Test the Lot Before You Commit to a Container
A specification sheet tells you what a seller promises. A cocoa beans sample tells you what your plant will actually receive. If you’re weighing a bulk order of Cameroon cocoa, ask us for a sample and run your own tests first.
This page explains how our sample requests work, what to check when the beans arrive, and how your results feed into the contract.
COCOA BEANS SAMPLE
To get a cocoa beans sample from Makay, send your company details, intended use, target specification, expected volume and delivery address. We confirm which lots are available, the sample size and the dispatch cost, then ship the sample with its lot details for your testing.
We ask those questions for a reason. A sample is only useful if it comes from a lot that could supply your order, so we need to know roughly how much you plan to buy and when.
It also helps to know what you’re testing for. A grinder checking fat yield and a craft chocolate maker tasting for flavor need different things from the same origin. Tell us, and we’ll point you to the right lot.
Fermented, dried Cameroon cocoa beans drawn from a lot we can identify for you.
Commercial buyers evaluating a bulk purchase: manufacturers, processors, importers and traders.
Sample size and dispatch cost are confirmed with you before anything is sent.
Moisture, bean count per 100 g, and a cut test on 300 beans.
ISO 2451 sets a 7.5% moisture maximum and defect limits for Grade 1 and Grade 2 cocoa.
Your results help set the acceptance criteria written into the purchase contract.
SAMPLE TESTING
These are the checks most buyers run, with the international benchmarks they compare against. Your own contract limits can be tighter.
Cocoa beans sample tests and benchmarks
| Test | What it tells you | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Moisture | Whether the beans will store and travel without molding | ISO 2451: 7.5% maximum |
| Bean count | Bean size and how evenly the lot is sized | 100 or fewer per 100 g is large; 101 to 120 medium; over 120 small |
| Cut test: fermentation | The share of brown, fully fermented beans against purple ones | Makay standard: minimum 75% fermented |
| Cut test: mold | Internal mold, which damages flavor | Grade 1: 3% Grade 2: 4% |
| Cut test: slaty beans | Unfermented beans with a grey, cheesy interior | Grade 1: 3%. Grade 2: 8% |
| Cut test: other defects | Insect-damaged, germinated or flat beans | Grade 1: 3% Grade 2: 6% |
| Odor and foreign matter | Smoke, mustiness, or anything in the bag that isn't cocoa | None acceptable |
| Flavor | How the roasted bean tastes as liquor in your own process | Your product standard |
Grade limits and bean count sizes are from ISO 2451, the international specification for cocoa beans. The cut test method is set out in ISO 1114. For U.S. buyers, the FDA can also act on lots with more than 4% moldy or more than 4% insect-damaged beans.
STEP BY STEP
You don’t need a full laboratory for the first pass. A scale, a moisture meter, a sharp knife and a clean tray will tell you most of what matters.
Note the lot reference, the date and the condition of the packaging before you open it.
Check for smoke, mustiness, visible mold, broken beans and foreign matter. Problems you can smell rarely test well later.
Take the reading soon after opening, since beans pick up or lose moisture once the bag is unsealed.
Weigh out 100 g of whole beans and count them. Repeat once or twice to see how consistent the sizing is.
Cut 300 beans lengthwise through the middle and sort them: fully fermented, purple, slaty, moldy, insect-damaged, germinated or flat. Work out each as a percentage.
Process a portion the way your plant would and judge the liquor against your product standard.
The numbers you're happy with become the acceptance limits for the bulk order.
Four details let us match you to the right lot the first time, without a week of back-and-forth emails.
Company name, country and what you do with the cocoa: grinding, chocolate making, trading or ingredient manufacturing.
The limits you buy to for moisture, fermentation and defects, plus any preference for sun-dried or machine-dried beans.
The tonnage you expect to order and when you'd want it shipped, so the sample comes from a lot that can cover it.
A full delivery address, a contact phone number and your courier account if you'd like to use your own.
U.S. BUYERS
A sample is still an imported food product, so a few rules apply even to a small parcel.
Based on FDA compliance policy for Prior Notice. This is general guidance, not legal or customs advice. Planning a full shipment? See our USA cocoa beans importer.
WHY MAKAY
We match your request to lots that could supply your order, so you aren't testing cocoa you can't buy.
Your test numbers help set the acceptance criteria, alongside our quality assurance checks.
Sample size and dispatch cost are agreed up front. No surprise courier invoice afterwards.
You deal with a U.S.-registered company in Clayton, Missouri, from the sample request through to the contract.
Share your business, specification, expected volume and delivery address.
We identify suitable lots and tell you what is available now or coming up.
Sample size, dispatch method and any cost are agreed before the parcel leaves.
The sample is sent with its lot details, and we share the tracking information.
You run your checks and send us the results or your questions.
We quote the lot, and the quality limits you set go into the contract.
WHO WE SERVE
Different buyers look for different things in the same bag of beans. Tell us which of these you are and we’ll focus the conversation on what you need to see.
FAQS
Can’t find your answer ? Email sales@makayglobaltrading.com or call +1 800 965 8307.
Send us your company name, what you make or trade, the specification you buy to, your expected order volume and a delivery address. We check which lots are available, confirm the sample size and dispatch cost with you, then ship the sample with its lot details.
Sample availability and dispatch costs are confirmed when you ask, because both depend on the lot and where the sample is going. Tell us your destination and whether you have a courier account, and we will set out any cost before anything is sent.
Enough for a moisture reading, a bean count and a cut test, plus a roast if you plan to taste it. The standard cut test alone uses 300 beans. Tell us which tests you intend to run and we will size the sample to match.
Check moisture, bean count per 100 g, and run a cut test for fermentation, mold, slaty beans and insect damage. Smell the beans for smoke or off odors. If flavor matters for your product, roast a portion and taste the liquor.
A sample shows you a lot, not a guarantee by itself. What protects you is the contract: the limits for moisture, fermentation and defects that you set from your results, and the inspection agreed before the cargo is loaded.
The FDA generally does not enforce Prior Notice for small samples imported only for quality assurance, research or analysis, when they are marked that way and not eaten or resold. Samples meant for tasting or test marketing do need it. Confirm with your courier or customs broker.
Yes, tell us your preference. Sun-dried and machine-dried options can be discussed according to your processing needs, and we will let you know which is available in the lots on offer at the time.
Samples are for commercial buyers evaluating a bulk purchase: chocolate manufacturers, cocoa processors, importers, traders and ingredient companies. We ask about your intended volume so the sample comes from a lot that could actually supply your order.
Share your test results with us. They help define the acceptance criteria for the purchase. We then send a price offer with its validity period and shipping basis, and the agreed quality terms go into the contract.
Tell us your business, specification, expected volume and delivery address.
Our team will confirm available lots and the sample details.
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