Particle size in desiccated coconut is defined by sieve test, not by the name on the quotation. Codex sets sieve limits for three grades: extra-fine, fine and medium. “Macaroon” is not one of them. A buyer who writes “fine” or “macaroon” on a purchase order without a sieve limit is leaving the grade to the mill.
That matters in money and weeks. Cut size decides how the product behaves in a filling, a coating or a topping. A lot that sits outside the buyer’s real tolerance is a line stoppage, a rejected container, or a price dispute settled after the cargo has landed.
What does Codex say about desiccated coconut grades?
Codex Standard CODEX STAN 177-1991 sizes desiccated coconut by two sieve tests per grade: a minimum share that passes a coarse sieve, and a maximum share that passes a finer one. The Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC) quality standard uses the same three classes, as tabulated in a peer-reviewed summary.
| Grade | Passes coarse sieve | Passes fine sieve |
|---|---|---|
| Extra-fine | At least 90% through 0.85 mm | No more than 25% through 0.50 mm |
| Fine | At least 80% through 1.40 mm | No more than 20% through 0.71 mm |
| Medium | At least 90% through 2.80 mm | No more than 20% through 1.40 mm |
Read the two columns together. The first limit caps oversize. The second caps dust. A fine grade that meets only the first limit can still arrive as powder.
Where does macaroon fit?
Macaroon is a trade word. Neither Codex nor APCC defines it, and mill sheets do not use it the same way. Some list “macaroon/fine” as one grade. Others sort it as a separate cut within a longer scale that runs through medium and coarse to chips and shreds.
The name comes from the end use: macaroon-style confectionery wants a granule that binds and bakes evenly. That use tells a buyer what the product must do. It does not tell the mill what to cut.
So treat the word as a request for a conversation. Ask the supplier to state which sieve limits its macaroon grade meets, then compare those limits with the table above. If the numbers sit between fine and medium, the buyer is choosing a cut the standards do not name.
Why do fine and medium behave differently in use?
Fine suits fillings, coatings and blends, where the coconut must disappear into a smooth mass. Medium suits toppings, cereal and snack inclusions, where flake should stay visible. The Silk Chains commodity page lists both grades with those uses.
The risk sits in the tails. Excess fines absorb moisture and oil faster, pack tighter in a bag and dust at the filler. Excess oversize clogs a depositor, shows as specks in a smooth coating and sinks in a batter.
A buyer can pass the headline grade and still fail on the line. The sieve limits catch the tails, which is why a grade name alone is not a spec.
How does cut size interact with fat and moisture?
Cut size and fat are separate specifications. A fine cut at 55% oil and a medium cut at 63% oil are different products at different prices, as the desk covered in high-fat vs low-fat desiccated coconut. The cut describes the sieve. It says nothing about the oil.
Moisture belongs in the same sentence. A finer cut presents more surface and picks up moisture faster after the bag is opened. The Silk Chains commodity spec holds moisture at 3% maximum across grades, tighter than the Codex ceiling. Method and tolerance are worth fixing in writing, as set out in moisture and water activity specs.
How should a buyer write the cut into a spec?
Write measurements, a method and a sample. Four lines do most of the work.
- Grade reference. Name the Codex grade, for example “fine per CODEX STAN 177”, and repeat the two sieve limits in the spec itself.
- Sieve set. State the aperture sizes and whether the test is by weight. Mesh numbers and millimetre apertures do not convert cleanly between suppliers’ sheets, so give millimetres.
- Oversize and fines limits. Write them as maximum percentages with a tolerance. Do not rely on the supplier’s “typical” values.
- Reference sample. Agree a retained golden sample for visual comparison, as described in golden sample approval.
Then ask for the sieve result on every certificate of analysis. A COA that omits sizing can still comply, because Codex treats sizing as optional. Writing it into the contract is what makes it mandatory.
What changes across origins?
Two mills can both ship “medium” and differ visibly in grain shape and in the share near the sieve edges. Both may pass Codex. Neither is wrong. They are simply different products inside the same band.
For a buyer running one recipe across Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia, that band is the risk. The fix is a narrower, measured spec and the same reference sample at every origin. The principle is the one in holding one spec across origins.
What this means for buyers
- Procurement managers (A): put both sieve limits and the test method in the spec. Require the result on the COA.
- Importers and distributors (B): quote against a stated sieve grade. A quote for “macaroon” is not comparable with another mill’s “macaroon” until the limits are shown.
- Brand owners (C): match the cut to the end use first, then lock it. A change of grade after launch changes texture on shelf.
- Traders (D): compare offers only on the same sieve basis and oil content, or the spread is noise.
FAQ
What is the difference between fine and medium desiccated coconut?
Fine requires at least 80% to pass a 1.40 mm sieve. Medium requires at least 90% to pass 2.80 mm. Medium is the coarser grade, with more visible flake. Each grade also caps the share of fines passing a smaller sieve.
Is macaroon a Codex grade?
No. Codex and APCC define extra-fine, fine and medium only. Macaroon is a trade term that mills define differently, so ask for the sieve limits behind it.
Does a finer cut change shelf life?
A finer cut has more surface area, so it takes up moisture and oil changes faster once exposed. Hold moisture to the spec limit and keep bags sealed until use.
Should the COA include particle size?
Yes, by contract. Codex makes sizing optional, so a COA can leave it out and still comply. Write the requirement into the purchase terms.
Need a cut size locked across origins? Send the desk an RFQ through the contact page.