Return & Replacement Policy,
batch verification, RMA & claim terms.

Dehydrated onion, garlic, crispy fried onion, and spice powders are food-grade, hygroscopic agricultural commodities packed under sterile, moisture-barrier conditions for commercial and industrial use. Because food integrity, microbiological compliance, and allergen isolation are critical to food processing, returns in international B2B commerce are governed by stringent regulatory and quality protocols.

This policy outlines the precise steps for lodging quality or quantity non-conformance claims, arranging joint independent sampling, and processing Return Material Authorizations (RMAs) or replacement container deliveries.

To prevent post-arrival discrepancies, Pure Foods operates a proactive pre-shipment quality verification workflow:

• Pre-Shipment Representative Samples (PSS): Drawn from the actual production batch and dispatched via courier (DHL/FedEx) for the Buyer's physical, sensory, and laboratory sign-off prior to ocean container stuffing.
• Factory Sealed Retention Samples: A duplicate 500g sealed control sample from the exact same production lot is cataloged in our Bhavnagar climate-controlled sample bank and held for a minimum of 12 calendar months.
• In the event of a claim, the primary standard for verification is the comparative analysis between the Buyer's arriving cargo and our sealed retention batch control sample.

Upon arrival at the destination port and completion of container destuffing, the Buyer must examine the consignment immediately:

• Notification Window: Formal written notice of any physical defect, outer bag tearing, container seal mismatch, or moisture abnormality must be communicated to our Trade Desk within 7 calendar days of container destuffing (or a maximum of 14 days from vessel discharge date).
• Mandatory Preliminary Evidence: The initial notification must include high-resolution digital photographs and video showing:
  • Container door seals before opening and container interior condition.
  • Pallet tags, barcode labels, and batch numbers printed on outer bags/cartons.
  • Gross tare weight slips and clear close-up images of the alleged non-conformance.

To establish impartial technical findings in international cross-border transactions:

• Where a quality claim exceeds USD 3,000 or involves more than 10% of the container payload, the Buyer must allow a joint survey by an internationally recognized independent testing agency (e.g., SGS, Bureau Veritas, Geo-Chem, or Intertek).
• The independent surveyor must draw representative samples in accordance with GAFTA / ISO 2859 sampling rules, verify container seal records, evaluate destination warehouse climate controls, and split composite samples into three parts: one for Buyer, one for Seller, and one for umpire laboratory arbitration.
• Survey costs are initially borne by the Buyer; if the surveyor confirms that the goods fail agreed contract specifications due to origin defects, Pure Foods reimburses the survey expense in full.

Goods are eligible for formal return authorization or commercial replacement under the following verified conditions:

• Specification Non-Conformance: Moisture content, particle size granulation, or microbiological parameters (Total Plate Count, Yeast/Mold, Salmonella, E. Coli) verified to exceed contract thresholds in original unopened bags.
• Mismatched Commodity or Cut: Inadvertent dispatch of a wrong product cut (e.g., Minced supplied instead of Granules, or Red Onion supplied instead of White Onion).
• Extraneous Foreign Matter: Presence of prohibited foreign matter exceeding mutually agreed FSSAI / ASTA cleanliness specifications.

Under international food safety and biosecurity regulations, returns or claims cannot be authorized in the following circumstances:

• Opened, Repacked, or Processed Material: Bags that have been opened, decanted, blended into customer food formulations, or transferred to third-party secondary packaging.
• Improper Warehouse Storage: Moisture absorption, caking, or discoloration caused by destination storage in ambient humidity exceeding 65% RH or temperatures exceeding 25°C.
• Maritime Transit Damage: Seawater ingress, container sweating, or crushing caused during ocean transit, which must be claimed directly under Maritime Cargo Insurance (ICC-A).
• Claims Lodged Beyond the 7-Day Window: Notifications submitted after goods have been accepted, cleared, and held without notice beyond contractual deadlines.

No reverse shipment or physical return of goods will be accepted at Indian port terminals without a formal Return Material Authorization (RMA) Certificate issued by Pure Foods:

• Upon verification of independent surveyor reports, Pure Foods issues an official RMA document stating the approved RMA number, authorized return quantity, destination customs clearing protocol, and nominated freight forwarder.
• Local Salvage or Destruction Alternative: In many international agro-commodity cases, cross-border return freight and phytosanitary re-import tariffs make physical return commercially unviable. Pure Foods and the Buyer may mutually agree on:
  • A negotiated commercial salvage discount allowing the Buyer to utilize the material for lower-grade secondary applications.
  • Supervised local commercial disposal/destruction with an official destruction certificate issued by regional environmental authorities, followed by immediate financial credit.

Where physical reverse ocean shipment is authorized under an RMA:

• Goods must be securely restuffed in original packaging onto ISPM-15 fumigated export pallets.
• Pure Foods' appointed freight forwarder coordinates return ocean booking. If non-conformance is confirmed as Seller's fault, Pure Foods bears all ocean return freight costs.
• Re-import into India must strictly adhere to Indian Customs Section 20 re-importation guidelines, requiring original export shipping bills and Plant Quarantine re-inspection.

Where the Buyer elects replacement cargo rather than a monetary refund:

• Replacement production is prioritized immediately on our dehydration partner sorting lines.
• Fresh replacement container stuffing is completed at Mundra or Pipavav Port within 10 to 14 business days from mutual claim settlement.
• Replacement cargo is dispatched with fresh NABL laboratory certificates, pre-shipment courier samples, and clean shipping documents.

To submit a preliminary quality claim or discuss surveyor coordination, contact our Quality Assurance Desk: