1. Product Overview
| Parameter |
Value |
| Botanical Name |
Plantago ovata Forsk. |
| Common Names |
Psyllium Husk, Isabgol, Ispaghula Husk |
| Plant Family |
Plantaginaceae |
| Part Used |
Seed Husk (Epidermis of the seed) |
| Origin |
Gujarat & Rajasthan, India (90%+ global supply) |
| Harvest Season |
March–April (Rabi crop) |
| HS Code |
1211.90.32 |
| CAS Number |
8063-16-9 |
| EINECS Number |
232-349-1 |
| Pharmacopoeial Monographs |
USP-NF, BP, EP, IP, JP |
| Key Applications |
Pharmaceuticals, Dietary Supplements, Food & Beverage, Gluten-Free Baking, Animal Feed,
Industrial Adhesives |
| Annual India Export Volume |
~120,000 MT (FY 2024-25) |
| India Global Market Share |
~85% |
| Certifications Available |
FSSAI, ISO 22000, HACCP, Kosher, Halal, USDA Organic, EU Organic |
2. Commercial Grades — Specification Comparison
| Parameter |
Powder 99% |
Pharma 95% |
Export 90% |
Food 85% |
Industrial 80% |
| Grade Type |
Pharma |
Pharma |
Food |
Food |
Industrial |
| Purity (min.) |
99% |
95% |
90% |
85% |
80% |
| Pharmacopeial Standard |
USP / EP |
USP / BP |
— |
— |
— |
| Moisture (max.) |
10% |
12% |
12% |
12% |
12% |
| Mesh Size |
80–100 mesh |
40–60 mesh |
40–60 mesh |
20–40 mesh |
20–40 mesh |
| Swelling Index (min.) |
≥45 ml/g |
≥40 ml/g |
≥35 ml/g |
≥25 ml/g |
≥20 ml/g |
| Foreign Matter (max.) |
1% |
2% |
3% |
5% |
5% |
| Ash Content (max.) |
3% |
4% |
4% |
5% |
6% |
| Acid Insoluble Ash (max.) |
0.5% |
1% |
1% |
1.5% |
2% |
| Color |
White to off-white |
Light cream |
Cream |
Light brown |
Brown |
| Dietary Fiber Content |
≥85% |
≥80% |
≥70% |
≥60% |
≥50% |
| Typical Use Cases |
OTC laxatives, capsules, supplements |
Tablets, health drinks |
Food additives, beverages |
Gluten-free baking, ice cream |
Adhesives, pet food |
| Price Range (FOB India) |
$2,200–2,800/MT |
$1,800–2,400/MT |
$1,400–1,800/MT |
$1,000–1,400/MT |
$700–1,000/MT |
3. Nutritional Profile (per 100g, Powder 99% Grade)
| Nutrient |
Value |
% Daily Value |
| Energy |
292 kcal |
15% |
| Total Dietary Fiber |
85.7 g |
285% |
| — Soluble Fiber |
71 g |
— |
| — Insoluble Fiber |
14.7 g |
— |
| Protein |
2.4 g |
5% |
| Total Fat |
0.6 g |
1% |
| Carbohydrates |
6.3 g |
2% |
| Sodium |
13 mg |
1% |
| Potassium |
260 mg |
6% |
| Calcium |
71 mg |
7% |
| Iron |
5.2 mg |
29% |
4. Packaging & Containerization
| Packaging Type |
Net Weight |
Units per 20ft FCL |
Total FCL Load |
Best For |
| PP Bags with PE Liner |
25 kg |
640 bags |
16 MT |
Standard export |
| Multi-ply Paper Bags |
25 kg |
640 bags |
16 MT |
Pharma/Food grade |
| Kraft Paper Bags |
20 kg |
800 bags |
16 MT |
EU/US pharma |
| HDPE Drums |
50 kg |
320 drums |
16 MT |
High-value pharma |
| Bulk (Jumbo Bags) |
500 kg / 1000 kg |
16–18 bags |
16–18 MT |
Industrial bulk |
| 40ft FCL |
— |
— |
22–24 MT |
Large orders |
5. India Export Data by Destination (Top 10)
| Rank |
Country |
Primary Port |
Transit (days) |
FTA Status |
Import Duty |
| 1 |
🇺🇸 United States |
Long Beach |
18–22 |
None |
~3–5% |
| 2 |
🇩🇪 Germany |
Hamburg |
20–24 |
India-EU negotiations |
~3% |
| 3 |
🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
Felixstowe |
20–24 |
UK FTA — 0% Duty |
0% |
| 4 |
🇦🇪 UAE |
Jebel Ali |
5–7 |
CEPA — Reduced Duty |
0–5% |
| 5 |
🇯🇵 Japan |
Yokohama |
16–20 |
CEPA — Reduced |
0–10% |
| 6 |
🇫🇷 France |
Le Havre |
20–24 |
India-EU negotiations |
~3% |
| 7 |
🇳🇱 Netherlands |
Rotterdam |
20–24 |
India-EU negotiations |
~3% |
| 8 |
🇨🇳 China |
Shanghai |
14–18 |
None |
~8–12% |
| 9 |
🇧🇩 Bangladesh |
Chittagong |
5–8 |
SAFTA — Low Tariff |
0–5% |
| 10 |
🇲🇾 Malaysia |
Port Klang |
8–12 |
CECA — Reduced |
0–5% |
6. Quality Testing Parameters
| Test |
Method |
Acceptance Criteria (Pharma Grade) |
| Swelling Index |
USP/BP Method |
≥40 ml/g (1g in 100ml water) |
| Loss on Drying |
105°C for 5 hours |
≤12% |
| Total Ash |
Incineration at 600°C |
≤4% |
| Acid Insoluble Ash |
HCl wash of ash |
≤1% |
| Heavy Metals (Pb) |
ICP-MS / AAS |
≤10 ppm |
| Arsenic (As) |
ICP-MS |
≤3 ppm |
| Total Plate Count |
Plate count method |
≤10,000 cfu/g |
| E. coli |
Selective media |
Absent in 10g |
| Salmonella |
Selective enrichment |
Absent in 25g |
| Yeast & Mold |
Plate count |
≤500 cfu/g |
| Aflatoxins (B1+B2+G1+G2) |
HPLC |
≤10 ppb |
| Pesticide Residues |
GC-MS/LC-MS |
Per EU MRL / FDA limits |
| Allergens |
ELISA |
Gluten-free (<20 ppm) |
7. Origin Ports & Shipping
| Port |
Location |
Container Types |
Shipping Lines |
| Mundra Port |
Kutch, Gujarat |
20ft, 40ft, 40ft HC |
Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd |
| Kandla Port |
Kutch, Gujarat |
20ft, 40ft |
MSC, OOCL, Evergreen |
| JNPT (Nhava Sheva) |
Mumbai, Maharashtra |
20ft, 40ft, 40ft HC |
All major carriers |
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Disclaimer: Specifications are typical values and may vary by batch. Contact us for
batch-specific COA.
Last Updated: February 11, 2026
Citation: Asia Agro Exports (2026). "Psyllium Husk Specifications & Export Data."
https://asiaagroexports.com/data/psyllium-husk-specifications-2026.html
