ISO 3632 is the international standard that grades saffron by its colour, aroma, and taste compounds. A certificate against it is the single most useful document a saffron buyer can read — provided you know which lines matter.
The three grading figures
| Measurement | What it reports | Category I |
|---|---|---|
| Colour strength (crocin) | E1% at ~440 nm | ≥ 190 (premium ≥ 250) |
| Flavour (picrocrocin) | E1% at ~257 nm | ≥ 70 |
| Aroma (safranal) | Absorbance at ~330 nm | 20–50 |
Where a certificate can mislead
A high colour figure is meaningless if the certificate is not tied to the lot you are buying. Check the lot number, the test date, and whether the laboratory measured moisture — an artificially wet sample inflates weight and depresses the apparent strength.
- Does the lot number on the certificate match the lot on the delivery?
- Is the test recent, and named to a specific harvest?
- Are moisture and volatile-matter reported alongside the colour figure?
- Was safranal measured — or only estimated from colour?
None of this replaces your own incoming QC, but a complete ISO 3632 certificate lets you buy against a grade with confidence rather than against a photograph.
Every saffron lot, ISO 3632 Category I
Our Kashmiri Mongra ships with crocin, picrocrocin, and safranal on the certificate.
