The three markers
ISO 3632 is the international standard for saffron. It measures three compounds by spectrophotometry, and together they are difficult to fake: crocin for colouring strength, picrocrocin for taste, and safranal for aroma.
Category I — the highest grade — requires a colouring strength of 190 or above. Every consignment we take is tested by an independent laboratory before it is accepted, and the certificate is tied to the batch number.
Sourced
Direct from growers
Bought at the farm gate in Pampore through long-standing relationships, with traceability back to the field. On-site checks happen at purchase, not on arrival.
Tested
Batch by batch
Crocin, picrocrocin and safranal measured against ISO 3632 Category I thresholds by an independent UK laboratory.
Encapsulated
GMP, in the UK
Filled by a UK third-party manufacturer working to GMP standards, into vegan capsules with no fillers or binders.
How saffron gets faked
It helps to know what you are avoiding. The common adulterations are:
- Safflower or marigold dyed red and sold as saffron thread. Cheap, and obvious under a lab test.
- Style thread — the pale yellow-white section below the stigma. It has little colour or aroma but adds weight, which is why grading matters.
- Colouring agents added to weak saffron to lift the apparent crocin reading.
- Origin substitution — saffron grown elsewhere, packed and sold as Kashmiri.
Grade 1 all-red coupe means the style has been removed entirely. That is the grade we buy, and the reason our yield per kilogram of flower is lower than it could be.
Packaging
Pouches are recyclable, outer cartons are made from recycled board, and everything ships in boxes sized to fit a standard letterbox. No plastic void fill.
Questions about a batch
Every pouch carries a batch number. If you want to see the test certificate behind yours, get in touch and we will send it.
Launching 2026
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