Data room / Product specifications — the catalogue
Open data · free to cite
Product specifications
Last updated:
In short
Amazon Andes publishes the product specification for each raw material it exports: botanical identity, growing region, the process parameters that matter (pressing temperature, extrusion temperature, particle size), composition, microbiological limits, shelf life and presentations. Every figure below is our own specification — the range we produce against — not a literature value. Lot results ship on the certificate of analysis.
Suppliers normally send this by email, one PDF at a time, after you ask. We publish it. If a number you need is not here, the reason is on this page — we would rather show the gap than fill it with an estimate.
Identity, origin and process
| Material | Botanical name / part | Origin | Process — the parameters that matter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacha inchi oil | Plukenetia volubilis L. — seed | Peruvian Amazon: San Martín, Madre de Dios, Huánuco, Oxapampa, Ucayali basin | Mechanical cold pressing below 40 °C at 50–100 bar; filtered to 1–5 µm. The temperature ceiling is what protects the ALA and the tocopherols. |
| Sacha inchi powder | Plukenetia volubilis L. — seed | Peruvian Amazon: San Martín, Madre de Dios, Huánuco, Oxapampa, Ucayali basin | Washing, organic disinfection, extrusion 110–130 °C, drying, milling, sieving |
| Black maca powder (raw) | Lepidium meyenii Walp. — root | Peruvian highlands above 4,000 m: Cerro de Pasco, Junín, Tarma, Jauja, Concepción, Huancayo | Sun-dried roots; washing, drying above 45 °C by hot air ~6 h, milling, sieving |
| Black maca powder (gelatinized) | Lepidium meyenii Walp. — root | Peruvian highlands above 4,000 m: Cerro de Pasco, Junín, Tarma, Jauja, Concepción, Huancayo | Washing, chopping, extrusion 105–140 °C, drying 60 °C / 2.5 h, milling and sieving to 60 mesh, 10,000 Gauss magnet, metal detector |
| Camu camu powder | Myrciaria dubia — whole fruit | Peruvian Amazon: banks of the Ucayali, Marañón, Napo, Tigre, Curaray, Yavarí and Tahuayo | Washing and disinfection, cutting, drying at 45 °C for ~6 h, milling, sieving |
| Cat's claw powder | Uncaria tomentosa — bark | Peruvian central jungle: Chanchamayo, Satipo, Oxapampa, El Pozuzo, Pichis valley; also San Martín and Madre de Dios | Washing and disinfection, cutting, drying above 45 °C for ~6 h, milling, sieving |
| Lúcuma powder | Pouteria lucuma — fruit pulp | Frost-free inter-Andean valleys of Peru | Washing, peeling and cutting, drying above 45 °C for ~6 h, milling, sieving |
| Cacao nibs | Theobroma cacao L. — bean | Peru | Roasting above 90 °C for 40–60 min, cooling, winnowing (shell removal), classification, metal detection |
| Cacao paste (chunks / wafer) | Theobroma cacao L. — bean | Peru: mainly Piura, Ayacucho and Junín | Milling, refining at 45–50 °C to 20–40 µm, sieving, homogenising to 40 µm, tempering at 30–32 °C, moulding, cooling 0–10 °C |
| Cacao butter (deodorized) | Theobroma cacao L. — bean | Peru | Pressing of cacao paste, filtration, vacuum deodorization, cooling to solid block |
Two process notes worth your attention, because they are the ones that change the product. Sacha inchi oil is pressed below 40 °C: an ALA-rich oil degrades with heat, so the ceiling is the spec, not a detail. Gelatinized maca is extruded at 105–140 °C, which is what gelatinizes the starch — and it is the only material in our range with a published gelatinization index (>95%, method LMTCL-006), because it is the only place the number is meaningful.
Composition and physical specification
| Material | Key composition (per 100 g unless stated) | Moisture | Particle size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacha inchi oil | ALA (omega-3) 48.2% · linoleic 36% · oleic 8.9% of total fatty acids. Acid number < 1% (as oleic). 14 g fat per 15 mL serving, 1 g saturated, 0 g trans. | — | Filtered to 1–5 µm |
| Sacha inchi powder | Protein 58.3 g · fat 5.9 g · carbohydrate 18.3 g · fibre 3.1 g · ash 2.5 g · 359.5 kcal | 5.7 g (spec < 8%) | 80 mesh, 90% |
| Black maca powder (raw) | Carbohydrate 75.9 g · protein 12.9 g · fibre 5.3 g · ash 4.8 g · fat 0.7 g · 362 kcal | 5.6 g (spec < 9%) | 80 mesh, 90% |
| Black maca powder (gelatinized) | Same proximates as raw maca. Gelatinization index > 95% (method LMTCL-006 2001). | spec < 9% | 60 mesh |
| Camu camu powder | Naturally high in vitamin C — see notes. Our assay is being restated in mg/100 g with its method; ask us for the current figure before you specify. | spec < 8% | 60 mesh |
| Cat's claw powder | Oxindole alkaloids present (rhynchophylline, isorhynchophylline, isomitraphylline, dihydrocorynantheine), plus quinovic acid glycosides and polyhydroxylated triterpenes. Total alkaloid assay pending — see notes. | spec < 12% | 80 mesh |
| Lúcuma powder | Carbohydrate 84.3 g · protein 4.2 g · ash 1.7 g · fat 0.4 g · 357 kcal | spec < 12% | 80 mesh |
| Cacao nibs | Roasted, winnowed cacao bean pieces. Shell content 1% max. Our nutrition table is under revision — see notes. | under revision — see notes | — |
| Cacao paste (chunks / wafer) | Total fatty acids 53 g (32.8 g saturated) · carbohydrate 27.75 g · protein 14.5 g · fibre 14.75 g · 646 kcal · iron 6.17 mg · potassium 870 mg · 0 g sugars | spec < 5% | Refined to 20–40 µm, homogenised to 40 µm |
| Cacao butter (deodorized) | Fat 99.9 g (64.27 g saturated) · 899 kcal · 0 g sugars. Melting point 30–35 °C. Saponification value 188–200 mg KOH/g. | spec < 0.5% | — |
Where a cell above says 'pending' or 'under revision', that is a real answer and not a placeholder. Three examples, so you know exactly what you are and are not getting: our camu camu vitamin C is currently expressed as a percentage rather than mg/100 g and without a stated method — for the number a formulator actually specifies, that is not good enough to publish, so we are re-issuing it; our cat's claw alkaloids are identified but not quantified, and total oxindole alkaloids are the commercial spec for that material; and our cacao nibs nutrition table did not reconcile on internal review, so we pulled it rather than leave it up. All three are with our quality team. Ask and we will tell you where each stands.
Safety, shelf life and logistics
| Material | Microbiology | Heavy metals | Shelf life · presentations · registry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacha inchi oil | Aerobic < 10⁴ · mould/yeast < 10² · S. aureus < 10 · coliforms < 10 cfu/g · Salmonella absent /25 g | Pending — see notes | 24 months · 250 mL amber glass; softgels 500 / 1000 mg · DIGESA C1301817N/NAAAAD |
| Sacha inchi powder | Aerobic < 10⁴ · mould/yeast < 10² · S. aureus < 10 · E. coli < 10 · coliforms < 10 · B. cereus < 10² cfu/g · Salmonella absent /25 g | Pending — see notes | 24 months · 200 g bags; softgels 500 mg; bulk 2 × 10 kg · DIGESA E4627817N/NAAAAD |
| Black maca powder (raw) | Aerobic < 10⁴ · mould/yeast < 10² · S. aureus < 10 · E. coli < 10 · coliforms < 10 · B. cereus < 10² cfu/g · Salmonella absent /25 g | Pending — see notes | 24 months · 5 kg nylon + polyethylene bag · DIGESA N8004525N/NAAAAD |
| Black maca powder (gelatinized) | Aerobic < 10⁴ · mould/yeast < 10² · S. aureus < 10 · E. coli < 10 · coliforms < 10 · B. cereus < 10² cfu/g · Salmonella absent /25 g | Pending — see notes | 24 months · 5 kg bag; 200 g doypack; 25 kg drum or paper sack · DIGESA N8004525N/NAAAAD |
| Camu camu powder | Aerobic < 10⁴ · mould/yeast < 10² · S. aureus < 10 · E. coli < 10 · coliforms ≤ 10 cfu/g · Salmonella absent /25 g | Pending — see notes | 24 months · 150 g and 5 kg bags · DIGESA N7411925N/NAAAAD |
| Cat's claw powder | Aerobic < 10⁴ · mould/yeast < 10² · S. aureus < 10 cfu/g · E. coli < 3 MPN/g · coliforms < 10 cfu/g | Pending — see notes | 24 months · 5 kg bag · registry pending |
| Lúcuma powder | Aerobic < 10⁴ · mould/yeast < 10² cfu/g · E. coli and coliforms not detected (< 10 cfu/g) · Salmonella absent /25 g | Pending — see notes | 24 months · 5 kg bags · DIGESA N7406217N/NAAAAD |
| Cacao nibs | Aerobic < 3×10³ · mould < 10³ · yeast < 10³ cfu/g · E. coli absent · Salmonella absent /25 g | As < 0.2 · Cd < 0.8 · Pb < 0.5 · Hg < 0.01 mg/kg | 24 months · 5 kg bag |
| Cacao paste (chunks / wafer) | Aerobic < 5×10⁴ · moulds and yeasts < 10² cfu/g · E. coli < 10 cfu/g · Salmonella absent /25 g | Pb < 0.5 · As < 0.2 · Cd < 0.8 · Hg < 0.02 mg/kg | 24 months · 454 g bags (chunks); 5 kg bags (wafer) · DIGESA G9441924N/NAAAAD |
| Cacao butter (deodorized) | Aerobic < 10³ · mould/yeast < 10² · S. aureus < 10 cfu/g · E. coli absent · Salmonella absent /25 g. Total aflatoxins < 10 µg/kg · ochratoxin A < 5 µg/kg | As < 0.5 · Cd < 1 · Pb < 0.5 · Hg < 0.1 mg/kg | 24 months · 25 kg bag in corrugated box |
Notes & limits
Every material above is declared free of the eleven allergen categories, both in the product and on the processing line; non-irradiated; and free of additives and preservatives. Storage is 15–30 °C away from light for the powders and oil, 18–25 °C for the cacao range.
Certifications across the range: USDA/NOP Organic and EU Organic (Control Union), HALAL, GMP, HACCP, and DIGESA registration. Scope varies by material — ask for the scope annex covering the specific material you are buying. That is the document that matters to your own certifier, not the certificate itself.
Heavy metals: we publish them for the cacao range and they are pending for the powders and the oil. We are not going to reproduce a number we cannot point at, so the cell says pending until the assay is issued. For any material, the certificate of analysis for your lot is available on request.
Analytical methods: only the maca gelatinization index currently carries its method (LMTCL-006). We are adding method references across the specification, because a number without its method is not verifiable and should not be treated as one. This is a real weakness of our documentation today and we would rather you heard it from us.
These are specifications — the ranges we produce against — not lot results. The certificate of analysis that ships with your order governs. Where a lot differs from the specification, the COA is the fact.
Frequently asked questions
What is the shelf life of Amazon Andes maca powder?
24 months for both the raw and the gelatinized black maca powder, stored between 15 and 30 °C at 40–50% relative humidity, away from light and heat.
What particle size are your powders milled to?
80 mesh at 90% for raw black maca, sacha inchi, cat's claw and lúcuma; 60 mesh for gelatinized black maca and camu camu. Cacao paste is refined to 20–40 µm and homogenised to 40 µm.
Are your materials organic certified?
The range carries USDA/NOP Organic and EU Organic through Control Union, plus HALAL, GMP, HACCP and Peruvian DIGESA registration. Scope varies by material, so ask for the scope annex covering the specific material you are buying — that annex, not the certificate, is what your own certifier will check.
Do you publish heavy metal limits?
For the cacao range, yes: cacao nibs and paste at Pb < 0.5, As < 0.2, Cd < 0.8 mg/kg, and cacao butter at Pb < 0.5, As < 0.5, Cd < 1, Hg < 0.1 mg/kg. For the powders and the sacha inchi oil the assay is pending and we say so rather than publish a figure we cannot source.
What is the difference between raw and gelatinized maca?
Gelatinized maca is extruded at 105–140 °C, which gelatinizes the starch and makes the powder more dispersible; raw maca is simply dried and milled. Both are the same root with the same proximate composition. Our gelatinized maca carries a gelatinization index above 95% (method LMTCL-006).
Do you supply a certificate of analysis?
Yes, per lot — not per year. The COA ships with the order and carries the actual values for the material you received. The figures published here are the specification we produce against.
Citing this page
This data is published to be used. Reproduce it with attribution to Amazon Andes Export S.A.C. and a link to this page. If a figure here is wrong, tell us and we will correct it.
Report an error or request a COA →Need the lot-level data?
The certificate of analysis for your lot, the technical data sheet and a sample — ask and we send them within one business day.
Request COA & sample →