ISO 6539:2014

Overview

ISO 6539:2014 - "Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume) - Specification" is an international standard that defines quality, classification and handling requirements for whole and ground cinnamon of the Sri Lankan, Madagascan and Seychelles types. It covers product forms (quills, quillings, featherings, chips and ground cinnamon), sensory expectations, limits for extraneous matter and chemical properties, plus recommendations for storage, transport, packaging and marking.

Keywords: ISO 6539:2014, Cinnamon specification, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Sri Lankan cinnamon, spice standards.

Key Topics and Requirements

• Types and forms: Defines Sri Lankan, Seychelles and Madagascan types and commercial forms (quills, quillings, featherings, chips, ground cinnamon).
• Sensory requirements: Odour and flavour must be fresh and characteristic of the origin, free from foreign flavours and mustiness. Ground cinnamon colour: yellowish to reddish-brown.
• Contamination limits:
  • Extraneous matter (leaves, stems, sand, etc.): max 1% (mass fraction) for whole cinnamon (ISO 927).
  • Freedom from pests: whole cinnamon must be free from live insects, mould growth and mites; practically free from visible dead insects or rodent contamination.
• Chemical requirements (dry basis, by cinnamon type):
  • Moisture (max) - Sri Lankan: whole 14%, ground 12%; Seychelles/Madagascan: whole 15%, ground 14% (ISO 939).
  • Total ash (max) - Sri Lankan: 5%; Seychelles/Madagascan: 7% (ISO 928).
  • Acid‑insoluble ash (max) - Sri Lankan: 1%; Seychelles/Madagascan: 2% (ISO 930).
  • Volatile oil (min) - Sri Lankan: whole 1.0 ml/100 g, ground 0.7 ml/100 g; Seychelles/Madagascan: whole 0.7 ml/100 g, ground 0.3 ml/100 g (ISO 6571).
• Sampling & test methods: Sampling per ISO 948; analytical preparation and tests referenced to ISO methods (ISO 2825, ISO 1208, etc.).
• Packaging & marking: Containers must protect product and volatile matter; mandatory label items include reference to ISO 6539, product name, producer, batch number, net mass, grade, producing country and optional harvest/packing dates.

Applications and Users

This standard is intended for:

• Producers, processors and packers of Cinnamomum zeylanicum cinnamon to ensure consistent quality and export compliance.
• Exporters, importers and spice traders who require reproducible classification and labelling for international trade.
• Quality control and testing laboratories performing moisture, ash and volatile oil analysis.
• Food safety and regulatory authorities referencing standardized limits for contaminants and labelling.

Practical uses include product specification for contracts, quality acceptance criteria at customs, and internal QC benchmarks.

Related Standards

• ISO 6538 - Cassia (Chinese/Indonesian/Vietnamese types) - Specification.
• Normative test-method references cited in ISO 6539: ISO 927, ISO 928, ISO 930, ISO 939, ISO 948, ISO 1208, ISO 2825, ISO 6571.