Baobab
Baobab is the fruit of Adansonia digitata, the African baobab tree, a long lived savanna species that is not cultivated at commercial scale and is harvested from wild standing trees across southern and eastern Africa. The fruit is a hard woody pod containing a dry chalky pulp that requires no drying or pressing, only separation and milling, which is what makes the powder unusual among fruit ingredients. The pulp is sold as powder into beverages, smoothie blends, cereal bars, supplements and cosmetic formulations, valued for its vitamin C, its soluble fibre and its acidity. The seed is pressed separately for baobab oil, used in skin and hair care, and the seed cake is a secondary article.
Listed baobab markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Baobab is contracted on the fraction, the milling specification and the ascorbic acid assay together. Because the raw material is gathered from wild trees across a wide area, the collection and traceability file is as much a part of the specification as the laboratory sheet.
Botanical identity as the contracted article
4 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Adansonia digitata L.The commercial article | The African baobab. Malagasy Adansonia species are botanically distinct and are contracted separately. |
| FractionDeclared | Fruit pulp powder, whole seed, cold pressed seed oil, or seed cake. Four articles from one pod. |
| Novel food statusDeclared, with the authorisation reference | Baobab fruit pulp is an authorised novel food in the European Union and the authorisation reference travels with the contract. |
| Identity testingCertificate of analysis, with the method | Organoleptic and chromatographic confirmation against a retained reference sample. |
Physical form and processing route
7 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Fruit pulp powderDeclared, with the mesh | Pulp separated from seed and fibre and milled. The principal traded article. |
| Particle sizeMesh, or micrometres | The sieve specification, contracted because it governs mouthfeel and dispersibility in a drink. |
| Fibre content of the powderPercentage by mass | How much of the woody fibre survived the separation step. It is the main quality difference between two powders of the same origin. |
| ColourDeclared, against a retained reference sample | Pale cream through to pink. Darkening indicates heat or age. |
| Whole seedDeclared | Cleaned seed for pressing or for onward sale. |
| Cold pressed seed oilDeclared, with the pressing route | Mechanically pressed, unrefined or refined, with the filtration stated. |
| Seed cakeDeclared | The residue after pressing, sold into feed and into further extraction. |
Composition and assay
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ascorbic acid, vitamin CMilligrams per hundred grams, minimum | The headline marker for the pulp powder, measured by high performance liquid chromatography and reported against the date of analysis. |
| Total dietary fibrePercentage by mass | Split between soluble and insoluble, which is how the prebiotic claim is supported. |
| Soluble fibre, pectin fractionPercentage by mass | Contracted where the powder is bought as a functional fibre rather than as a flavour. |
| Titratable acidityDeclared, as citric acid equivalent | The pulp is strongly acidic and that governs its use in a beverage system. |
| pHDeclared, at a stated concentration in water | Contracted for formulation compatibility. |
| Total sugarsPercentage by mass | Reported for labelling. |
| Mineral profileMilligrams per hundred grams | Calcium, potassium, magnesium and iron, reported for labelling. |
| Free fatty acid content of the oilPercentage as oleic acid, maximum | The freshness marker for the pressed seed oil. |
| Peroxide value of the oilMilliequivalents of active oxygen per kilogram, maximum | Oxidation state at the time of analysis. |
Purity and contaminants
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Loss on drying, or moisturePercentage by mass, maximum | Determined by oven drying or by the entrainment method. It governs mould risk in the bag and it is weight the buyer is not paying botanical prices for. |
| Foreign organic matterPercentage by mass, maximum | Soil, stones, stems where stems are not the article, other plant species and any material other than the named part, separated by hand and weighed. |
| Total ashPercentage by mass, maximum | Mineral residue after incineration. |
| Acid-insoluble ashPercentage by mass, maximum | The sand and silica fraction, and the classical measure of how carefully the material was lifted and washed. |
| Heavy metalsMilligrams per kilogram, maximum | Lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, against CXS 193 and the destination limits. |
| Pesticide residuesMilligrams per kilogram, maximum | Multi-residue screen against the destination market limits. Contracted on every lot destined for the European Union, Japan or a certified organic buyer. |
| MycotoxinsMicrograms per kilogram, maximum | Aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2, total aflatoxins and ochratoxin A. Field dried botanicals carry the risk and the destination sets the ceiling. |
| Microbiological limitsColony forming units per gram, maximum, with the pathogen absence criteria | Total aerobic count, yeasts and moulds, bile-tolerant Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli and Salmonella. |
| Irradiation and sterilisationDeclared | Steam sterilised, ethylene oxide treated, irradiated or untreated. Declared on the contract, because destination markets differ on what they permit. |
Origin, legality and delivery
8 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Wild collected or cultivatedDeclared | It drives availability, the legality file and, in several of these articles, the marker chemistry. |
| Legality and collection permitDeclared, with the permit reference | Export permit, forest or land access agreement, or community collection agreement, travelling with the lot. |
| CertificationCertificate, with the scheme and the certificate number | Organic, FairWild, Fair for Life, Rainforest Alliance or a private buyer standard, named on the contract when it is contracted. |
| Crop year and harvest dateDeclared | Marker compounds decline with age. The crop year is a price term, not a formality. |
| PackingDeclared | Paper sacks, polypropylene bags, cartons, fibre drums or bulk bags, with the liner and the pallet configuration specified. |
| Sampling planDeclared | How many packages are sampled, by whom, and against which retained reference sample. Field dried botanicals are heterogeneous between bags. |
| Wild collection areaDeclared, with the district or the community group | Baobab is gathered from standing wild trees. The collection area, the group and the season are the traceability file. |
| Benefit sharing and accessDeclared, with the agreement reference | Access and benefit sharing arrangements under the national framework, where the destination or the certification scheme requires them. |
Grades outside this list trade on request. Send us the contract specification you work to and we will price against it.
Locations
| Country | Region | We trade it as |
|---|---|---|
| Malawi | The Southern and Central Regions | Origin |
| Zimbabwe | Masvingo, Manicaland and the Zambezi valley | Origin |
| Mozambique | Tete, Gaza and Inhambane | Origin |
| Zambia | The Southern and Eastern Provinces | Origin |
| South Africa | Limpopo | Origin and destination |
| Tanzania | Dodoma, Singida and the central corridor | Origin |
| Kenya | Kilifi, Kwale and the coast | Origin |
| Senegal | Tambacounda and Kaolack | Origin |
| Ghana | The Northern and Upper regions | Origin |
| Burkina Faso | The Centre and the Boucle du Mouhoun | Origin |
| Mali | Sikasso and Segou | Origin |
| Sudan | Kordofan and the Blue Nile | Origin |
| Benin | Borgou and Atacora | Origin |
| Madagascar | Menabe and the west | Origin |
| United Kingdom | Felixstowe and the health food cluster | Destination |
| Germany | Hamburg and the Rhine-Ruhr ingredient cluster | Destination |
| Netherlands | Rotterdam and the food ingredient cluster | Destination |
| France | Le Havre and Marseille | Destination |
| Italy | Genoa and the Lombardy supplement cluster | Destination |
| Spain | Barcelona and Valencia | Destination |
| United States | New York, New Jersey and California | Destination |
| Canada | Ontario and British Columbia | Destination |
| Japan | Tokyo and Osaka | Destination |
| South Korea | Seoul and Busan | Destination |
| Australia | Sydney and Melbourne | Destination |
| United Arab Emirates | Dubai and Jebel Ali | Destination |
| Poland | Gdansk and the contract manufacturing cluster | Destination |
Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown here.
Timing
Harvest is when the plant material is lifted or cut at origin. Arrival is when a shipment from that origin typically lands in a consuming market. The gap between them is drying, cleaning, milling or extraction, laboratory clearance and the voyage.
HarvestArrival
| Origin | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malawi | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Apr to Sep, arrival Jul to DecPods are gathered in the dry season once they have hardened and fallen. Cracking, sieving and milling follow at origin before the powder ships. | |||
| Zimbabwe | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Apr to Sep, arrival Jul to DecThe same dry season gathering pattern, moving through Beira and Durban. | |||
| Mozambique | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Apr to Aug, arrival Jul to NovDry season collection in Tete and the southern provinces, shipping through Beira and Maputo. | ||||
| Senegal | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Feb to Jun, arrival May to SepThe Sahelian pattern runs earlier than southern Africa, with collection in the late dry season. | ||||
| Ghana | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Jan to Apr, arrival Apr to JulNorthern savanna collection in the dry months, shipping through Tema. | |||||
| Tanzania | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest May to Sep, arrival Aug to DecCentral corridor collection in the long dry season, shipping through Dar es Salaam. | ||||
| South Africa | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest Apr to Aug, arrival Jun to OctLimpopo collection in the dry winter, with processing and export handled domestically. |
Windows outside this pattern trade on request, including carry, forward positions and stock already sitting in a destination warehouse.
Customs, packing and contract terms
Indicative terms for baobab. Tariff classification is the importer’s responsibility and limits change, so confirm both against the destination customs authority and the current regulation before you fix a contract.
- HS heading1106.30 Flour, meal and powder of fruit, including baobab fruit powder
1211.90 Baobab plant material used in pharmacy - PackingMultiwall paper sacks or PP bags of 20 kg to 25 kg with food grade liner, or fibre drums for powders and extracts. Sieve size, ash and foreign organic matter stated at load.
- Container loading20ft: 8 t to 14 t. Volume limited for whole leaf and root, weight limited for powders and extracts.
- Contract and arbitrationSale on specification with a certificate of analysis, botanical identity confirmed by macroscopic or HPTLC identification. European Herbal Infusions Association quality guidance and the terms of the importing association. Arbitration under ICC rules or at the contract seat.
- Destination limitsEU novel food authorisation under Regulation 2015/2283 for species without a history of consumption before May 1997, the Article 8 list under Regulation 1925/2006, pesticide MRLs under Regulation 396/2005, pyrrolizidine alkaloid limits on herbal infusions and aflatoxin and ochratoxin limits under Regulation 2023/915, and CITES for listed species. US: FDA dietary supplement rules with new dietary ingredient notification.
Common questions
What grades of baobab does SIP Global trade?
We quote 37 published grades of baobab, including Adansonia digitata L. - The commercial article, Fraction - Declared, Novel food status - Declared, with the authorisation reference, Identity testing - Certificate of analysis, with the method, Fruit pulp powder - Declared, with the mesh and Particle size - Mesh, or micrometres. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is baobab graded?
Baobab is contracted on the fraction, the milling specification and the ascorbic acid assay together. Because the raw material is gathered from wild trees across a wide area, the collection and traceability file is as much a part of the specification as the laboratory sheet. Grading runs on 5 systems: Botanical identity as the contracted article, Physical form and processing route, Composition and assay, Purity and contaminants and Origin, legality and delivery.
Where does SIP Global trade baobab?
We trade baobab in Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya and Senegal and 19 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is baobab harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Malawi: harvest apr to sep, arrival jul to dec; Zimbabwe: harvest apr to sep, arrival jul to dec; Mozambique: harvest apr to aug, arrival jul to nov; Senegal: harvest feb to jun, arrival may to sep; Ghana: harvest jan to apr, arrival apr to jul. Harvest is when the lot is taken at origin, arrival is when a shipment from that origin lands in a consuming market. Windows outside this pattern, including carry, trade on request.
What is the HS code for baobab?
Baobab is normally classified under HS 1106.30 (flour, meal and powder of fruit, including baobab fruit powder) and HS 1211.90 (baobab plant material used in pharmacy). The heading follows the form the goods are in at the border, and national tariffs extend it beyond six digits, so confirm the full line with the destination customs authority before you fix a contract.
How do I get a price for baobab?
Send the grade, the origin and the delivery window to the SIP Global desk. That is enough for a trader to come back with a level and a settlement route. 1 listed baobab market is published on this page, each with its full specification and terms. We take both sides, physical and financial, prompt to long dated.
Standards and data sources
The grading language on this sheet follows published standards. Trade volumes and tariff lines are public record. Verify anything here against the source.
- Codex AlimentariusFAO and WHO food standards
- UN ComtradeOfficial international trade statistics by HS code
- ITC Trade MapBilateral trade flows and tariff data
- FAOSTATFAO production and trade series for agricultural commodities
Price this with our desk
Grade, origin and window if you have them. If what you are carrying does not fit the sheet above, describe it in your own words and a trader will take it from there.