Clove Quality and Eugenol
What clove quality is judged on, from headless percentage to volatile oil and eugenol, and the EU baseline every clove lot must meet.
Clove EU baseline table
Clove quality is driven by its volatile oil and its eugenol content, the compound behind clove aroma and its value to the oil and oleoresin trade. Those are contract axes; the firm, sourceable numbers are the EU baseline limits every clove lot must meet.
| Requirement | Value | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Ethylene oxide | 0.1 mg/kg (banned pesticide) | EU limit |
| Salmonella | Absent in 25 g | EU limit |
| Sample order | 50-100 kg | Trade practice |
| Sea LCL | 1-5 MT | Trade practice |
The quality axes buyers specify
| Quality axis | What the buyer specifies |
|---|---|
| Headless cloves | Maximum percentage of cloves that have lost the head/bud |
| Volatile oil | Minimum volatile-oil content for aroma and oil yield |
| Eugenol | Eugenol as the key aroma and value component |
| Moisture | Maximum moisture to protect oil and prevent mould |
| Foreign matter | Maximum stalk, dust and admixture |
Buyer note
Whole clove with intact heads and high volatile oil is the premium; broken, headless clove discounts. Set a headless-percentage cap, a minimum volatile-oil figure and a foreign-matter limit on the contract, and require a lab report on the delivered lot.
Frequently asked
What determines clove quality?
Headless-clove percentage, volatile-oil content, eugenol, moisture and foreign matter. Whole clove with intact heads and high oil is the premium; buyers set numeric thresholds per lot.
Sourcing this? Tell us the spice, grade and destination and we return a documented offer — vetted supply, QC oversight, and the test dossier your market needs.
Start a sourcing enquiry →What this page does not tell you
- Eugenol and volatile-oil percentages
- Verified eugenol and volatile-oil figures for Indian clove grades are not in our set, so no percentage is printed.
- Headless-clove standard bands
- Standard numeric headless-percentage grade bands are not in our verified set; specify them per contract.
Reviewed 16 July 2026.
Sources
- Reg. (EU) 2023/915 — maximum levels for certain contaminants· Tier 1, retrieved 2026-07-16
- CBI — Entering the European market for spices and herbs· Tier 2, retrieved 2026-07-16
- Spices Board Act, 1986 — Schedule of spices· Tier 1, retrieved 2026-07-16