CXS 367-2026 is the Codex Alimentarius standard dedicated specifically to cured vanilla beans and related vanilla forms. Adopted in July 2026, it establishes international reference requirements covering species, product styles, moisture, vanillin, physical characteristics, contaminants, hygiene, labelling, and methods of analysis and sampling.
For importers, food manufacturers, distributors, and other professional buyers, the Codex vanilla standard provides a useful international benchmark when developing specifications or evaluating supplier offers.
However, Codex standards are not automatically binding national laws. Buyers still need to check the regulations of the destination market, their own customer requirements, and the intended use of the vanilla.
What Is CXS 367-2026?
CXS 367-2026 is officially titled Standard for Spices Derived from Dried or Dehydrated Fruits and Berries – Requirements for Vanilla.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission adopted the standalone vanilla standard in 2026. Vanilla had previously been considered within broader work on dried fruits and berry spices, but its commercial importance and distinct characteristics led to a dedicated standard.
The standard provides a common international reference for cured vanilla that falls within its scope, including requirements related to:
- Botanical species
- Commercial style or form
- Moisture
- Vanillin content
- Physical characteristics
- Food safety and suitability
- Contaminants and pesticide residues
- Hygienic handling
- Labelling
- Country of origin
- Methods of analysis and sampling
For buyers, the practical value is that terms such as species, moisture, vanillin, class, and style can be discussed against a recognized international framework instead of relying only on supplier-specific terminology.
Which Vanilla Species Are Covered by CXS 367-2026?
The Codex standard covers five botanical species of vanilla.
| Species | Commercial / Trade Reference in the Standard |
|---|---|
| Vanilla planifolia | Mexican vanilla, Bourbon vanilla, Planifolia vanilla |
| Vanilla × tahitensis | Tahitian vanilla |
| Vanilla pompona | Pompona vanilla |
| Vanilla odorata | Vanilla-odorata |
| Vanilla cribbiana | Maya vanilla |
This distinction matters because CXS 367-2026 does not assign one universal moisture or vanillin requirement to every vanilla species.
Planifolia and Tahitensis, for example, have substantially different chemical specifications within the Codex tables.
For buyers deciding between the two major commercial types, see Planifolia vs Tahitensis Vanilla Beans.
Which Vanilla Product Forms Does the Standard Cover?
CXS 367-2026 recognizes several commercial styles of dried or dehydrated vanilla:
- Whole beans – complete beans containing seeds and pulp
- Splits – beans that have naturally split
- Cut vanilla – shorter beans or pieces of varying lengths
- Vanilla pulp and seeds – also described as vanilla caviar
- Ground or powdered vanilla – produced by grinding whole, cut, or split beans
Other distinctly different styles may also be marketed provided they are identified appropriately.
This is important for procurement because the moisture and vanillin requirements can differ by species and product form. A buyer should therefore avoid requesting simply “Codex-compliant vanilla” without defining exactly which species and style is being purchased.
What Does CXS 367-2026 Require for Planifolia Vanilla?
For whole Vanilla planifolia, Codex provides four classes with different moisture ranges and minimum vanillin levels.
| Whole Planifolia Class | Moisture % w/w | Minimum Vanillin, Wet Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Extra | 35–38% | 1.8 g/100 g |
| Class I | 30–36% | 1.6 g/100 g |
| Class II | 25–30% | 1.4 g/100 g |
| Class III | 15–25% | 1.2 g/100 g |
The standard also provides separate requirements for other Planifolia forms:
| Planifolia Style | Moisture % w/w | Minimum Vanillin, Wet Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Split | 15–25% | 1.2 g/100 g |
| Cut | 10–25% | 1.0 g/100 g |
| Ground / powdered | <15% | 1.0 g/100 g |
| Vanilla pulp and seeds | 25–35% | 1.0 g/100 g |
One important detail for buyers is that classification is optional. If Vanilla planifolia is traded as unclassified, CXS 367-2026 states that the provisions for Class III apply as the minimum requirements.
Does Higher Codex Class Automatically Mean Better Vanilla?
Not for every application.
The Extra, Class I, Class II, and Class III framework provides a useful quality reference for whole Planifolia beans, but a professional buyer should still choose a specification based on the intended use.
For example:
- A whole-bean distributor may value appearance, flexibility, moisture, and presentation.
- A food manufacturer may prioritize consistent aroma and production performance.
- An extract manufacturer may place greater emphasis on bean solids, moisture, processing suitability, and economics.
A higher class should therefore not automatically be interpreted as the most economical choice for every industrial or manufacturing application.
For broader procurement criteria, see How Professional Buyers Evaluate Vanilla Bean Quality Before Bulk Orders.
What Does Codex Require for Tahitensis Vanilla?
CXS 367-2026 treats Vanilla × tahitensis differently from Planifolia.
For Tahitensis, the standard specifies:
| Tahitensis Style | Moisture % w/w | Minimum Vanillin, Wet Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Whole | 30–55% | 0.3 g/100 g |
| Cut | 15–55% | 0.3 g/100 g |
| Ground / powdered | 10–45% | 0.3 g/100 g |
| Vanilla pulp and seeds | 15–55% | 0.3 g/100 g |
This is a useful reminder that buyers should not apply Planifolia specifications automatically to Tahitensis.
The species differ chemically and sensorially, and the Codex standard itself recognizes that difference by assigning different moisture and vanillin requirements.
Does a Lower Vanillin Requirement Mean Tahitensis Is Lower Quality?
No.
The Codex values should not be interpreted as a ranking of one vanilla species against another.
Vanillin is an important compound in natural vanilla, but the overall aroma of vanilla results from a broader combination of volatile and non-volatile compounds.
Tahitensis is commonly selected for its distinctive floral and fruity aromatic character, while Planifolia is often associated with a more classic and vanillin-forward profile.
This is why a lower minimum vanillin value for Tahitensis should not be interpreted as evidence that it is inherently inferior.
For a deeper explanation, see Vanillin Content in Vanilla Beans: How Bulk Buyers Should Interpret It.
Why Does the Codex Moisture Standard Matter to Buyers?
CXS 367-2026 demonstrates that there is no single universal moisture percentage that defines acceptable vanilla.
The appropriate range depends on:
- Species
- Product style
- Planifolia class where applicable
- Commercial application
For example, whole Planifolia Extra beans have a Codex moisture range of 35–38%, while whole Tahitensis is listed at 30–55%.
This means buyers should be cautious with supplier statements such as “premium vanilla must always contain X% moisture” unless species, style, grade, and application are also defined.
Moisture can affect:
- Flexibility
- Weight
- Storage behavior
- Packaging suitability
- Processing
- Commercial comparison between suppliers
See Vanilla Bean Moisture Content: What Bulk Buyers Need to Know for the full technical context.
What Physical Requirements Does the Codex Vanilla Standard Include?
The standard also establishes physical characteristics for vanilla.
For whole, split, and cut vanilla, the listed maximum for extraneous matter is 1% by weight, while the permitted count of live insects is zero.
For ground or powdered vanilla and vanilla pulp and seeds, some physical provisions are listed as not applicable rather than zero. Buyers should therefore read the applicable product form carefully instead of transferring requirements from one style to another.
The standard defines extraneous matter as vegetative material associated with the source plant that is not accepted as part of the final product.
For ground or powdered vanilla, particle size is determined by agreement between buyer and seller rather than through one universal Codex particle-size requirement.
What Does Codex Say About Aroma, Flavour, and Colour?
CXS 367-2026 requires vanilla to have the characteristic odour, flavour, and colour associated with the product, recognizing that these characteristics can vary with geoclimatic factors and conditions.
The product should be free from foreign odours, flavours, or colours, particularly characteristics associated with rancidity or mustiness.
This reinforces an important procurement principle: analytical values do not replace sensory inspection.
A batch may meet a numerical moisture or vanillin specification while still requiring evaluation for unusual odours, poor curing, or other undesirable sensory characteristics.
What Does CXS 367-2026 Say About Food Safety?
The vanilla standard does not operate in isolation.
It connects to other Codex texts covering:
- Contaminants and toxins
- Pesticide maximum residue limits
- General food hygiene
- Low-moisture foods
- Prevention and reduction of mycotoxins in spices
- Microbiological criteria
- Food labelling
- Methods of analysis and sampling
For buyers, this means that meeting the moisture and vanillin table alone does not represent the complete food-safety or compliance assessment.
The required analytical program should still reflect the destination market, application, buyer risk assessment, and contractual specification.
Does CXS 367-2026 Require a COA?
The standard establishes characteristics that can be assessed analytically, but professional buyers should distinguish the standard itself from their own documentation requirements.
A buyer may use CXS 367-2026 values as part of a purchasing specification and then require a batch-specific Certificate of Analysis to verify selected parameters.
For example, an RFQ could request:
- Species
- Commercial style
- Planifolia class where relevant
- Moisture result
- Vanillin result
- Additional microbiological or contaminant testing where required
- Lot number
- COA linked to the commercial batch
Not every transaction needs the same analytical panel.
For guidance on reviewing laboratory documentation, see Vanilla Bean Certificate of Analysis: What Bulk Buyers Should Check.
What Labelling Information Does CXS 367-2026 Require?
Labelling is particularly relevant to B2B trade because the standard provides a clearer framework for identifying what is actually being supplied.
Under CXS 367-2026:
- The product name should reflect the common name defined by the standard.
- The product style should be identified.
- The trade name should be declared.
- The scientific name may be stated.
- Country of origin should be declared.
- Country of harvest is optional.
- Region of harvest is optional.
- Year of harvest is optional.
- Style should be included in commercial identification.
- Class or grade should be identified when applicable.
- Size may be stated when relevant.
This distinction between country of origin and optional harvest information is useful for procurement teams.
Origin labelling, however, is not the same thing as complete supply-chain traceability. A buyer may still require lot-level records that connect the beans with processing, testing, packaging, and shipment documents.
For more detail, see Vanilla Bean Traceability: How Bulk Buyers Verify Origin, Lot, and Shipment Records.
Is the Codex Vanilla Standard Mandatory?
No. Codex standards are international reference texts and are voluntary unless incorporated into applicable national laws or regulations.
This is an important distinction for importers.
A supplier stating that vanilla complies with CXS 367-2026 does not automatically prove that the shipment meets every legal requirement in the United States, European Union, Japan, or another destination market.
Depending on the destination and application, additional requirements may apply to areas such as:
- Pesticide residues
- Contaminants
- Microbiology
- Food-contact packaging
- Labelling
- Import documentation
- Traceability
- Customer-specific specifications
Buyers should therefore use Codex as an international benchmark while still verifying destination-country requirements and contractual obligations.
Does CXS 367-2026 Apply to Industrial Vanilla Processing?
The scope of CXS 367-2026 specifically excludes products intended for industrial processing.
The standard applies to cured vanilla offered for direct human consumption, as an ingredient in food processing, or for repacking, while expressly excluding products intended for industrial processing.
This wording means buyers should not automatically treat CXS 367-2026 as the definitive purchasing specification for every industrial vanilla application.
For example, manufacturers purchasing vanilla as an industrial raw material may need an application-specific specification covering parameters such as:
- Moisture
- Vanilla-bean solids
- Vanillin
- Physical format
- Batch consistency
- Processing performance
- Analytical requirements
This is particularly relevant when vanilla is being sourced for extraction or other industrial transformation.
See Vanilla Beans for Extract Production: What Manufacturers Should Specify for application-specific procurement guidance.
Can Extract Manufacturers Still Use Codex as a Reference?
Yes, but carefully.
Even when an industrial use falls outside the formal scope of CXS 367-2026, the standard can still provide useful context for species identification, commercial terminology, moisture, vanillin, and quality discussions.
However, an extract manufacturer should not assume that meeting a Codex class automatically means the raw material is optimal for its extraction system.
Its own validated technical specification should remain the primary purchasing document.
How Should Buyers Use CXS 367-2026 in an RFQ?
Codex can help turn vague purchasing language into a more precise RFQ.
Instead of requesting:
“Please quote premium Indonesian vanilla beans.”
A buyer can specify:
- Species: Vanilla planifolia
- Style: whole beans
- Required class or agreed commercial specification
- Moisture requirement
- Minimum vanillin requirement where relevant
- Required physical tolerance
- Representative sample
- Batch-specific analytical documentation where required
- Country of origin
- Lot identification
- Packaging
- Commercial volume
- Destination
This produces a much more comparable supplier quotation.
For a complete purchasing template, see Vanilla Bean RFQ: What Bulk Buyers Should Specify Before Requesting a Quote.
Should the Buyer Specification Be the Same as the Codex Standard?
Not necessarily.
Codex provides a useful international baseline, but buyers can have additional or more specific requirements based on their application and market.
| Codex Reference | Buyer May Add |
|---|---|
| Species | Approved origin or sourcing program |
| Style | Exact bean length or production format |
| Moisture range | Narrower internal target |
| Minimum vanillin | Application-specific target or reporting requirement |
| Physical characteristics | Specific defect or appearance tolerances |
| Country of origin | Lot-level traceability requirements |
| General food-safety references | Customer-specific microbiological or residue limits |
| Product identification | Buyer packaging and label format |
The objective is not to replace Codex, but to use it as a reference point and then define the characteristics necessary for the actual purchasing application.
How Should Buyers Verify Codex-Related Claims?
If a supplier describes a lot as complying with CXS 367-2026, buyers can request evidence appropriate to the claimed specification.
A practical verification process can include:
1. Confirm the Species
Make sure the species stated in the quotation, specification, sample, and shipment are consistent.
2. Confirm the Product Style
Whole, split, cut, powder, and vanilla pulp have different Codex specifications.
3. Identify the Applicable Class
For whole Planifolia, determine whether the product is being sold under Extra, Class I, Class II, Class III, or as unclassified.
4. Review Moisture
Compare the batch result with the applicable species, style, and class.
5. Review Vanillin Where Applicable
Check that the analytical result uses the relevant reporting basis and corresponds with the commercial batch.
6. Evaluate a Representative Sample
Analytical compliance does not eliminate the need for sensory and physical evaluation.
See Vanilla Bean Sampling for Bulk Orders.
7. Connect the Documents to the Lot
Ensure the sample, COA, packaging, and shipment records refer to the product actually being purchased.
Codex Vanilla Standard Checklist for Bulk Buyers
| Buyer Check | What to Verify |
|---|---|
| Scope | Confirm that the intended use falls within the relevant standard scope |
| Species | Identify the correct botanical species |
| Style | Whole, split, cut, powder, vanilla pulp, or other declared form |
| Class | For whole Planifolia, determine the applicable class where used |
| Moisture | Compare with the appropriate species and style requirement |
| Vanillin | Check the applicable minimum and reporting basis |
| Physical condition | Review extraneous matter, insects, sensory condition, and buyer criteria |
| Origin | Confirm country-of-origin declaration |
| Lot identity | Connect product, sample, COA, and shipment records |
| Destination rules | Verify applicable national import and food requirements |
| Buyer specification | Add application-specific requirements where Codex alone is insufficient |
What Does CXS 367-2026 Mean for Bulk Vanilla Buyers?
The main value of the new Codex vanilla standard is that it provides a common international reference for describing and evaluating vanilla across species, forms, and selected quality parameters.
It also makes several procurement principles clearer:
- Vanilla species should be identified correctly.
- Moisture requirements are not universal.
- Vanillin levels should be interpreted by species and product form.
- Planifolia classes should not automatically be applied to Tahitensis.
- Analytical values do not replace sensory and physical evaluation.
- Country of origin and commercial style should be clearly identified.
- Codex compliance does not replace destination-country law.
- Industrial users may require specifications beyond the scope of CXS 367-2026.
For professional procurement, the strongest approach is to use CXS 367-2026 as a recognized reference and then build a purchasing specification that reflects the buyer’s actual application, market, and quality requirements.
INDONESIAN Vanilla Beans works with importers, food manufacturers, distributors, ingredient companies, and other professional buyers sourcing Indonesian vanilla for commercial applications.
For larger-volume requirements, review our Bulk Vanilla Beans supply information or send your specification and discuss your vanilla requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CXS 367-2026?
CXS 367-2026 is the Codex Alimentarius standard for vanilla derived from dried or dehydrated fruits and berries. It covers five vanilla species and establishes requirements relating to product styles, quality, moisture, vanillin, physical characteristics, labelling, hygiene, contaminants, and analysis.
Which vanilla species are covered by CXS 367-2026?
The standard covers Vanilla planifolia, Vanilla × tahitensis, Vanilla pompona, Vanilla odorata, and Vanilla cribbiana.
What moisture level does Codex require for Planifolia vanilla?
For whole Vanilla planifolia, the moisture range depends on class: Extra is 35–38%, Class I 30–36%, Class II 25–30%, and Class III 15–25%. Different requirements apply to split, cut, ground, and vanilla pulp forms.
What is the Codex minimum vanillin level for Planifolia?
For whole Planifolia beans, minimum vanillin on a wet basis is 1.8 g/100 g for Extra, 1.6 g/100 g for Class I, 1.4 g/100 g for Class II, and 1.2 g/100 g for Class III.
Is CXS 367-2026 mandatory for vanilla imports?
No. Codex standards are voluntary international reference texts unless incorporated into applicable national legislation or regulations. Importers must still verify the legal requirements of the destination market.
Does the Codex vanilla standard apply to extract production?
CXS 367-2026 expressly excludes products intended for industrial processing. Buyers sourcing vanilla for industrial extraction should therefore use an application-specific purchasing specification and confirm how the standard is relevant to their particular use.