Nigerian Dried Hibiscus Grades and Specifications: Grade A, Grade B, Tea-Bag Cut and Powder Explained

There is no single international grading authority for dried hibiscus. Quality is defined contract by contract, using a handful of parameters that every experienced buyer and seller understands. This guide explains them so that you can read a Nigerian hibiscus offer — and write a specification — with confidence.

What is being graded

The product is the dried calyx of Hibiscus sabdariffa — the fleshy red sepals that surround the seed pod — not the petal. After harvest the calyx is separated from the seed capsule with a hollow punch or by hand, then sun-dried from roughly 85% moisture to around 10%. Everything in a specification is about how cleanly that was done and how well the colour and acidity survived drying.

Grade A, Grade B and "sifted"

Grade A (also "sifted", "premium" or "beverage grade") means whole or largely whole calyces that have been passed over screens to remove dust, broken pieces and seeds, then hand-picked for stems and foreign matter. Colour is deep red to dark burgundy, not brown. Grade B (or "unsifted", "industrial", "extraction grade") is the remainder: broken, under-sized and mixed calyces with a higher admixture tolerance. The colour and acidity are the same — the difference is appearance and cleanliness, which is why extraction buyers happily take Grade B at a lower price.

Tea-bag cut and powder

Tea-bag cut (TBC) is Grade A that has been cut and screened to a particle band, most commonly 1–4 mm, with fines aspirated out. Specify the sieve range (for example "pass 4 mm, retain 1 mm, fines below 0.5 mm max 2%"). Powder is milled calyx; specify mesh size (60–80 mesh is common), colour and moisture, and insist on lined packaging because powder absorbs moisture quickly.

The core specification lines

• Moisture (max): 10–12% is standard. Above 12% there is a real risk of mould in transit.
• Admixture / foreign matter (max): stems, seeds, sand, dust and other plant material. 1–2% for Grade A; agree a separate figure for Grade B.
• Colour: "deep red / dark red" against a retained sample. Brownish lots were over-dried, rain-damaged or old.
• Total ash and acid-insoluble ash: ash tells you about mineral content; acid-insoluble ash is essentially sand. Typical limits are around 10% and 2% respectively, but set them to your own standard.
• Infestation and mould: nil live insects, no visible mould. Mexico-bound cargo in particular is inspected for khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium).
• Microbiology: total plate count, yeast and mould, E. coli and Salmonella to the destination standard.
• Pesticide residues and heavy metals: EU MRLs, FDA tolerances or COFEPRIS limits, as applicable; lead and cadmium are the usual heavy-metal lines.

Writing a specification that protects you

State every number, state the test method where it matters (oven moisture, not meter), name the laboratory or inspection agency that will certify it, and attach a retained sample that both parties sign. Specify packaging (bag weight, liner, bale compression) and fumigation requirements explicitly. Finally, agree what happens if the shipment is off-spec — a price allowance scale is far easier to enforce than a rejection clause.

Our specification sheets follow this structure for all four grades. Request a quotation and we will send the full sheet for your market.