Turmeric Market Data, Quality Standards and Trade

Editorial evidence reviewedReviewed 2026-09-10Release 2026-09-19-batch-230

Market value

$1.9B

Producing countries tracked

4

Grading systems

1

Active supply risks

3

Trade corridors

3

Latest reviewed evidence

The figures below are current requirements from the FAO/WHO Codex Standard for Dried or Dehydrated Turmeric CXS 359-2024, adopted in 2024 and reformatted in 2026. The standard defines identity, quality and compliance boundaries; it does not establish current lot availability, a physical offer or a live delivered turmeric price.

Whole and pieces turmeric moisture maximum

12

percent by mass · CXS 359-2024

Ground turmeric moisture maximum

10

percent by mass · CXS 359-2024

Whole and pieces turmeric total ash maximum

8

percent by mass on dry basis · CXS 359-2024

Ground turmeric total ash maximum

9

percent by mass on dry basis · CXS 359-2024

Whole and pieces turmeric curcuminoids minimum

2

percent by mass on dry basis · CXS 359-2024

Ground turmeric curcuminoids minimum

2

percent by mass on dry basis · CXS 359-2024

Bulbs, fingers, pieces and ground turmeric are separate styles

CXS 359-2024 defines dried or dehydrated turmeric from primary bulbs or secondary fingers of Curcuma longa L., also listing Curcuma domestica Valeton. It recognizes whole or finger material, pieces including cut, diced or sliced styles, and powdered or ground product. Whole and pieces retain visible rhizome and defect evidence; grinding changes that identity and analytical risk. Atlas keeps botanical identity, style and processing history explicit before comparing quality, crop, price or trade records.

Style changes moisture, ash and colouring evidence

The current Codex standard sets a 12 percent moisture maximum for whole and pieces and a 10 percent maximum for ground turmeric. Total ash on a dry basis is capped at 8 percent for whole and pieces and 9 percent for ground product; acid-insoluble ash is capped at 1.5 percent for all three. Curcuminoids content, described as colouring power on a dry basis, has a 2 percent minimum across styles. Atlas retains the style, sample, dry-basis wording, method and laboratory context with each result.

Rhizome defects, mould and infestation remain distinct

For whole and pieces, Codex limits insect-defiled material to 1 percent, visible mould to 3 percent, whole dead insects to three per 100 grams, and extraneous and foreign matter to 0.5 percent each. Live insects are not permitted, and mammalian and other excreta are capped at 6.6 milligrams per kilogram each. Whole turmeric also has a 5 percent maximum for defective rhizomes, including small or shrivelled, internally damaged, hollow, porous or scorched material. N/A means not evaluated—not zero.

A quality standard is not a delivered physical price

Codex requirements establish identity and quality boundaries, not current availability or price. A delivered turmeric price still requires a defined botanical identity and style, current permitted physical observations, origin and harvest, curcuminoid and analytical results, lot quantity, package, currency, Incoterm, destination, delivery window, freight and information vintage. Atlas keeps any physical-price output unsupported when those fields or usage rights are missing.

Questions procurement teams ask

Are whole, sliced and ground dried turmeric interchangeable trade products?

No. Codex recognizes whole or fingers, pieces such as cut, diced or sliced, and powdered or ground styles. Their visual identity, defect evidence and moisture and ash limits differ, so the style must remain explicit.

What are the Codex moisture limits for dried turmeric?

CXS 359-2024 sets a 12 percent maximum for whole and pieces and a 10 percent maximum for powdered or ground turmeric. The style, sample and test method remain attached to the result.

What is the Codex minimum curcuminoids content for turmeric?

The standard sets a 2 percent minimum curcuminoids content, described as colouring power on a dry basis, for whole, pieces and ground turmeric. Atlas preserves the analytical basis and method context.

Which fields make physical turmeric offers comparable?

Curcuma longa identity, bulb, finger, cut, diced, sliced or ground style, variety or cultivar, sensory condition, rhizome defects, mould, insects, extraneous and foreign matter, moisture, ash and curcuminoid basis, microbiology and residues, origin and harvest, drying and packing dates, lot, package, quantity, currency, Incoterm, destination, delivery window and evidence date.