Frequently asked questions

Bulk makhana and makhana flour from 50 kg; flavoured bulk 50 kg per order (at least 30 kg per flavour); retail packs from 20 cartons of 24 pouches per product; private label from 3,000 pouches per product. Each lot (one product and grade) worth less than USD 3,000 carries a fixed lot fee of USD 250. It covers that lot's NABL lab test and export documents, which cost the same whatever the lot size.

Yes. We send 250–500 g from the processor lot we intend to buy for you, with that lot's lab certificate. Samples are free for qualified buyers (a registered food business that shares its company website and expected order size); you pay the courier at cost, and we refund it against your first order. We can also send a three-grade comparison set: SELECT, PREMIUM and ROYAL (5, 6 and 6+ suta).

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Suta is the trade's traditional size scale for popped makhana: the higher the suta, the bigger the kernel. We sell four tiers: SELECT (5 Suta, 16–19 mm), PREMIUM (6 Suta, 19–22 mm), ROYAL (6+ Suta, 22–26 mm) and SIGNATURE (7 Suta, 26 mm+). 4 Suta (12–16 mm) is a plain bulk grade for food service and cooking. Bigger grades are whiter, lighter and more expensive.

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Most UK, EU and Australian retail buyers choose PREMIUM (6 suta), or ROYAL (6+ suta) for premium shelves. Gulf, Canada and Nepal wholesale often buy SELECT (5 suta); 4 Suta bulk suits food service, cooking and price-led buyers. Flavoured makhana is made on a SELECT (5 suta) base.

FOB Kolkata for sea freight. Air and courier shipments are quoted FCA at the Indian airport. Nepal orders can move by road through the Raxaul-Birgunj crossing, close to our office. CFR and CIF on request.

100% advance by bank transfer for the first three orders; then 50% advance and 50% against scanned documents. For orders above USD 5,000 we also accept an irrevocable Letter of Credit at sight.

Because we buy the goods against your order. To protect you, you see the lot's lab certificate before paying, you get photographs of your packed lot before dispatch, and we keep a retention sample for any claim. On a first order you can also pay 50% in advance and 50% before dispatch, once an inspector you appoint has passed the lot.

Bulk makhana and flour: 7-10 days from advance. Retail packs under our label: 10-15 days. Private label: about 4-5 weeks after you sign off the artwork. Sea transit is usually 25-45 days.

Our rule: every export lot is tested at an NABL-accredited (ISO 17025) laboratory before it ships, for moisture, aflatoxin and microbiology, plus pesticide residues for EU-bound lots.

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Plain makhana in nitrogen-flushed packing: up to 9 months unopened. Flavoured makhana and flour: 6 months unopened. Every carton carries the packing date and batch code.

Not yet. Facility certifications belong to the processing unit that grades and packs the makhana. When your order needs them, we buy from a processor that holds them and share its certificates, clearly in its name. Separately, every lot we ship is tested at an NABL-accredited laboratory.

Yes, on request, by buying from a Halal-certified processor. The certificate is in the processor's name.

Our standard range is conventional. We can look for specially certified lots on request; the certificate would be in the certified processor's name.

Yes. Plain 100 g and 200 g pouches can carry your artwork, from 3,000 pouches per product. We check your label content against your market's rules before printing. Printing cylinder costs are quoted separately; for a first run we can also quote digitally printed pouches, which need no cylinders. For private label we fix the nutrition panel from the first lot's analysis and check that later lots stay within labelling tolerances.

Roasted and popped makhana (Euryale ferox) is authorised in the EU as a traditional food from a third country under Regulation (EU) 2023/652. Makhana flour is not covered by that authorisation. UK rules are separate after Brexit, so UK buyers should confirm the current status with their importer.

Mithila Makhana is a registered Geographical Indication (2022). Only registered authorised users may use the GI name or logo on packs. We will tell you our status before any pack uses it.

Our registration status, and how to check each registration on the official portal, is on the Verify Us page. We issue proforma invoices and accept payment only after our IEC, APEDA RCMC and FSSAI Central Licence are issued and our GSTIN shows Active.

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Makhana is very light for its size, so carriers charge on volumetric weight (carton length × width × height ÷ 5,000) rather than actual weight. A 60 × 40 × 40 cm carton holding about 5 kg of makhana is billed as about 19 kg. We always quote freight on the exact carton size, and retail packs usually work out cheaper per unit of value than bulk.

As a planning estimate, about 1.1-1.3 tonnes of bulk makhana in a 20 ft container and 2.9-3.3 tonnes in a 40 ft high-cube, depending on grade and carton. Every quotation includes its own loading plan.

For our first five buyers: the lot fee on your first order is credited against your second order.

Tell us the grade, format, quantity, packing and destination on the Contact page or on WhatsApp. We reply within one business day.

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