What is the difference between sulphured and natural dried apricots?
Sulphured fruit has been treated with sulphur dioxide, which holds a bright, stable orange and a more attractive look on the shelf. Natural fruit is untreated: dark brown, denser in flavour, more expensive, and sold into a different market. The choice is not a matter of taste. The permitted sulphur dioxide level differs from market to market and is stated in an analysis attached to each shipment. We check the destination's limit before loading, because breaching it means rejection at clearance rather than a discount.
Why are dried figs sometimes rejected on arrival?
The leading cause worldwide is aflatoxin, a mould toxin that forms under poorly controlled drying or storage. Serious packers in Aydın run the fruit under ultraviolet sorting, because contaminated fruit fluoresces and is then pulled by hand. We ask for that step to be documented, and for an accredited aflatoxin analysis on each batch carrying the same batch number printed on the carton — not a general certificate for the plant, because a general certificate proves nothing about the goods that reached you.
How much shelf life will eggs have left on arrival?
An egg's life starts on the day it is laid, not the day it is loaded, so every day spent on the farm or in a warehouse before the doors close comes off the life your customer receives. What remains on arrival depends on the lay date, the voyage and the mode of transport, and it should not be guessed at. We fix the required lay date in the purchase order, calculate the expected remaining life at arrival before booking, and check what share of shelf life the destination requires at clearance.
What is the difference between M and L eggs, and who decides?
Grading is by weight: S under 53 g, M 53–63 g, L 63–73 g, XL 73 g and above. Most Gulf demand sits in M and L. The recurring problem is that some farms sell by trade name — "large", "premium" — rather than by weight, and those words mean different things at different farms. So we fix the gram range in the purchase order and weigh a sample of each size before loading, rather than trusting what is printed on the case.
Are apples offered in spring from a new harvest?
No. The Turkish harvest is seasonal: Gala in August, Starking and Golden through September and October, Granny Smith in October and November. Anything offered after that has come out of cold store. That is not a fault in itself, but the difference between an ordinary cold room and a controlled-atmosphere room at low oxygen is a large difference in firmness and shelf life, and it is invisible in the carton. So we ask when the fruit entered store and what kind it was, and measure firmness on a sample before loading.
How do I verify a Turkish food supplier before sending the first payment?
Ask for a copy of the tax certificate and check that the name on it matches the company you are paying and the name on the bank account exactly. Ask for the approved establishment number from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry if the item is of animal origin or needs a health certificate. Then arrange a site visit, or send someone in your place. We visit the facility, photograph it, and send you what we saw before you pay anything. We do not put forward a supplier whose premises we have not stood inside.
What documents does importing food into Saudi Arabia require?
It varies by item. The basis is an invoice, a packing list, a bill of lading, a certificate of origin and a health certificate — veterinary for animal products such as eggs, phytosanitary for fresh produce. Add the laboratory analyses the item requires, and an Arabic label meeting GSO 9. For animal products the exporting establishment must be registered with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority before shipment — the single most common reason a new importer's container stops.
Can several items be combined in one shipment?
Yes, with conditions that come from the goods rather than the paperwork. Dry items — apricots, figs and nuts — combine easily in one container. Mixing a chilled item with a dry one needs care: eggs and apples sit at different temperature ranges, and apples give off ethylene, which accelerates ripening around them. Each item keeps its own documents and analyses however many share the container, and that is what we arrange before booking.
What is the minimum order?
It varies by item and by facility. Large egg farms and large nut plants work in full containers, while smaller facilities accept part loads at a higher unit price. The approach we most often use is consolidating items from several suppliers into one container, so you can trial a new item in a small quantity without committing to a full container of each. Send us your approximate list and we will tell you what can actually be consolidated.
Why do prices for the same item differ so much between offers?
Because "the same item" usually is not. In apricots the price moves with the grade and the sulphur level; in hazelnuts with kernel diameter and harvest year; in pistachios with the unsplit percentage; in apples with the type of storage and the date of entry; in eggs with the lay date and the size in grams. A much cheaper offer normally means a lower grade, older stock or a different origin. We insist an offer is written with the full specification, so you are comparing figures rather than promises.