Hawthorn for Food & Beverage Producers | EU Sourcing

Which Hawthorn Form Fits Your Application?

The right hawthorn format depends on your processing line, target label claim, and shelf-life requirements. TANDOR supplies three principal forms used by European food and beverage manufacturers, each documented with a batch-specific Certificate of Analysis (CoA).

IQF Whole & Halved Berries

Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) hawthorn berries are the preferred input for fruit preparations, confectionery fillings, and functional beverage bases where visible fruit identity or fresh flavour profile is commercially relevant.

Key specs for this form:

• Brix (thawed juice): typically 14–20 °Bx natural, varying by harvest year and origin — always confirmed per batch on the CoA
• Water activity (a_w): not applicable at frozen state; cold-chain continuity documentation supplied
• Foreign matter & sorting: mechanically and optically sorted; defect thresholds agreed at order stage
• Microbiological limits: compliant with EU Regulation 2073/2005 Annex I — Total Viable Count, Enterobacteriaceae, *E. coli*, *Listeria monocytogenes*, *Salmonella* spp. tested per batch
• Pesticide residues: screened to EU MRL levels under Regulation (EC) No 396/2005
• Origin: Romania (Carpathian wild-harvest and cultivated), complemented by multi-origin supply (Eastern Europe, Balkans) for volume continuity
• MOQ: typically 500 kg per batch; larger volumes palletised on EUR-standard pallets, IFS/BRC-certified cold-storage dispatch

Dried Hawthorn (Whole Berry, Sliced, Powder)

Dried forms — air-dried, tunnel-dried, or freeze-dried — serve manufacturers of herbal teas, instant drink mixes, encapsulated blends, and bakery inclusions. Moisture content and water activity are the critical food-safety parameters at this format.

Key specs for this form:

• Moisture content: ≤ 10% for whole/sliced dried berry (≤ 8% for powder) — confirmed per batch
• Water activity (a_w): ≤ 0.60 for powder; critical for mould inhibition and shelf stability
• Colour & appearance: characteristic red-brown to deep burgundy; colour specification (CIE L*a*b* or Minolta) available on request
• Particle size (powder): standard 80–100 mesh; custom mesh available subject to MOQ
• Microbiological panel: as per EU Regulation 2073/2005; yeast & mould counts included given botanical origin
• Heavy metals: Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Mercury (Hg), Arsenic (As) — tested per batch against limits aligned with Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 and EFSA guidance
• Allergen statement: hawthorn is not a listed allergen under EU Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 Annex II; cross-contamination risk assessed at processing facility level and declared on CoA
• PAH & mycotoxin screening: available for dried forms; Ochratoxin A relevant given berry substrates — tested where requested
• MOQ: 100 kg (powder); 250 kg (whole/sliced dried)

Clarified Juice Concentrate

Hawthorn juice concentrate is increasingly specified by functional beverage brands, nutraceutical drink formulators, and flavour houses seeking a standardised, pumpable liquid input.

Key specs for this form:

• Brix: typically supplied at 65–68 °Bx (clarified); natural single-strength equivalent ~14–18 °Bx — batch variation confirmed on CoA
• pH: typically 3.2–3.8 (naturally acidic; supports microbiological stability)
• Titratable acidity: expressed as % citric acid equivalent, confirmed per batch
• Clarity: NTU value specified for clarified grades; cloudy/NFC variants available
• Preservatives: none added in EU-Organic certified lots; conventional lots may carry SO₂ declaration per labelling requirements
• Microbiological: EU Regulation 2073/2005 criteria; commercial sterility testing available for aseptic-filled drums
• Packaging: 200 kg aseptic bag-in-drum or flexi-IBC; cold-chain not required at concentrate Brix
• MOQ: 1,000 kg (one aseptic drum pallet)

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Certifications That Matter for F&B Procurement

EU-Organic (Regulation (EU) 2018/848): TANDOR sources certified-organic hawthorn from operators holding valid EU-Organic certificates issued by accredited control bodies (e.g. ECOCERT, Bio Suisse equivalent EU bodies). Transaction certificates are provided per shipment, enabling your organic label claim under the same regulation.

Food Safety System Certification: Supplying facilities hold FSSC 22000 or IFS Food / BRC Food certification — audit reports available under NDA for qualified buyers.

HACCP documentation: Full HACCP plans and process flow diagrams for each processing step (harvest → cleaning → processing → packing) supplied on request.

Kosher / Halal: Available for selected origins and processing facilities; declared on CoA.

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Why Source Hawthorn via a Specialist EU Intermediary?

Direct wild-harvest or single-origin sourcing creates concentration risk — hawthorn yields vary substantially by season and region. TANDOR's multi-origin model (Romania as primary, complemented by other EU and Balkan origins) provides volume continuity without sacrificing traceability.

Every batch ships with:

• Certificate of Analysis covering identity (botanical and organoleptic), moisture, Brix (where applicable), microbiological panel, heavy metals, pesticide residues, and allergen statement
• Declaration of Conformity against your agreed specification sheet
• Origin and lot traceability from collection zone to dispatch

All documentation is provided in English and formatted for direct use in your supplier qualification process.

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Sourcing Process at a Glance

1. Specification alignment — share your internal spec sheet or application brief; TANDOR confirms available forms and origins that match
2. Sample dispatch — analytical samples (approx. 500 g) with pre-shipment CoA; available within standard lead times
3. Commercial offer — volume, origin, certification status, packaging, and Incoterms confirmed in writing
4. Order & documentation — Purchase Order triggers batch reservation; full documentation pack issued at dispatch
5. Ongoing supply — framework agreements available for seasonal volume planning across EU-Organic and conventional grades