What should a genuine spice exporter be able to show?

Ask for the documents below in your first email. A real exporter sends them without fuss, and the names and addresses on every document should match the company that is quoting you. A mismatch is the first warning sign.

How do you check the Import Export Code (IEC)?

Every Indian exporter needs an Import Export Code from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT). It is a 10-digit number. Ask for the IEC certificate, then confirm the number, legal name and address on the DGFT portal. If the supplier has no IEC, or the name on it belongs to a different company, stop there.

How do you check Spices Board registration?

The Spices Board of India, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, regulates and promotes the export of 52 spices. Exporters of those spices register with the Board and hold a Registration-cum-Membership Certificate (RCMC). Ask for the certificate and confirm it with the Board. The Board also runs mandatory sampling and testing for specified spices, for example consignments to the EU, so a registered exporter should be able to explain how that process works for your destination.

How do you check the FSSAI licence?

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licenses food processing premises. Ask for the licence and look up the number on FSSAI's FoSCoS portal. Check that it covers the plant or packing site that will handle your order, that it is current, and that the business category fits spice processing. A licence for a shop or trading office is not a licence for the plant.

How do you check GST and company registration?

Ask for the GSTIN and search it on the GST portal. The status should be active and the legal and trade names should match the supplier. For a company, check the Ministry of Corporate Affairs records for the incorporation date and directors. A company that claims decades of trading but was incorporated recently needs an explanation.

Which laboratory reports can you trust?

Prefer reports from laboratories accredited by NABL, India's accreditation body, or from the Spices Board's own Quality Evaluation Laboratories. A report should show the lab name, the sample description, the test date, the methods and the results against limits. Ask for pesticide residue and microbiology results, plus ethylene oxide results if you are shipping to the EU. Be wary of reports with no date or lab name, reports that are months old, or the same report sent for different spices or different lots.

Why should you test a sample yourself?

Documents prove that the supplier exists. A sample proves the product. Order a sample from the lot you would actually buy, send it to your own laboratory, and compare the results with the supplier's report. Keep a sealed retained sample from the lot you approve, and test the delivered shipment against it.

Which payment terms protect you?

Do not pay 100% in advance to a new supplier. For a first order, use a letter of credit or a documentary collection, or split the payment so that the balance is paid against shipping documents. Pay only to a bank account held in the legal name that appears on the invoice and on the IEC. A request to pay a personal account or a third party is a serious red flag. For large orders, ask your bank for a reference or credit report on the supplier.

What are the common red flags?

Prices far below the market for the same grade usually mean a lower grade, an adulterated product or a scam. Other warning signs are pressure to pay quickly, registration numbers that do not match the company name, a website with no address, named people or phone number, certificates and photos that appear on other companies' sites, and a refusal to allow a sample, a video call of the facility or a pre-shipment inspection.

Can you inspect the goods before shipping?

Yes, and for a large first order you should. Third-party inspection companies check quantity, packing, sampling and basic quality at the exporter's premises or port, and can draw a sealed sample for your laboratory. Agree the inspection in the contract, including who pays and what happens if the goods fail.

Working with Aromya Spices

Aromya Spices is based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, at #1, Pragya Apartment, Nr. Anjali Crossroad, Paldi, Ahmedabad 380007. Sample kits are available on request, and each lot is batch-identified and mapped back to its source. To start, request a quote with your spice, quantity and destination country, and ask for our current registration details and a recent lab report in the first conversation.