Camu Camu
Camu camu is the fruit of Myrciaria dubia, a shrubby tree of the myrtle family that grows on the seasonally flooded riverbanks of the western Amazon basin. The fruit is a small round berry with an exceptionally high natural ascorbic acid concentration, which is the reason it is traded at all: it is used as a natural vitamin C source and as an acidulant in supplements, powdered drink mixes, functional beverages and cosmetic formulations. Almost all commercial material is wild gathered from riverine stands by boat during the flood season, with a smaller cultivated volume from planted plots. It ships mainly as spray dried or freeze dried whole fruit powder, and secondarily as frozen pulp.
Listed camu camu markets
Each line is a grade at a delivery point. Open one for its full specification and terms.
Grades
Camu camu is contracted on the drying route and the ascorbic acid assay together, with the collection permit file attached. Vitamin C is heat sensitive and time sensitive, so the drying method, the date of analysis and the storage term are all price terms rather than paperwork.
Botanical identity as the contracted article
5 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Myrciaria dubia (Kunth) McVaughThe commercial article | The binomial is the contract. Related Myrciaria species are not the same article. |
| Plant partDeclared | Whole fruit including skin, pulp only, or seed included. Skin carries much of the ascorbic acid and the anthocyanin, so the fraction is a value term. |
| Wild collected or cultivatedDeclared | Riverine wild stands and planted plots both supply the market and they are documented differently. |
| Novel food and regulatory statusDeclared, with the reference | Destination market status for the specific fraction and form, named on the contract. |
| Identity testingCertificate of analysis, with the method | Chromatographic confirmation against a retained reference sample, which is also how synthetic ascorbic acid addition is detected. |
Physical form and processing route
7 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Spray dried whole fruit powderDeclared, with the carrier and its percentage | The volume article. Maltodextrin is the usual carrier and it is named and quantified. |
| Freeze dried powderDeclared | Lyophilised material, priced above spray dried for ascorbic acid retention and colour. |
| Frozen pulpDeclared, with the temperature term | Depulped fruit moved frozen, contracted with a cold chain clause. |
| ExtractDeclared, with the solvent, the ratio and the residual solvent limit | Concentrated fractions for supplement use. |
| Particle sizeMesh, or micrometres | The sieve specification for powders. |
| ColourDeclared, against a retained reference sample | Pale pink through to beige. Browning indicates heat damage or oxidation. |
| SolubilityDeclared, at a stated concentration in water | Contracted where the powder goes into an instant beverage. |
Ascorbic acid and composition
9 grades
| Grade | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ascorbic acid, vitamin CPercentage by mass, or milligrams per hundred grams, minimum | The headline assay, measured by high performance liquid chromatography and reported with the date of analysis. |
| Naturally occurring or addedDeclared | Whether the assay is met by the fruit alone. Addition of synthetic ascorbic acid is a different article and is declared explicitly. |
| Isotope ratio verificationDeclared, where contracted | Stable isotope analysis distinguishing plant derived from synthetic ascorbic acid. The standard authenticity test in this trade. |
| Total anthocyaninsMilligrams per hundred grams | A skin fraction marker, reported where the buyer contracts on colour or on polyphenol content. |
| Total polyphenolsMilligrams of gallic acid equivalent per hundred grams | Reported for supplement labelling. |
| Titratable acidityDeclared, as citric acid equivalent | The fruit is strongly acidic and that governs beverage formulation. |
| pHDeclared, at a stated concentration in water | Contracted for formulation compatibility. |
| Carrier contentPercentage by mass | Maltodextrin or other carrier, quantified, because it dilutes the assay. |
| Water activityDeclared, maximum | The stability term for the powder in the drum. |
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
9 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. |
| Collection permitDeclared, with the permit reference | Wild gathering from riverine stands runs under national forestry and access authorisation, and the permit travels with the lot. |
| Access and benefit sharingDeclared, with the agreement reference | Where the destination or the certification scheme requires it for a genetic resource of Amazonian origin. |
| Storage and shelf lifeDeclared | Temperature, light exclusion and the shelf life against the stated assay. Vitamin C content is a contracted number at a contracted date. |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Peru | Loreto, Ucayali and the Amazon basin | Origin |
| Brazil | Amazonas, Para and Rondonia | Origin and destination |
| Colombia | Amazonas and Putumayo | Origin |
| Ecuador | Napo, Orellana and Sucumbios | Origin |
| Bolivia | Beni and Pando | Origin |
| Venezuela | Amazonas and Bolivar | Origin |
| United States | California, New Jersey and the supplement cluster | Destination |
| Canada | Ontario and British Columbia | Destination |
| Japan | Tokyo and Osaka | Destination |
| South Korea | Seoul and Incheon | Destination |
| China | Shanghai and Guangzhou | Destination |
| Germany | Hamburg and the Rhine-Ruhr ingredient cluster | Destination |
| Netherlands | Rotterdam and the food ingredient cluster | Destination |
| United Kingdom | Felixstowe and the health food cluster | Destination |
| France | Le Havre and Marseille | Destination |
| Italy | Genoa and the Lombardy supplement cluster | Destination |
| Spain | Barcelona and Valencia | Destination |
| Poland | Gdansk and the contract manufacturing cluster | Destination |
| Australia | Sydney and Melbourne | Destination |
| Mexico | Mexico City and Guadalajara | Destination |
| Chile | Santiago and Valparaiso | Destination |
| Switzerland | Basel and the ingredient 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peru | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest Nov to Mar, arrival Feb to JunFruit ripens on flooded riverbank stands through the high water season and is gathered by boat. Depulping, drying and laboratory clearance follow before powder leaves Callao. | ||||
| Brazil | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest Dec to Apr, arrival Mar to JulThe Amazonas flood season sets the window, with material moving through Manaus and out of Belem or Santos. | ||||
| Colombia | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest Nov to Mar, arrival Feb to JunAmazon basin gathering on the same flood cycle, moving through Bogota by air and through Cartagena by sea. | ||||
| Ecuador | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest Dec to Mar, arrival Mar to JunOriente gathering, shipping through Guayaquil. | |||||
| Bolivia | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest and arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Arrival | Harvest | Harvest Dec to Mar, arrival Mar to JulBeni and Pando gathering, moving overland to Peruvian and Chilean ports. |
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 camu camu. 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 camu camu powder
0811.90 Camu camu fruit, frozen - 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 camu camu does SIP Global trade?
We quote 38 published grades of camu camu, including Myrciaria dubia (Kunth) McVaugh - The commercial article, Plant part - Declared, Wild collected or cultivated - Declared, Novel food and regulatory status - Declared, with the reference, Identity testing - Certificate of analysis, with the method and Spray dried whole fruit powder - Declared, with the carrier and its percentage. Every grade is tied to a delivery point and a settlement route. Grades outside the published list are priced on request.
How is camu camu graded?
Camu camu is contracted on the drying route and the ascorbic acid assay together, with the collection permit file attached. Vitamin C is heat sensitive and time sensitive, so the drying method, the date of analysis and the storage term are all price terms rather than paperwork. Grading runs on 5 systems: Botanical identity as the contracted article, Physical form and processing route, Ascorbic acid and composition, Purity and contaminants and Origin, legality and delivery.
Where does SIP Global trade camu camu?
We trade camu camu in Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, United States and Canada and 14 further markets. Origins and destinations outside this list trade on request. We are not limited to the locations shown.
When is camu camu harvested and when does it arrive?
Typical windows are Peru: harvest nov to mar, arrival feb to jun; Brazil: harvest dec to apr, arrival mar to jul; Colombia: harvest nov to mar, arrival feb to jun; Ecuador: harvest dec to mar, arrival mar to jun; Bolivia: harvest dec to mar, arrival mar 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 camu camu?
Camu camu is normally classified under HS 1106.30 (flour, meal and powder of fruit, including camu camu powder) and HS 0811.90 (camu camu fruit, frozen). 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 camu camu?
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 camu camu 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.