Before any purchase order is placed, importers need to understand exactly which alphonso mango grades they are sourcing – not just “export quality,” which is a phrase that means nothing without a specification behind it.
Grade selection governs pricing, carton count, transit suitability, and the retail segment where the fruit can be positioned at destination. A Jumbo-grade lot going to a premium UK supermarket chain has different packing, handling, cold chain, and commercial requirements compared to a Grade B lot going to an ethnic grocery wholesale network in New Jersey or a food service distributor in Dubai.
Getting grade selection wrong at the order stage is not a minor inconvenience. It results in over-priced fruit for the wrong channel, arrival quality disputes, and supply agreements that do not survive the first season. Getting it right starts with understanding what alphonso mango grades actually measure, what the specifications are for each grade, and how grade affects the commercial economics of the carton.
This page is the complete alphonso mango grades reference for B2B buyers. It covers all four commercial export grades, weight ranges, fruit count per 4kg carton, Brix tolerances by grade, what export grade alphonso certification requires, and the FOB price differential that each grade commands at origin.
What Are Alphonso Mango Grades and How Are They Assigned?
Alphonso mango grades are assigned at the packing house after harvest, based on three primary measurements: individual fruit weight in grams, visual skin condition covering the presence or absence of scarring, soft spots, and lenticel browning, and Brix reading the natural sugar concentration measured with a calibrated refractometer.
A fourth assessment criterion, flesh colour, is checked by cut-sampling representative fruit from each lot. The colour target is deep saffron-orange throughout the flesh, with no white or fibrous streaks running from the stone to the outer flesh.
All grading is performed on unripe, firm fruit — before any ripening is initiated. This matters because sorting at the correct firmness stage ensures that the grade assignment reflects the fruit’s intrinsic quality rather than a post-ripening state that can mask defects.
Export grade alphonso certification requires that this grading step be documented per lot, with the quality parameters recorded in a certificate that accompanies the shipment.
APEDA, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, sets the baseline export quality framework for all Indian mango varieties including Alphonso.
Alphonso mango grades under this framework are supplemented by buyer-specific specifications that major importers in the UK, UAE, and USA typically negotiate at the supply agreement stage. APEDA registration and grade compliance documentation can be verified at https://apeda.gov.in.
Understanding Alphonso Mango Size A B and the Full Grade Hierarchy
The alphonso mango size A B system is the foundation of the commercial grading structure. Most importers are familiar with Grade A and Grade B as reference points, but the full export grade hierarchy includes two additional tiers – Jumbo above A+, and A+ between Jumbo and Grade A. Understanding where each tier sits and what distinguishes it is essential for ordering correctly.
The four grades in order from largest to smallest are:
Jumbo Jumbo is the premium tier – the largest, heaviest, and highest-Brix fruit from the orchard. It commands the highest per-fruit retail price and the highest FOB premium.
A+ (also called Super) A+ is the premium commercial tier. It sits between Jumbo and standard Grade A. It is the most-requested grade by importers supplying high-street supermarket chains in the UK and premium grocery in the UAE.
A (Standard Export Grade) Grade A is the baseline export specification. It is the most common alphonso mango size category traded globally and represents the main volume in any season’s export programme.
B Grade B is smaller fruit that meets all Brix and quality standards but falls below the Grade A weight threshold. It is not a reject category – it is a separately traded size grade with its own buyer base in value-tier ethnic retail, catering, and food service.
Alphonso Mango Grades: Full Specification Table
The specifications below reflect the standard grading parameters used by Berrydale Foods for all export consignments.
GRADE: JUMBO
Weight per Fruit: 350g and above
Fruit Count per 4kg Carton: 8–10 fruit
Brix at Packing (pre-ripening): 19–21°
Brix at Full Ripeness: 22–24°
Skin Condition Requirement: Zero defects; uniform pre-ripening colour with no lenticel browning
Recommended Destination Markets: Premium UK retail chains, UAE gift-tier importers, Japan air freight (gift box format)
FOB Premium vs Grade A: +18% to +25%
GRADE: A+ (SUPER)
Weight per Fruit: 300g–349g
Fruit Count per 4kg Carton: 11–13 fruit
Brix at Packing (pre-ripening): 18–21°
Brix at Full Ripeness: 21–23°
Skin Condition Requirement: Zero defects; uniform pre-ripening colour; minor lenticel speckling on less than 5% of surface permitted
Recommended Destination Markets: UK premium retail, UAE premium grocery, USA ethnic grocery (premium tier)
FOB Premium vs Grade A: +10% to +15%
GRADE: A (STANDARD EXPORT GRADE)
Weight per Fruit: 250g–299g
Fruit Count per 4kg Carton: 14–16 fruit
Brix at Packing (pre-ripening): 18–21°
Brix at Full Ripeness: 20–22°
Skin Condition Requirement: Minor lenticel speckling on up to 10% of surface permitted; no soft spots, bruising, or punctures
Recommended Destination Markets: Mainstream ethnic grocery (USA, UK, Australia), mid-tier UAE wholesale
FOB Premium vs Grade A: Baseline pricing
GRADE: B
Weight per Fruit: 200g–249g
Fruit Count per 4kg Carton: 17–20 fruit
Brix at Packing (pre-ripening): 17–20°
Brix at Full Ripeness: 19–21°
Skin Condition Requirement: Minor surface marks on up to 15% of surface permitted; no bruising, soft spots, or punctures
Recommended Destination Markets: Value-segment ethnic retail, catering and food service supply, industrial buyers, retail value packs
FOB Premium vs Grade A: -10% to -15% discount on Grade A baseline
Brix tolerance note: The Brix values above are measured at packing stage before ripening is initiated. A fruit packing at 18° Brix at origin will typically read 21–22° at peak ripeness. This distinction matters critically when comparing supplier documentation, some exporters report packing-stage Brix, others report post-ripening Brix. Berrydale Foods specifies packing-stage Brix on all quality certificates, which is the consistent and reproducible measurement. Always confirm which stage the certificate refers to when evaluating a new exporter.
What Export Grade Alphonso Certification Actually Requires?
Export grade alphonso is not a label any packer can apply. It is a documented quality status that requires specific checks at the grading stage and specific paperwork in the export dossier. Here is what the certification process covers:
Orchard-Level Traceability Each lot must be traceable to its source orchard and the GI-zone district of origin. Export grade alphonso produced from non-GI-zone fruit cannot carry the GI sticker, which means it cannot be legally marketed as GI-tagged Alphonso in import markets with food labelling enforcement.
Packing House Inspection APEDA-registered packing houses are subject to periodic inspection. Export grade alphonso must be packed in a registered facility that meets APEDA’s hygiene and traceability standards for fresh produce.
Quality Certificate per Lot The quality certificate records Brix per lot, grade classification, fruit count per carton, skin defect tolerance applied, and the lot number linking the carton to the packing record. This document accompanies the shipment as part of the export dossier.
Pesticide MRL Compliance Export grade alphonso for the UK and EU must pass Maximum Residue Level (MRL) screening from an NABL-accredited laboratory. This test result is generated per production lot from a sample taken at the packing stage, before the shipment is loaded.
Berrydale Foods prepares all export grade alphonso documentation as a pre-shipment digital dossier shared with the importer before loading. Importers who have experienced documentation gaps from previous suppliers are welcome to review our standard dossier template before committing to a season.
How Alphonso Mango Grades Affect Carton Economics?
Understanding how alphonso mango grades interact with carton economics is critical for importers calculating landed cost and retail margin. The 4kg carton is the standard export unit for all premium grades.
Jumbo Grade At 8–10 fruit per 4kg carton, Jumbo commands the highest FOB price per carton and the highest per-fruit retail price. However, the lower fruit count per carton means higher per-kilogram packaging and freight cost. Jumbo grade economics work best for premium gifting formats, boutique retail, and air freight orders where per-piece value dominates the margin calculation.
A+ Grade The commercially strongest grade for volume importers. The 11–13 count per 4kg carton provides a favourable balance between per-fruit size and per-carton logistics cost. A+ is the most consistently requested alphonso mango grade specification by importers supplying major supermarket chains in the UK, and premium grocery retailers in the UAE.
Grade A (Standard Export) The main volume grade globally. At 14–16 fruit per 4kg carton, Grade A delivers the best per-kilogram value within the certified export tier. This is the grade that the majority of ethnic grocery importers in the USA, UK, and Australia book as their primary seasonal allocation. It is the reference point against which all FOB pricing is quoted.
Grade B Grade B is not sub-standard. It is smaller-sized fruit that meets all Brix and quality criteria for export grade alphonso. Its commercial position is value-tier ethnic retail, food service supply, and catering operations. The alphonso mango size A B differential in weight — approximately 50g per fruit — translates to approximately 3–4 additional fruit per 4kg carton compared to Grade A. For catering buyers who are buying by kilogram rather than per piece, Grade B often provides the best cost-per-kilogram on the market for certified GI Alphonso.
Seasonal Availability and Grade Distribution Across the Harvest
The distribution of alphonso mango grades shifts as the harvest progresses. Early-season fruit from mid-April tends to skew towards smaller sizes – Grade A and B dominate in the opening three weeks. Peak-season fruit from the first two weeks of May in Ratnagiri produces the highest proportion of A+ and Jumbo grades.
This is when the best Brix readings are also recorded, as daytime temperatures at their seasonal peak drive maximum sugar concentration before the pre-monsoon onset.
Late-season fruit from end of May into June – primarily Devgad Alphonso from Sindhudurg district – skews back toward Grade A and B as tree energy is depleted late in the season. The Devgad fruit compensates with its longer shelf life and thicker skin, which makes it the preferred choice for sea freight regardless of grade. See the full variety comparison on our Devgad Alphonso Mango page
Importers who order across the full season should plan for a grade mix rather than a fixed specification. Berrydale Foods provides a seasonal grade forecast to importers who confirm volume allocation before February – allowing retail and wholesale programmes to be planned against the expected grade distribution, not adjusted after shipment.
How to Specify Alphonso Mango Grades Correctly in Your Purchase Order?
A well-structured purchase order for Alphonso prevents grade-related disputes at the point of arrival. The order should specify the following parameters explicitly:
- Target grade: Jumbo, A+, A, or B
- Acceptable weight tolerance per fruit: e.g., Grade A – 250–299g, no more than 5% out-of-range fruit per carton
- Brix range at packing stage not post-ripening
- Fruit count per carton: acceptable min–max range
- Skin defect tolerance: percentage of minor surface marks acceptable per carton
- Required documentation: quality certificate with per-lot Brix and grade breakdown, pesticide MRL report, GI sticker documentation
Specifying these parameters upfront eliminates the most common post-arrival quality disputes. Berrydale Foods provides pre-shipment quality certificates with per-lot grade breakdown as a standard component of every export dossier.
For guidance on how grades relate to packaging requirements including carton dimensions, foam net specification, and AMAP insert use by grade. For the full sourcing and compliance framework, see the Alphonso Mango Exporter hub.
For more details, contact us.
