whole-seed buyer is in two specific cases: products with high fennel inclusion or frequent consumption, and products aimed at infants and young children, where fennel preparations have historically been used and have accordingly received closer scrutiny. We report estragole on request, and buyers in either category should ask for it rather than assume the whole-seed form removes the question.
Whole spices from India face closer residue scrutiny than most agricultural imports, and pesticide MRL is where consignments are most often stopped. We test per lot rather than per contract against EU Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 limits, because a certificate covering an earlier lot does not help when the current one is sampled at the border. Buyers should also confirm whether their commodity and origin currently sit on any increased-controls listing, since those are revised periodically and determine sampling frequency on arrival. Ethylene oxide remains one of the most common reasons Indian spice consignments are refused in the EU: we supply a non-treatment declaration as standard and can test by LC-MS/MS on request.
Supplied from India by SV Botanica — FSSAI registered, Spices Board and APEDA registered exporter. Sourced from Gujarat and Rajasthan, with variety declared and colour graded per lot. Shipped against a batch-specific Certificate of Analysis with Phytosanitary Certificate and full export documentation. Packing is buyer-specified, and container stuffing photographs are provided on request.
Guides on fennel grades, standardisation and sourcing
Gujarat and Rajasthan growing regions, grades and quality drivers.
TechnicalThe compound behind fennel's sweetness and how it is assayed.
QualitySubstitution routes on fennel and the controls that catch them.
Buyer's GuideVarieties, grades and what to require on the certificate.
RegulatoryResidue limits, per-lot testing and what stops consignments at the border.
RegulatoryDocumentation, controls and border expectations for Indian spices.
Other seed spices from our range
Technical and commercial questions answered by our ingredients team
European Type large seed, Sortex cleaned and FAQ grades with purity certified, colour graded and variety declared per lot. Tell us your grade and colour requirement.
Supplied as a bulk ingredient for further manufacture. Buyers are responsible for compliance with the regulations of their destination market. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.