# YouPals

> Indian spice sourcing reference for international B2B buyers. Grade
> specifications with units, ITC-HS classification, EU/US compliance limits
> and Spices Board trade data — every figure named, dated and linked to its
> primary source. Operated by Source From India, Pune. YouPals is a
> sourcing desk, not a processor: it owns no facility and claims no
> certifications. Data vintage: FY2025-26; reviewed 2026-07-16.

## Read this first

- [Methodology](https://youpals.com/methodology/): Which sources we accept, how conflicts are handled, what we refuse to claim.
- [Source-conflict register](https://youpals.com/methodology/conflicts/): Every figure where our primary sources disagree, both values shown.
- [Coverage ledger](https://youpals.com/methodology/coverage/): Which market pages carry market-specific data (16/935) and why the rest do not.

## Specifications

- [Green Cardamom](https://youpals.com/spices/green-cardamom/): India is the world’s highest-priced cardamom origin, sold at Kerala auction floors that set the domestic benchmark every afternoon.
- [Black Pepper](https://youpals.com/spices/black-pepper/): The origin of the trade’s benchmark grades — Malabar Garbled and Tellicherry Extra Bold — and the spice the EU checks hardest for Salmonella.
- [Dried Red Chilli](https://youpals.com/spices/red-chilli/): India’s single largest spice export — 27% of the basket by value — and the one product where heat and colour are two separate specifications you cannot buy in one pod.
- [Ginger](https://youpals.com/spices/ginger/): Exported both fresh and as dry ginger (sonth), with the Northeast’s low-fibre GI gingers commanding a premium.
- [Turmeric](https://youpals.com/spices/turmeric/): Curcumin is an origin fact, not a grade you can dial up — Alleppey finger’s 4–6% floor sits above Nizamabad’s ceiling.
- [Coriander](https://youpals.com/spices/coriander/): Traded on colour and splitting behaviour — bright green "eagle" seed for whole sale, single/double parrot grades for milling.
- [Cumin](https://youpals.com/spices/cumin/): India produces the bulk of the world’s cumin and prices it every morning at Unjha — but the EU now checks Indian cumin at 30% for pesticides.
- [Mint](https://youpals.com/spices/mint/): The quiet giant of the basket — mint products (menthol, mint oil) are ~8% of India’s spice export value.

## Compliance

- [EU increased official controls (Reg. 2019/1793)](https://youpals.com/compliance/eu-2019-1793/): The regulation that puts Indian cumin at a 30% pesticide check rate and Indian black pepper at 50% for Salmonella at the EU border.
- [Aflatoxin limits (EU)](https://youpals.com/compliance/aflatoxin/): The EU limits that govern dried chilli and paprika: aflatoxin B1 at 5 µg/kg, total aflatoxins at 10 µg/kg.
- [Ethylene oxide (ETO)](https://youpals.com/compliance/eto/): The EU treats ethylene oxide as a banned pesticide at a 0.1 mg/kg default limit — the residue behind the 2020–21 spice recalls.
- [Salmonella (microbiological)](https://youpals.com/compliance/salmonella/): The hazard behind the EU’s 50% check rate on Indian black pepper — Salmonella must be absent in 25 g.
- [Pyrrolizidine alkaloids](https://youpals.com/compliance/pyrrolizidine/): A 400 µg/kg EU limit driven by co-harvested weeds — an emerging focus for Indian cumin.
- [Pesticide residues (MRLs)](https://youpals.com/compliance/pesticide-residues/): The single largest cause of EU spice rejections — and why cumin is on the 30% check list.
- [Coumarin (cassia vs cinnamon)](https://youpals.com/compliance/coumarin/): Why the cassia/cinnamon distinction is a compliance fact, not pedantry — cassia carries far more coumarin.
- [Sudan dyes (chilli adulteration)](https://youpals.com/compliance/sudan-dye/): Illegal red azo-dyes historically used to fake chilli colour — a zero-tolerance screen for EU chilli buyers.
- [Lead chromate (turmeric adulteration)](https://youpals.com/compliance/lead-chromate/): An illegal yellow brightener that makes heavy-metal testing a standing requirement on turmeric.
- [CRES — exporter registration](https://youpals.com/compliance/cres/): The mandatory Indian-side registration to export any scheduled spice — fee ₹5,000, valid three years.

## Trade data

- [India spice export basket by value, FY2025-26](https://youpals.com/data/export-basket-by-value/): Chilli is 27% of the basket — more than twice the next commodity. Indian spice exports are one big commodity and a long tail. JSON: https://youpals.com/data/export-basket-by-value.json
- [India spice export by destination, FY2025-26](https://youpals.com/data/destination-share/): The USA leads at 14% on FY2025-26 share — but IBEF’s prior-year absolute values put China first. See the source-conflict register. JSON: https://youpals.com/data/destination-share.json
- [India total spice exports, FY2024-25 vs FY2025-26](https://youpals.com/data/total-exports/): FY2025-26 came in at 17.34 lakh tonnes / US$4,430.90M — volume down ~4%, USD value down ~6% year on year. JSON: https://youpals.com/data/total-exports.json
- [EU contaminant limits for spices](https://youpals.com/data/eu-contaminant-limits/): The six numbers that gate EU-bound Indian spice — from aflatoxin B1 at 5 µg/kg to ethylene oxide at 0.1 mg/kg. JSON: https://youpals.com/data/eu-contaminant-limits.json

## Optional

- [Full reference corpus](https://youpals.com/llms-full.txt): The core reference documents inline. Not the whole site.
- [Sitemap](https://youpals.com/sitemap.xml): All URLs.