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The success or failure of your export business relies heavily on the quality of the commodities that you offer. You need to acquire top-tier ingredients if you wish to retain customer trust and loyalty or to ensure business viability. But to do that, there is so much that you have to take care of.
Navigating things like complex logistics, stringent regulations, and traceability is extremely important to build a sustainable supply chain where every ingredient you source is of premium grade.
“Consumer demands for transparency and sustainability are rising when it comes to food production, and it is the duty of exporters to ensure the ingredients they offer are both traceable, pure, and safe.” says the founder of Geohoney and the CEO of B A Barry Group, Mr. Basem Barry.
This blog explores a few ways you can source quality food ingredients like cocoa or organic sugar for export purposes. This information will help you ensure you deliver ingredients of the best quality to your target importers every single time, so keep on reading till the end.
Look At the Target Market Requirements
Source From Producers That Offer International Food Safety Certifications
Only Do Business with Reputable Producers
Invest in Lab Testing and Quality Assessment
Formulate a Transparent Contract
Keep a Close Eye on Emerging Market Trends and Standards
Find an Export-Ready Supplier
When sourcing food ingredients like sugar or cocoa powder for export, first, you need to consider the regulatory or legal requirements and consumer expectations of your target export destination.
Every region of the world has specific demands that they expect their exporters to meet. Countries like Japan or South Korea expect foolproof packaging and documentation while European nations give great importance to traceability, ethical sourcing, and sustainability.
Importers in the USA also emphasize on allergen labelling and pesticide residue levels in the sugar or cocoa. Keep the needs of the target market in mind will help you narrow down your options when it comes to sourcing these food ingredients.
Almost every importer is looking for food ingredients that are subject to strict safety controls and sanitary requirements.
The source from which you get your food ingredients for export must show full compliance with local and international sanitary and quality regulations.
When exporting organic products, you need to make sure your supplier is able to show you international food safety certifications like, IFS (International Featured Standards) with the highest possible score, BRCGS (Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards), FSSC 22000 (Food Safety System Certification), FDA (Food and Drug Administration), etc.
You can also look at some specific certifications offered by the producer, including Fair Trade and Organic certifications, Non-GMO and Gluten-Free, Halal, and Kosher compliance, based on the specific region you wish to export the products to.
These certifications are proof that the ingredients you offer have been prepared with the best hygiene, quality control, and traceability in mind.
When sourcing bulk cocoa powder or sugar for export, your goal should be to find a supplier that has a proven track record of adherence to the international quality and ethical standards.
When sourcing sugar, you need to look for producers that pay special attention to sustainable farming and quality refinement. You can look into countries like Thailand, Brazil, India, or Pakistan to source top sugar products at competitive rates.
Just make sure to consider the ICUMSA rating of the sugar and buy from suppliers who ensure the implementation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in their farming and harvesting methods.
For sourcing cocoa, you can look at suppliers in countries like Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Brazil. Just make sure no child labor or deforestation concerns are involved, which can be common when sourcing from such locations.
No matter whether you are looking to export regular organic sugar, ICUMSA 45 sugar, or cocoa, you need to invest in quality assessment and testing to ensure regulatory compliance and build buyer trust.
Independent verification of the food ingredient quality and integrity is a must if you wish to build a lasting relationship with your consumer. You need to test both your cocoa and sugar samples and offer a Certificates of Analysis (COAs) to the buyer which is a must for some buyers who wish to import.
For cocoa, you can invest in tests that give insights into the fermentation rate, fat content, and or mold/fungal contamination. Before exporting sugar, you can conduct tests to determine ash content, moisture content, and ICUMSA rating.
These tests will ensure you only buy and then export the premium quality bulk food ingredients every single time.
When sourcing food ingredients, make sure the contract you negotiate has clear terms and a transparent structure. A fair and transparent contract has detailed product specifications, terms of trade, payment conditions, and channels, and quick and simple dispute resolution mechanisms. This contract will eliminate unnecessary and costly delays or legal disputes that can seriously disrupt your supply chain.
The food ingredient export sector is always evolving due to factors like shifts in consumer demands, geopolitics, and climate change. Amidst all of this, as an exporter, you need to keep a tab on changing market trends and regulations.
You can look into the latest industry reports, participate in trade fairs, or visit online sourcing channels like Alibaba, TradeKey, and GlobalSources to discover new opportunities when it comes to sugar and cocoa sourcing.
Exporters can also consider trends like blockchain traceability, organic and regenerative farming, and the EU’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) that are reshaping the buyer demands across the globe.
The supplier of your sugar and cocoa should be familiar with the complexities of international trade, logistics, and compliance. A reliable supplier is always export-ready with their capacity to scale and handle large volumes and documentation readiness.
You can further evaluate their export readiness by visiting their production sites in person. You can also train and incentivize the suppliers in export standards and quality improvement to further ensure eco-friendly product development and packaging.
This will create a long-term relationship with your supplier, which can lead to better pricing, more transparency, and preferential treatment down the line.
Sourcing quality sugar and cocoa for export is not child’s play. There are a lot of moving pieces, and you need to stay vigilant to avoid quality issues. Your ability to find a reliable producer and build a lasting relationship with them can greatly impact your exports.
With just a little effort, you can find a supplier that gives you greater product purity, traceability, quality control, and export readiness.
A reliable supplier will ensure the sugar or cocoa you get for the export meets every international quality and ethical sourcing standard, which is among the top demands for buyers around the globe.
You can visit B A Barry Group if you are looking to buy top-quality, ethically sourced, and highly pure organic sugar and cocoa powder in bulk for exports all over the world.
