Iranian Sargol Saffron

Description

Iranian Sargol Saffron — Premium B2B Export Grade

1. Product Overview

Iranian Sargol Saffron is a premium all-red saffron grade consisting primarily of the deep-red stigma tips of Crocus sativus L., with the yellow/white floral style largely removed. It is valued by food manufacturers, spice distributors, beverage formulators, bakery producers, nutraceutical companies, and premium retail packers for its concentrated color, characteristic aroma, and distinctive flavor. Sargol is commercially positioned as a high-value Iranian saffron suitable for applications where consistent sensory performance and efficient dosing are important. Iranian export suppliers commonly offer Sargol in bulk formats with ISO 3632-oriented laboratory testing and protective food-grade packaging.

2. Key Specifications & Technical Characteristics

• Product: Iranian Sargol Saffron
• Botanical name: Crocus sativus L.
• Origin: Iran, with major production and trading regions including Khorasan
• Grade: Sargol / premium all-red saffron
• Appearance: Short, uniformly separated deep-red saffron stigmas with minimal yellow or white floral material
• Coloring compound: Crocin
• Aroma compound: Safranal
• Flavor compound: Picrocrocin
• Typical coloring strength: Approximately 220–250+ crocin units, depending on origin, harvest, processing, and specification; individual export lots should be verified by COA.
• Typical safranal range: Approximately 30–45 for premium commercial lots, subject to batch specification.
• Moisture: Commonly controlled below approximately 7.5–8% for premium export lots.
• Quality standard: ISO 3632 testing can cover coloring strength, aroma, taste, moisture, foreign matter, and related quality parameters.
• HS Code: 091020
• Packaging: Food-grade airtight, moisture-resistant containers, metal tins, vacuum/barrier packs, or bulk export packaging
• Bulk pack sizes: Common commercial formats include 500 g, 1 kg and larger bulk configurations, subject to buyer requirements.
• Storage: Cool, dry conditions protected from direct sunlight, heat, oxygen and moisture
• Shelf life: Typically around 24 months under appropriate storage, depending on packaging and supplier specification.

3. Core Industrial & Commercial Applications

• Food manufacturing: Rice, sauces, confectionery, bakery, dairy and prepared-food formulations
• Beverages: Premium teas, functional beverages and saffron-infused drink formulations
• Spice processing: Wholesale spice blending, grinding and repacking
• Nutraceuticals: Ingredient for standardized botanical and functional formulations, subject to applicable regulatory requirements
• Foodservice: Restaurants, hotels and premium culinary operations
• Private-label packaging: Repacking into retail jars, sachets, tins and branded consumer formats
• International distribution: Suitable for importers, commodity traders and specialty-spice distributors seeking Iranian-origin saffron

4. Competitive Advantages Highlight

Quality Consistency: All-red Sargol presentation enables standardized visual sorting and minimizes lower-value yellow floral material. Batch-level ISO 3632 laboratory testing can provide objective verification of crocin, safranal, picrocrocin and moisture parameters.

Supply Reliability: Iranian saffron’s established production and export infrastructure supports commercial procurement programs, with major suppliers offering bulk formats for international traders and food manufacturers.

Logistics Capability: Airtight, moisture-resistant and light-protective packaging helps preserve saffron quality during international transportation and warehousing. Bulk configurations can be adapted for repacking and downstream distribution.

Price Competitiveness: Bulk procurement and standardized export packaging can reduce per-unit handling and packaging costs compared with small retail-format purchasing, making the product suitable for structured B2B sourcing programs.

Sustainability: Saffron is a high-value agricultural crop requiring relatively limited product mass for significant flavor and color contribution. Responsible sourcing, efficient agricultural practices and appropriate packaging selection can support lower material intensity across downstream formulations.

Technical Documentation: Commercial buyers can specify COA, ISO 3632 laboratory results, moisture analysis, microbiological testing, foreign-matter testing, origin documentation and relevant food-safety documentation as part of the procurement specification.

5. Commercial & Supply Information

Strategic sourcing position: Iranian Sargol Saffron is best procured as a specification-driven agricultural ingredient rather than simply a commodity spice. For a 20 MT bulk program, buyers should lock in the required crocin, safranal, picrocrocin, moisture, foreign-matter, microbiological and packaging specifications in the purchase contract, with acceptance based on batch-specific COA results. This approach provides stronger control over quality consistency, landed cost and long-term supply performance.