APEDA, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, is the Indian body that promotes and regulates scheduled agri exports, mangoes included. Standards for Alphonso exports typically cover exporter registration, registered packhouses and orchards, plant-health treatment, grading, packing and labelling. Rules change by market, so verify with APEDA before shipping.
By Prashant Powle, founder of AlphonsoMango.in (operated by Powle Home Foods, Mumbai). Last updated 23 October 2026.
What APEDA does for mango exporters
APEDA sits under India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry. For fresh fruit, its job is to register exporters, support packhouse and pack-quality systems, run schemes and promote Indian produce abroad. It is not the only authority involved. Plant quarantine clearance, food safety rules and the importing country's own regime all matter. Think of APEDA as the first door, not the last.
Mangoes are the subject of long-running export programmes because the fruit is high value, seasonal and perishable. Alphonso, with its GI-tagged Konkan identity, is one of the best-known varieties abroad.
The layers of an export standard
| Layer | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Exporter registration | Registration with APEDA, plus the usual trade registrations |
| Farm and packhouse | Registered orchards and packing facilities for certain markets |
| Plant health | Inspection and phytosanitary certification; treatment where a market requires it |
| Food safety | Residue limits, hygiene, traceability |
| Quality and grading | Size, maturity, appearance, defects |
| Packing and labelling | Carton specs, markings, origin labelling |
| Logistics | Cold chain or air freight, documentation |
No single document lists all of these. A good exporter keeps a file for each destination market and updates it each season. If an exporter hands you a vague answer, ask for the market-specific checklist.
Quality and grading for Alphonso
Importers typically want uniform size, mature but not over-ripe fruit, clean skin and a consistent count per carton. How size is expressed varies; many Alphonso programmes grade by piece weight in bands. On our retail range, the five grades are small (150-180 g), medium (180-220 g), large (225-250 g), extra large (250-275 g) and jumbo (275-300 g). Export bands for a particular buyer are agreed in the contract.
Maturity is the quiet variable. Fruit picked too early never develops full flavour; fruit picked too late ripens in transit. Sweetness when ripe typically sits in the high teens to low twenties degrees Brix, which is a reason many buyers ask for a Brix reading as part of the specification.
Packing, labelling and traceability
Export cartons are about protection and proof. Typical elements: cushioned slots, ventilation, hay or paper bedding, per-fruit sleeves, clear weight and count, batch or lot codes and the country of origin. Traceability, the ability to link a carton back to a source and a date, is increasingly part of importer expectations.
As our Brand Facts page states, our retail boxes use 5-ply corrugated cartons with a 12-slot partition, air holes and a hay bed, each mango in a foam-net sleeve. Export packing for a given buyer is agreed in the quote; see Brand Facts.
How standards vary by destination
The US, the UK, the UAE, Singapore and Japan, the markets named on our mango export page, do not ask for the same things. Some require specific plant-health treatment or pre-clearance; some rely on an exporting-country certificate; some ask for residue testing reports. I will not list each rule, because they change, and a stale rule is worse than none. Check the importing country's plant-health authority and your importer, and verify at apeda.gov.in.
Worked example, in questions: you plan 500 kg to a buyer in Singapore. Ask: what does the buyer's authority require, what does the importer expect on labels, what is the target Brix and size band, which carrier will fly it, and who handles the import clearance? Each answer becomes a line in the contract.
Ripening, residues and why carbide is a non-starter
Importers test. Calcium carbide is prohibited for ripening fruit in India under Regulation 2.3.5 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011. It releases acetylene and can carry arsenic and phosphorus impurities. Controlled ethylene up to 100 ppm is the permitted alternative; check fssai.gov.in for the current text.
We do not use carbide. Our Alphonso mangoes are ripened naturally (on hay beds, as our FAQ states). Street talk calls carbide "masala"; white or grey powder in cartons is the calcium hydroxide residue. The float test is a rough clue only; a lab test is the proof. For residue testing programmes, as our Brand Facts page states, carbide and pesticide-residue testing is done by Envirocare Labs weekly through the season; we do not publish results in this article.
Where AlphonsoMango.in fits
We are an APEDA-registered exporter (registration 225579). Commercial export enquiries go through the mango export page, with more on the APEDA export page. The season for the named markets runs March to June by air freight. Export documents, certificates and terms are agreed in the quote; none are promised here. We do not ship retail boxes overseas. NRIs can order from anywhere for delivery to an address in India; see NRI mango gifts.
Verified business details
- Operated by Powle Home Foods, Kale Marg, Bail Bazar, Kurla West, Mumbai 400070.
- GI Authorised User AU/5974/GI/139/260 (Alphonso) and AU/6932 (Devgad); GI tag certificate articles.
- FSSAI Central Licence 10020022011783 (FSSAI page).
- APEDA registration 225579 (export page, APEDA notes).
- WhatsApp +91 70830 75556, support@alphonsomango.in (contact us).
- Policies: shipping and returns.
- References: Brand Facts, Editorial Standards, Press and Media, reviews.
Please verify the GI, FSSAI and APEDA numbers on ipindia.gov.in, fssai.gov.in and apeda.gov.in. Our content is reviewed by the team from the Founder's office; AI is used only as an assistive drafting tool grounded in the store's records.
Frequently asked questions
What is APEDA's role in mango exports?
APEDA registers exporters and promotes and supports scheduled agri exports from India, including mangoes. Plant quarantine, food safety and the importing country's rules are separate layers to check.
What standards apply to Alphonso mango exports?
Typically exporter registration, registered packhouses or orchards for some markets, plant-health inspection and treatment, grading, packing, labelling and residue limits. Rules differ by destination, so verify with APEDA.
Are AlphonsoMango.in mangoes exported?
We are an APEDA-registered exporter, registration 225579, and take commercial export enquiries via the mango export page. Named markets are the US, UK, UAE, Singapore and Japan. Terms are agreed in the quote.
Can I buy retail boxes shipped abroad?
No. We do not ship retail boxes overseas. NRIs can order from anywhere for delivery to an address in India.
Do exporters need carbide-free certification?
Carbide is illegal for ripening in India and importers test for residues. Ask your supplier about ripening method and testing, and put the requirement in the contract.
What is the Alphonso export season?
For the markets named on our export page, March to June by air freight. Domestic Alphonso usually runs February to June; the 2027 season is listed to start on 1 February 2027.
Where can I verify an exporter's APEDA registration?
Use the official APEDA website at apeda.gov.in. Ask the exporter for their registration number and check it independently before you commit to a shipment.
Sources and further reading
Related: Buy Alphonso mangoes online in India, Hapus online, Alphonso online.