What is made and shipped in Kochi
Kochi is a port city and the seat of three national export bodies: the Spices Board, MPEDA for marine products, and the Coir Board. An order here can mean a factory visit, a loading at a packhouse or cold store, or both.
| Product | Official reference | What Clear To Load offers |
|---|---|---|
| Spices | Spices Board head office, Palarivattom, Kochi | Packing, quantity, labelling and loading checks; sealed samples for an accredited lab |
| Seafood | MPEDA head office, Panampilly Nagar, Kochi; AEKK (Aroor, Ezhupunna, Kodanthuruthu and Kuthiathodu), Kerala, is a DGFT Town of Export Excellence for seafood | Packing, quantity, labelling and reefer loading checks; sealed samples for an accredited lab |
| Coir mats, mattings and pith | Coir Board head office, Coir House, M.G. Road, Kochi | Full inspection of mats; limited inspection of pith |
| Wood furniture and plywood | DC-MSME completed clusters in Ernakulam district: Wood Furniture Cluster; Plywood Manufacturing Cluster, Perumbavoor | Full inspection |
What we check for Kochi products
Spices and seafood: a limited scope, stated on the report. Clear To Load does not grade, taste or certify food, and does not issue food-safety, health or phytosanitary certificates, which come from the Indian authorities. For food we offer only these checks:
- Quantity: bags, cartons or master cartons counted against the packing list; net weight of sampled packs on a calibrated scale.
- Packing: bag and liner condition, carton strength, seals, strapping, pallet build, and any visible insects, webbing, damp or torn packing.
- Labelling: product name, lot or batch, net weight, dates and origin checked against your label artwork; see origin labelling.
- Loading: a clean, dry, odour-free container; for frozen seafood, the reefer set point read from the unit's display against your instruction, and the count, stowage and seal recorded. See container loading supervision.
- Sampling: samples drawn by an agreed plan, sealed and sent to an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited lab you choose or we suggest, for tests such as pesticide residues, mycotoxins, microbiology or moisture. See lab testing coordination.
Coir and wood: full inspections.
| If you buy | Main checks | Checklist |
|---|---|---|
| Coir doormats | Tuft density and pull-out, PVC bond, print rub, moisture and mould | Doormat inspection |
| Coir pith and grow bags | Block weight and size, expansion, foreign matter, pallets, lab samples | Coir pith inspection |
| Wood furniture | Construction, finish, moisture, stability, packing | Solid wood furniture inspection |
See also jute and coir inspection and, for plywood in US furniture, TSCA Title VI.
Common findings on Kochi shipments
| Finding | Product | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Live insects or webbing on bags or in the container | Spices | Critical |
| Reefer set point differs from the booking instruction | Seafood | Critical (reported to you at once) |
| Mould on mats, pith blocks or furniture | Coir, wood | Critical |
| Net weight below the declared weight | Spices, seafood, pith | Major |
| Lot number or dates on labels do not match the documents | Spices, seafood | Major |
| Coir lifting from PVC backing | Coir mats | Major |
| Torn outer bags, crushed or wet cartons | All | Major or minor, by extent |
Your specification decides the final class. On a limited inspection the report lists findings and photographs; product quality results come from the lab.
Timing and logistics
- Stuffing point: if your goods are stuffed at a packhouse, cold store or container freight station rather than at a factory, give us that address and the cut-off time, because the inspector must be there before the first pallet goes in.
- Monsoon: Kerala's south-west monsoon, from about June to September, brings heavy rain. Coir, spices and wood take up moisture, so we record moisture and check that goods and containers are dry.
- Combining sites: coir producers in Alappuzha are south of Kochi on the coast road, so a coir factory visit and a Kochi loading can often be planned on one trip.
How to book an inspection in Kochi
Send the product, the address of the factory or stuffing point and the ready date through the booking form for Kochi. For food, say which checks you need and which lab tests, if any; for coir and furniture, send the specification and photos of the approved sample.
The inspection is US$249 per man-day; lab coordination is US$99 per order plus the lab's fees. Kochi is in Band C, so travel is charged at actual cost and quoted before you book; see pricing. Within 24 hours we confirm the inspector, notice and price. The report arrives within 24 hours of the inspection, with a verdict of Cleared to load, Hold or Not cleared.
Sources
- DP World: DP World Cochin sets an all-time high for the second time (2 Apr 2025)
- Spices Board India: Contact (Sugandha Bhavan, Palarivattom, Kochi)
- MPEDA: Head office (MPEDA House, Panampilly Nagar, Kochi)
- GI Registry, application 54: Alleppey Coir (applicant Coir Board, Coir House, M.G. Road, Cochin)
- DGFT, Appendix 1B: List of Towns of Export Excellence (AEKK: Seafood)
- DC-MSME: Completed CFCs under MSE-CDP, updated 20.03.2024 (Ernakulam clusters)
Are you a quality inspector in Kochi?
We work with vetted freelance inspectors near the factories we check. You take assignments in your own area, inspect to our checklist, and Clear To Load pays you, never the factory. Apply to inspect with us.