About SPEARSON LIMITED - Agro and Botanical Exporter in Ghana

SPEARSON LIMITED is an import and export trading company based in the Ashanti region of Ghana, listing 30 active products that span West African agro-butter commodities, dried botanical seeds, herbal raw materials and finished natural personal-care items. The catalogue is anchored on the cocoa value chain, with three cocoa derivatives listed (Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Liquor and Cocoa Powder) alongside several vegetable butters including Kombo Butter, Shea Butter, Kokum Butter, Marula Butter and branded variants such as Spearsmango and Spearshea. A second cluster covers dried African seeds and kernels used in the spice, nutraceutical and traditional herbal trades, including Picralima Nitida, Voacanga Africana root bark and dried seeds, Griffonia Simplicifolia, Akuamma seeds, Bitter Kola, Annatto seeds, Monodora Myristica, Moringa leaf, Irvangia Gabonensis, Brown coffee beans and Calabar bean. The remaining listings sit in the natural cosmetics and craft category, with Africa Black Soap, Thousand Eye Bodhi beads, Kigelia Africana powder extract and assorted butter grades rounding out the 30-line catalogue. Origin is consistently Ghana, with Ashanti as the registered state, and the product mix reflects the agro-botanical export profile typical of the West African forest belt, where shea, cocoa, kolanut and medicinal seed species are gathered from wild and smallholder sources. The HS code fields supplied with each line (including 1515.20 for Kokum Butter) sit within the broader customs chapters 12 (oilseeds and oleaginous fruits), 15 (animal or vegetable fats and oils), 18 (cocoa) and 9 (spices), which are the chapters most relevant to this product mix.

Product Range and Specialties of SPEARSON LIMITED

The SPEARSON LIMITED catalogue divides cleanly into four families. The cocoa family covers Cocoa Butter (food grade), Cocoa Liquor and Cocoa Powder, the three semi-processed forms traded under HS chapter 18; Ghana is the world's second-largest cocoa producer and exporters typically grade cocoa butter on free fatty acid (FFA, usually below 1.75% for prime grade), melting point (32-34 °C for deodorized), and colour, while cocoa powder is commonly traded on fat content (10/12 or 20/22%) and pH. The vegetable-butter family includes Kombo Butter (from Pycnanthus angolensis), Shea Butter (often quoted at 4-6% moisture, with refined and unrefined/grade A variants), Kokum Butter (HS 1515.20, a hard stearic-rich butter with a melting point around 38-40 °C), Marula Butter, and house-labelled Spearsmango, Spearshea and Marulabutter; these butters are typically sold to cosmetics manufacturers on saponification value, iodine value and unsaponifiable matter percentage. The dried-seed and herbal family is the broadest, with Picralima Nitida seeds and powder, Voacanga Africana root bark chips and dried seeds (containing the alkaloids ibogaine, voacamine, voacangine and vincamine), Griffonia Simplicifolia dried seeds (standardized on 5-HTP / 5-hydroxytryptophan content), Akuamma seeds, Bitter Kola (Garcinia kola) kernels, Annatto seeds (a natural colourant source for bixin/norbixin), Monodora Myristica (African nutmeg), Moringa leaf, Irvangia Gabonensis (bush mango) seeds, Brown coffee beans and Calabar bean (Physostigma venenosum). Buyers in this segment typically request alkaloid assay certificates, moisture content (usually specified below 10-12%), ash values, and microbiological panels. The smaller fourth family covers Africa Black Soap (a saponified shea/cocoa/palm-oil cake product), Thousand Eye Bodhi beads (a craft and prayer-bead item) and Kigelia Africana powder extract, used in cosmetic and traditional skin-care formulations.

Trade and Export Information - SPEARSON LIMITED

Ghana's agro-botanical export economy is dominated by cocoa and cocoa derivatives (HS chapter 18), shea butter (HS 1207 for nuts and 1515 for the refined butter), and a growing trade in dried medicinal and aromatic plant materials (HS chapter 12 for seeds and 1211 for plants used in pharmacy or perfumery). Typical buyers for the cocoa-butter and vegetable-butter lines are cosmetics and chocolate manufacturers in the EU (Netherlands, Germany, France, UK), North America and the ECOWAS region, while dried seed and alkaloid-bearing botanicals such as Griffonia, Voacanga and Akuamma are usually destined for nutraceutical extract processors in Europe, the United States, China and India. Cocoa powder and cocoa liquor are commonly shipped under HS 1803 and 1805 respectively, and food-grade cocoa butter under HS 1804, often in 25 kg kraft bags inside 20 ft containers (a 20 ft FCL typically loads around 18-20 metric tons of butter). Export shipments from Ghana in these categories are normally moved under Incoterms FOB Tema or CIF, with cocoa butter and shea butter packed in 25 kg polybag-lined cartons or 50 kg jute bags, and dried seeds shipped in woven polypropylene sacks of 25-50 kg on pallets. Buyers in the EU usually require compliance with EU Regulation 1881/2006 for contaminants, EC 396/2005 for pesticide residues, and the Novel Food Regulation 2015/2283 for any ingredient consumed as a supplement, while US buyers typically request FDA prior notice and compliance with 21 CFR for food and dietary ingredients. For the herbal and alkaloid-bearing seeds (Voacanga, Akuamma, Calabar bean), buyers generally expect CITES documentation where applicable, a Certificate of Analysis with HPLC or GC-MS alkaloid profiling, and confirmation that the material is sold for research, analytical or cosmetic use only. The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) regulates cocoa exports and issues the cocoa export licence and quality clearance, while the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) certifies food-grade and cosmetic-grade consignments.

Sourcing from SPEARSON LIMITED - Buyer Guidance

Before placing an order with SPEARSON LIMITED, a buyer should request the Certificate of Analysis for each lot, specifying the parameters relevant to the line: for cocoa butter, FFA percentage, melting point, peroxide value and colour; for shea and kombo butter, moisture, FFA, peroxide value and unsaponifiable matter; for dried seeds such as Griffonia and Voacanga, an HPLC assay of the active alkaloid or 5-HTP content along with moisture, total ash and microbial counts. For the cocoa-derived lines, it is standard to ask for the COCOBOD export licence and a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate of Ghana's Ministry of Food and Agriculture. For the herbal and alkaloid-bearing seeds, buyers should confirm the end-use declaration (research, analytical, cosmetic or traditional use), request a Material Safety Data Sheet, and verify that the supplier can provide a CITES permit or a written confirmation that none of the listed species are CITES-listed in the shipment. Packaging details (25 kg or 50 kg bags, food-grade lining, palletization) and the preferred Incoterm (FOB Tema is the most common for Ghanaian agro exports) should be agreed in writing. Sampling policy, minimum order quantity per line, and lead time from order to vessel loading at Tema port are also worth confirming up front, as cocoa butter and refined shea butter typically need 2-4 weeks of production lead time, while dried seeds are often available ex-warehouse with shorter lead times.

What product categories does SPEARSON LIMITED export from Ghana?

The catalogue covers four families: cocoa derivatives (Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Liquor, Cocoa Powder), vegetable butters (Kombo, Shea, Kokum, Marula, Spearsmango, Spearshea, Marulabutter), dried African seeds and herbs (Picralima Nitida, Voacanga Africana, Griffonia Simplicifolia, Akuamma, Bitter Kola, Annatto, Monodora Myristica, Moringa leaf, Irvangia Gabonensis, Calabar bean, Brown coffee beans), and natural cosmetics and craft items (Africa Black Soap, Thousand Eye Bodhi beads, Kigelia Africana powder).

Which cocoa specifications should I request when enquiring about Cocoa Butter?

Ask for food-grade conformity, free fatty acid (typically below 1.75%), melting point in the 32-34 °C range, peroxide value below 5 meq O2/kg, and a colour reading. Cocoa butter is exported under HS 1804 and a COCOBOD export licence is normally required for Ghanaian origin.

What documentation is standard for Ghanaian shea or kombo butter shipments?

Request a Certificate of Analysis covering moisture (usually below 5-7%), FFA, peroxide value and unsaponifiable matter, a phytosanitary certificate from PPRSD, and a commercial invoice with the agreed Incoterm (FOB Tema or CIF). Refined shea butter typically ships under HS 1515 and raw shea butter under HS 1207.

Are the herbal seeds such as Voacanga, Akuamma and Calabar bean sold for human consumption?

These alkaloid-bearing seeds are normally traded for research, analytical, cosmetic or traditional use only. Buyers should request a written end-use declaration, an HPLC or GC-MS assay of the active alkaloid, and a Material Safety Data Sheet before shipment.

What is the typical packaging for cocoa butter and shea butter from Ghana?

Cocoa butter and refined shea butter are usually packed in 25 kg polybag-lined kraft cartons or 50 kg jute bags, palletized and containerized. A 20 ft FCL typically loads around 18-20 metric tons of butter, depending on the packaging format.

Which certifications should I ask SPEARSON LIMITED to confirm?

Ask which quality and food-safety certifications the company currently holds, and which it can arrange per shipment. For cocoa and food-grade butters, buyers typically expect HACCP, ISO 22000 or FSSC 22000 documentation, and for the EU market a compliance statement against EU Regulation 1881/2006 on contaminants and EC 396/2005 on pesticide residues.

What is the typical minimum order quantity and lead time for these products?

MOQ varies by line: dried seeds are often available from 100 kg upwards, while cocoa butter and refined shea butter are usually quoted per metric ton with a 20 ft container as the standard export lot. Production lead time ranges from about 2-4 weeks for refined butters to a few days for ex-warehouse dried seeds, plus vessel scheduling at Tema port.

Which regions typically import Ghanaian cocoa butter, shea butter and dried African seeds?

Cocoa and shea butter are typically imported by cosmetics and chocolate processors in the EU (Netherlands, Germany, France, UK), North America and neighbouring ECOWAS states. Dried medicinal and alkaloid-bearing seeds such as Griffonia, Voacanga and Akuamma are usually processed by nutraceutical and extract manufacturers in Europe, the United States, China and India.