Standards for Vietnamese Raw Cashew Nuts TCVN 12380:2018

Just like any other important nut, cashews are rich in nutrients and supply the body with extra energy. Cashew nut is becoming more popular not only for its characteristic flavor but also its nutritional value and health benefits.

The following is a summary of research papers, research books, scientific articles, research theses, etc. on cashew tree and products derived from cashew tree such as cashew nut, cashew nut, cashew leaf , etc. Those studies are written by many researchers around the world. In addition, there are research papers related to the cashew industry and other nutritious nuts.

Cashew nuts have a very rich nutrient content, the composition contains a lot of unsaturated fat which is very good for the body with more than 40% fat content, of which more than 80% is unsaturated fat. Also, cashews contain a large amount of Vitamin E (0.9mg/100g cashew nut), which has a very good effect on anti-aging and helps skin and hair stay strong.

Natural CNSL is a mixture of the alkyl phenol classes and aliphatic side chains. CNSL is a dark brown viscous liquid that causes an allergic skin rash on contact. This liquid is called natural cashew shell oil. Its English name is Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL).

In Vietnam, there are a lot of supplies of cashew leaves.  However, the applications  of cashew leaves have not been exploited and left a lot of potential. So what are the characteristics and applications of cashew leaves?

Cashew fruit wine is a familiar product to the people of the South. It is usually Cashew Wine. According to many studies of the cashew’s nutritional components, cashew wine has diuretic effects, toning the skin and has a good effect in controlling diarrhea.

With abundant raw materials and rich nutrient content, cashew apples are increasingly being paid more attention. Instead of just harvesting the seeds and then discarding the fruit, which causes a lot of waste in resources, many people are trying to get the most out of this potential fruit. Thus, products like canned cashews, candy, cashew jams or cashew vinegar were made.

Cashew apple is considered as one of the potential raw materials with many applications in a variety of fields, such as medicine, food technology, animal feed, dry alcohol and cashew vinegar. The cashew apple itself is very high in nutritional content and if properly exploited, it will produce many products that are good for human health.

Cashew juice is very high in nutrient content, vitamins, and minerals. Accordingly, vitamins C in cashews are even several times higher than citrus fruits (5 times more than lemon, 6 times more grapefruit, 8 times more tangerine).

Cashew apple is a product of the cashew tree with a possible economic value. Today, in many countries where many cashews are grown (including Vietnam), in addition to the main product, cashew nuts, millions of tons of cashew apples are obtained in the harvest season. 

Cashew nut producers should pay attention and apply the following standards and technical requirements of cashew nuts in each appropriate case to well meet the technical requirements of customers and have a production plan to produce products that meet quality requirements according to current specific regulations. 

TCVN 4850:2010 is compiled by CAFECONTROL, appraised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, proposed by the General Department of Standards, Metrology and Quality and published by the Ministry of Science and Technology.