Launching a private-label basmati range: grades, labels and MOQs

This guide walks you through the decisions behind a private-label basmati range, from grade and pack size to label checks, sample approval and minimum orders, so your first container goes out right.

Choose the grade

"Basmati" covers several varieties and processing styles. Start by choosing what your customers cook and what your market accepts under the name.

Spec points to fix in writing

• Variety and process (raw, steam, golden sella, white sella)
• Average grain length (AGL) for raw grain, measured on whole grains
• Broken grains, max %
• Moisture, max % (commonly 12–13%)
• Admixture of non-basmati, max %, with DNA testing if your market requires it
• Damaged, discoloured and chalky grains, max %
• Sortex cleaning and whether the rice is aged (aged rice cooks fluffier and more separate)
• Residue compliance for the destination. For the EU and UK, MRLs for some fungicides used on paddy, such as tricyclazole, sit at or near the limit of quantification, so not every lot qualifies.

Match the grade to your market

• Gulf: 1121 sella dominates household and catering buying in several GCC markets. Raw 1121 and steam rice sell in premium retail.
• UK: the UK Code of Practice on Basmati Rice sets which varieties may be sold as basmati and allows up to 7% non-basmati rice. A revised code took effect at the start of 2023, removing some varieties and adding others. Check your chosen variety against the current approved list before you print "basmati".
• EU: buyers usually test for residues and authenticity. Confirm the variety with your importer, since both the commercial name and residue status matter.

Pack sizes

Choose a small set of sizes that cover your channels. Every extra size adds a printing plate set, a pack MOQ and a shelf to fill.

A first range of three sizes in one grade is enough to test the market.

Artwork and label content

Labelling rules are set by the destination market. The points below are general guidance. Your importer, or a local regulatory consultant, should review the final artwork before printing.

Gulf (GCC)

• GCC labelling of prepackaged food follows GSO 9 (labelling of prepackaged foods), with date marking covered by GSO 150.
• Arabic is required. Other languages can appear alongside it.
• Typical mandatory items: product name, net weight in metric units, production and expiry dates, country of origin, name and address of packer and importer or distributor, storage conditions and lot number.
• Several GCC states require product registration or label approval before first import. Your importer will know the local system.

UK and EU basics

• EU rules come from Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers; Great Britain retained the same framework after Brexit.
• Mandatory particulars include name of the food, net quantity, date of minimum durability ("best before"), storage conditions, name and address of the responsible food business operator, and country of origin where its absence could mislead.
• A single-ingredient pack does not need an ingredients list. Check whether the nutrition declaration exemption applies to your product; most retailers expect a nutrition panel anyway.
• Minimum font size is an x-height of 1.2 mm on most packs, 0.9 mm on small packs (largest surface under 80 cm²).
• Include a lot or batch mark and cooking instructions.

Common artwork mistakes

• Nutrition values copied from another brand's pack. Base them on a lab analysis of your rice.
• Claims such as "aged 2 years" or "extra long" that the spec does not guarantee.
• A barcode that is not registered to the brand owner. Retailers expect a GTIN from GS1 in the brand owner's name.
• Leaving no clear space for the printed batch number and dates.

Sample runs

Approve the rice and the pack separately, then together.

1. Rice samples. Ask for 1–2 kg of the exact grade, with a CoA. Cook it the way your customers will. Check elongation, aroma, stickiness and breakage after cooking.
2. Sealed approval sample. Once you approve, both sides keep sealed portions. Production is judged against this sample.
3. Pack proofs. Approve a digital proof and then a printed colour proof from the converter. Check text, barcode scan, seal strength and how the pack stands on a shelf.
4. Pre-shipment check. Ask for photos and a few finished packs from the first production lot, with the CoA, before stuffing.

Minimum order thinking

A private-label launch has two minimums, and they often clash.

• Rice: the practical minimum is usually one 20ft container. You can split it across pack sizes of the same grade.
• Printed packaging: printed laminate film has a minimum run per design, and rotogravure cylinders are a one-time cost per colour. Small runs cost more per pack.

Ways to reduce the risk on a first order:

• Keep artwork common across sizes so one design adapts to all three.
• Use digital printing or labels on plain packs for a trial lot, then move to rotogravure once sales are proven.
• Order film for two or three shipments at once if your storage and cash allow, since the cost per pouch drops with volume.
• Mix pack sizes in one container to keep the rice MOQ manageable.

Before you order

• Grade, process and full spec agreed in writing
• Variety confirmed against your market's basmati rules
• Pack sizes fixed and artwork reviewed by your importer
• Barcode registered to your brand
• Sealed approval sample held by both sides
• Packaging MOQ and lead time confirmed with the converter
• Residue and authenticity testing agreed for the destination

If you're planning a private-label basmati range, send us the grade, pack sizes, destination port and expected monthly volume, and we'll come back with a written quote and sample options.