The document provides information on the harvesting and processing of cashew nuts. It can be summarized as follows: 1) Cashew apples are harvested approximately two months after fertilization when the fruits have ripened. The fallen fruits are then collected by hand. 2) After harvesting, the nuts need to be dried properly in the sun for 3-4 days to reduce the moisture content below 9% to prevent fungus growth. 3) The dried nuts then undergo processing which includes shelling, drying of kernels to remove the testa, grading of kernels by size and quality, and packing in airtight containers to extend the shelf life. Proper hygiene and safety measures are followed during each processing step.

2. Harvesting
• Fruits could be harvested about two months after fertilization of
flowers.
• The ripened fruits usually fall and the fallen fruits can be collected
manually.
• The nuts can be separated from the apple. Harvesting is done by hand
in all cashew producing countries.
• Mechanical harvesting has never been practiced. Since all nuts in a
plant or in an inflorescence do not mature together, mechanical
harvesting is not possible.

3. • Manual harvesting provides employment to a large sector in the area
during the cashew harvesting period.
• Though the general practice is to allow the fruit to fall naturally on to
the ground after ripening, sometimes, the fruits are detached from
the peduncle either manually or mechanically.
• This may provoke the fall of flowers, small and unripe fruits. During
the harvesting period it is important to keep the ground below the
canopy dry, clean and free of weeds.
• This makes collection easy and keeps away pests and diseases which
may lead to post harvest diseases of the fruit

4. • After harvesting, nuts need to be dried properly.
• Drying can be done in the sun for 3 to 4 days.
• Moisture content of the nut should be reduced to about 9% or below.
• Low moisture content further helps to reduce fungus attacks and to
maintain high viability.
• High moisture content in the seed (above 12%) could lead to rapid
reduction of viability which may result in poor germination.
• Therefore, if seeds are stored as planting material care should be taken to
dry the seed properly before storing. Dried seeds should be stored in air
tight bags or containers.

5. According to the Sri Lankan climate
within 3 months harvest can be
obtained
April June
(extended up to July)
Within above 3 months harvest
should be dry and storage .
After falling down cashew apple
with nut, it should be separated within
that day itself and dried within 3 days .
Most suitable drying method -sun
drying.
Sun drying – three Days
Storing time – three months
Separating time (nut from
fruit) - 1days
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6. At the harvesting,
1. Get the harvest after maturing the Cashew apple
2. Collect within one day
Avoid germination of kernel
Avoid pest attack
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The nuts are collected from the ground after falling from the trees.
Apples are removed along with other foreign matter

7. Important: completely separate raw nut
from cashew apple
Will help to avoid damages from the pest
Pick up
Plucking
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The nuts are collected from the ground after falling from the trees.
Apples are removed along with other foreign matter

8. • Completely 3 days
on dried surface ,minimize from pest attack
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At the Producer Level Raw Cashew Nuts are sun dried for several Days (3-4 days). The
Raw Cashew Nut is stored in either gunny or sisal bags. Passages should be kept in
order to guarantee ventilation.

9. After sun drying
remove un-matured cashew
remove foreign material
remove spoil cashew
sort size of raw cashew Nuts before shelling
Big cashew nut: lower than 168 nuts
per kg
Medium cashew nut:168-200 nuts
per kg
Small Cashew nut: more than 200
nuts per kg
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10. The quality of the raw cashew is determined by three key
tests before processing: Mainly
• moisture test
• Nut Count test
Nut count: It is the number of raw cashew nuts per kg
170 -excellent
180-190 very good
190-200 good
200-210 middle
210-220 low middle
230 limit acceptable
lower: poor
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11. • Moisture – lower than 12% - using moisture meter
• Foreign matter- lower than 5%
• Defective nuts: lower than 10%
• Float Rate : 18%max (This is the total number of cashew nuts
that will float when poured into water.)
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14. • Storing
• Steaming
• Cooling
• Shelling
• Dehydration
• Peeling
• Grading
• Packing
Step 01
Step 02
Step 03
Step 04
Step 05
Step 06
Step 07
Step 08
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15. • Need to be stored enough quantity for a whole year.
• Before storing all cashews should be in a dry condition
• Using proper packaging technique to store
• Proper Quality Control within the store
Good ventilation
Pest control
Proper seal window and door
Good store management system
Date
Place (harvested area)
Quality 15
At the Producer Level Raw Cashew Nuts are
sun dried for several Days (3-4 days). The Raw
Cashew Nut is stored in either gunny or sisal
bags. Passages should be kept in order to
guarantee ventilation.

16. Pallet
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17. Steaming the raw cashew nuts – using boiler
Objective :
• taken high percentage of complete cashew kernel (Cashew wholes)
• easy to cut raw cashew at the cashew shelling process
• easy to separate cashew kernel and shell
• minimize the absorption of Cashew nut shell liquid in to the cashew
kernel
Important : controlling correctly time and pressure
Not exceed steaming time
Time: 10-15min
Pressure: 0.5pa
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19. Cooling time: 8hours
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20. • remove the shell of a cashew nut- (the first cuts the nuts and the
second person opened them by a pin separating the kernel from the shell)
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Shelling method
• Traditional method
• mechanized cutting (hand cutting-small scale)
• Automatically cut -Shelling machine
• Automation Cashew processing system

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Disadvantages of traditional method….
Small quantity/
Employer safety
Low quality
Traditional Method
mechanized cutting
based on two nut-shaped knives. The nuts are
brought to the knives on a chain, each nut
aligned to fit between the knives. The nuts are
pushed between the knives and cut.
Should be fed manually.

22. powered by a 1.5 kW DC motor (1500 rpm), equipped
with a belt and pulley arrangement to transmit power
from the motor to the shaft.
Capacity 15-25kg/h
Whole kernel 90 %
Half split 5 %
Broken 5 %
Machine type: 2 cutter
4 cutter
6 cutter
8 cutter
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Cutter automatically adjustable as par size Best result for all size cashew no need for
Extra settings.
Automatically push raw cashew one by one in Cutting blade

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At the cashew shelling from 1 machine, can manage 2 persons for working
After shelling should separate quickly because shell oil can be absorb to
the kernel.
At the separate cashew sells, kernel labor should wear glows .
If it is followed correct step easily get quality cashew kernel
After shelling, shell pieces and
kernels are separated, and the
unshelled nuts are returned to the
shelling operation

24. CNSL OIL
Moisture: 7%-9% 24
Shelled Cashew mixture
Cashew kernel shell Spoil cashew Unshelled cashew
Separate different type of part after shelling as above
Whole Nut
Splits (half)
Pieces

25. Shelling machine should control properly -cleaning, avoid put foreign
material, not more than working 8hours per day.
Replace blade in the machine after 1 months
At the removing kernel from shell
not mixed spoil kernel
separation –complete kernel and pieces
For 8 hours
160kg
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They wear protective gloves and head gear to protect their hands and maintain
hygiene. The oil from the cut shell can damage the skin if handled without protective
gear.

26. • raw kernels are put in aluminum perforate trays and then put in an electric
drying machine for 3hours and a constant temperature of 80 deg.C)
• Moisture content of the raw kernel is reduced from 9% to 3%
• Prevent natural deterioration
Temperature: 80 Celsius
Time: 3.5 hours
Moisture : 7% 3%
Critical Control Point
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Evaporate moisture from cashew kernel
• remove excess moisture and facilitate easy removal of testa (pink skin) and
improve keeping quality.
• The shelled kernel is covered with the testa, the removal of which is
facilitated by drying the shelled kernel, to produce the Dehydrated
kernel.

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Cashew Oven
• The dryer contains a series of mesh-bottom trays that are slotted into the drying
cabinet
• Hot air circulates over the trays
• The heat source can either be a gas or electric powered heater
• Probably use electric heaters

28. 2 Layers
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Drying programmes are generally organized so that the
kernels from one day's shelling go directly into the oven
1 Tray

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After shelling, should be drying within 2 days – absorb cnsl oil in to kernal
It is essential that the kernels are carefully handled in order to
minimize damage.
A uniform temperature throughout the drier is essential to avoid under-
drying or scorching.
Drying also protects the kernel from pest and fungal attack at this
vulnerable stage.
Testa to be easily removed either mechanically, or by hand with a
knife

30. Remove testa from kernel mechanically, or by hand with a
knife.
• Manual – manual peeling is done by gentle rubbing with fingers or by
use of special peeling knife
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testa is loosely
attached to the kernel
few kernels may have
already lost the testa
during prior
operations
One person peel 10-12kg
dryed cashew kernel per day
(8hours)

31. Shelled Cashew mixture
Splits Pieces spoil
wholes
Testa
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• peeled kernels can be separated into different grades by the peeler.
• At the most basic level, the kernels are separated into wholes, splits,
pieces, spoil and testa.
wholes
Approximately 10-12 kg of kernels can be peeled by one individual per day.
Splits/Pieces
white wholes,
scorched wholes
white pieces,
scorched pieces

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• Peeling of all testa in kernel
• Strict cleanliness in the peeling operation is essential
• All workers must follow basic codes of hygiene
Peeling knife
• cuts down on handling of the brittle kernels.

33. feeding
• Peeling rate: 90-95%
• Automatic
• Using air pressure
Again manually peeling
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They include air-blasting,
suction, a freezing
operation and a system
of rubber rollers.
The level of breakage can
be as 10 percent.
With small amount of
testa kernel can be 10%
The mechanized processes of peeling vary widely.

34. Stage 01
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Kernels are categorized on the basis of color and condition.
Primary grading – remove unwanted material
small amount of testa
Black spot
Spoil parts
Primary grading is done by hand. Graders sit on high stools or stand at
tables that are covered in blankets to provide a soft surface and reduce
breakage
With testa

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roughly divided into three groups:
1. white whole,
2. white pieces
3. scorched grades.

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1. Wholes: characteristic shape
The presence of a small hole at the proximal end of the
kernel or a central split or crack is not considered a
defect.
Definition
Grading stage 1 for wholes -White wholes
-scorched wholes (yellow wholes) - a whole kernel that
is discolored.
-dessert wholes - a whole kernel with a black spot or
comparably more scorched

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Grading wholes according to sizing
whole kernels are graded according to their size on the basis
of the number of kernels per pound.
Standard Kernel per 1kg Kernel per pound
W 180 395 Between 120 and 180 kernels
W 210 440-465 Between 200 and 210
W 240 485-530 Between 230 and 240 kernels
W 320 660-705 Between 300 and 320 kernels
W 450 880-990 Between 300 and 320 kernels
W-180 W-240 W-320 W-450

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W-180 W-210 W-320
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W-240
The price on the international market generally refers to the most important quality,
the “W 320”, this means 320 undamaged cashew nuts per pound, or 454 g

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2. Broken: Kernels where one eighth or more of the original kernel
is broken off.
Butts: Kernels of not less than 3/8th of a whole kernel
which have been broken crosswise but the
cotyledons are still naturally attached.
Splits: Kernels split lengthwise naturally.
Pieces: Kernels which have broken into more than two
pieces .
Designations of broken as follows

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Pieces can be divided 5 types
1. LWP - Large White pieces: not passing through a sieve of aperture 4.75mm
2. SWP - Small White pieces:passing through a sieve of aperture 4.75mm but not
passing through a sieve of aperture 2.80mm
3. Baby Bits - passing through a sieve of aperture 2.80mm but not passing through
a sieve of aperture 1.70mm.
4. Tiny Baby bits
5. Powder

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The normal packaging used for the export of kernels is air-tight cans
of 11.34 kg weight capacity.
Packing is vary essential in order to preserve cashews
Packing should be vary attractive to gain customer
attention
Shelf life – 6months/09months/1year (according to
packing type)
The final process prevents the product deterioration and extends the storage
/ shelf life of the kernel.
Important

45. • Manually
• Semi automatically
• Fully automatically
Packing system
1. Vacuum packing
air is drawn out of the package prior to sealing but no other gases
are introduced.
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46. i. Carbon dioxide reacts with water in the product to form carbonic
acid which lowers the pH of the food. It also inhibits the growth of
certain microorganisms, mainly moulds and some aerobic bacteria.
Process :
This consists of removing all the air from the pack and substituting it with
carbon dioxide (CO2). The advantages of packing cashew kernels in carbon
dioxide are two-fold. Firstly, carbon dioxide will not support life so any
infestation.
Secondly, carbon dioxide is soluble in cashew oil and goes into solution as
soon as the can is sealed.
i. Nitrogen has no direct effect on microorganisms or foods, other
than to replace oxygen, which can inhibit the oxidation of fats.
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Pouch's – polyethene - LLDPE
laminated - 2 layer (PET+LLDPE/LLDPE+CPP/PET+LLDPE)
3layer (PET+PET+CPP/PET+LLDPE+CPP)
Alufoil – (LLDPE+Aluminium/polyester+pet+aluminum)
Pet container – pet bottle
Packing type/material
Laminated pack Vacuum pack Canister

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53. Thank You..