A raw cashew nut is not edible. What it becomes — after six carefully controlled steps — is one of the world's most nutritious snacks. Here is exactly how we do it at our Vietnam factory.
Most people have eaten a cashew. Very few have thought about what had to happen to make it safe to eat.
In its raw form, a cashew nut is protected by a double shell containing Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL) — a caustic phenolic resin that causes burns and blisters on contact with skin, and renders the raw kernel inedible without proper processing. The objective of cashew processing is to remove the highest possible weight of kernels from the in-shell nut — unbroken, with the characteristic light ivory color — while preserving natural taste and ensuring food safety throughout.
At Target Agriculture Vietnam, this process takes place in our dedicated processing facility — certified under EU Organic, USDA-NOP, JAS, Naturland, Fairtrade, and BRC — where every step is documented, every lot is traceable, and every kernel is processed under controlled conditions designed for certified organic export.
Here is exactly how it works.
Video: Target Agriculture cashew processing and grading at our Vietnam factory
Fig. 1: Raw cashew nuts arriving at Target Agriculture Vietnam factory
The process begins before the first kernel is cracked. Raw cashew nuts (RCN) arrive from certified organic farms in Binh Phuoc province — sourced directly from our own orchards and cooperative partner farmers who have been trained in organic cultivation practices.
On arrival, incoming lots are logged into our traceability system and assigned a unique batch identifier. Every batch can be traced back to its farm origin — a requirement of our Fairtrade and organic certifications, and the foundation of what Organic Cashew Farm to Table transparency actually means in practice.
Before processing begins, the nuts are sun-dried to reduce moisture content to approximately 8% — the level at which mould formation is suppressed and long-term storage remains safe. Raw cashew nuts at harvest may contain 12–16% moisture; if this is not reduced before storage, kernel damage and quality loss during the holding period are inevitable.
Cleaned and dried, the nuts are then calibrated by size — typically sorted into grades of 18mm, 20mm, 22mm, and 24mm — using mechanical calibrators. Size calibration is not cosmetic: it determines which blade configuration is used in the shelling step, directly affecting the percentage of unbroken whole kernels recovered.
Fig. 2: Steam treatment at Target Agriculture Vietnam factory
Before shelling can begin, the raw nuts must be heat-treated to weaken the shell and prepare it for removal.
At Target Agriculture, we use steam treatment — passing the calibrated nuts through a controlled steam environment. Steam is preferred over alternative methods (drum roasting or oil bath) for several reasons: it provides more precise temperature control, does not desiccate the nuts, and avoids exposing workers to the acidic fumes associated with CNSL during oil-bath roasting.
The steamed nuts are then allowed to air-dry before entering the shelling line — a brief but important step that stabilizes the shell for mechanical processing.
Fig. 3: Automated shelling line — Target Agriculture Vietnam
Shelling is the most technically demanding step in cashew processing. The outer shell must be broken and removed without splitting the kernel inside — a kernel that, depending on the grade, represents the difference between a premium W180 whole kernel and a lower-value broken grade.
At Target Agriculture Vietnam, shelling is performed on automated mechanical shelling lines calibrated to match the size grades established in Step 1. The precision of this calibration is critical — blades set to the wrong dimension produce disproportionate breakage rates regardless of equipment quality.
CNSL is present throughout the shelling stage. Our processing facility implements strict worker protection protocols, and CNSL is handled as an industrial by-product — it has commercial applications in resin, paint, and polymer manufacturing, and its controlled management is part of our waste reduction commitment.
Fig. 4: Drying and peeling stage — Target Agriculture Vietnam
After shelling, the kernel is still covered by a thin papery skin called the testa. This must be removed to produce the light ivory kernel that export standards require.
The process involves two sub-steps:
Drying: Kernels are placed on wire mesh trays and oven-dried at approximately 80°C in hot chambers. This step serves two purposes: it loosens the testa to facilitate removal, and it eliminates any residual CNSL that may have permeated the kernel during shelling. It also deactivates urushiol — the same irritant compound found in poison ivy and related to the cashew's botanical family — which can cause allergic reactions.
Humidification and Peeling: After oven drying, kernels are gently humidified to prevent over-brittleness — a precise balance, because testa must be brittle enough to peel cleanly but kernels must not become so dry they crack during the process. Peeling at Target Agriculture's Vietnam facility is performed by air pressure and friction machines, supplemented by trained manual peeling teams for final quality finishing.
Fig. 5: Grading and inspection — Target Agriculture Vietnam
With the testa removed, kernels enter the grading and inspection stage — where size, color, shape, and defect levels determine which export grade each kernel receives.
At Target Agriculture, grading is performed using a combination of:
- Optical color sorters — identifying and removing off-color, discolored, or spotted kernels automatically
- Electronic sorting machines — screening for foreign matter and physical defects
- Manual inspection teams — the final and most precise layer, verifying that graded lots match buyer-approved reference samples before packing is authorized
The primary whole kernel grades — W180, W240, W320, W450 — are graded against international Association of Food Industries (AFI) specifications and against our buyers' specific requirements. Every graded lot is documented by batch number and linked to its raw material source for full traceability.
Fig. 6: Nitrogen-flush packaging — Tamkira, Target Agriculture Vietnam
Before packaging, kernels undergo antimicrobial treatment to eliminate or reduce pathogens including Salmonella, Aflatoxins, E. coli, and Listeria. At Target Agriculture's Vietnam facility, this involves heat treatment followed by metal detection and X-ray inspection to ensure every export lot is free from foreign matter.
Packaging is performed in our Tamkira dedicated OEM and export packaging facility, using:
- Nitrogen-flush sealing — replacing atmospheric oxygen inside the pack to prevent oxidation and extend shelf life through distribution
- Multi-layer barrier materials — protecting against moisture ingress and oxygen permeation
- Airtight seal verification — checked at the packing line before cartonization
- Flexible format options — PE bags (5kg, 10kg, 11.34kg, 22.68kg) and Jumbo bags for bulk export; 100g–200g retail formats for OEM and private label clients
Every finished lot is labeled with a batch number that completes the traceability chain from farm to export shipment — the final link in a documented record that begins at the certified organic farm in Binh Phuoc and ends at a buyer's receiving dock in Europe, the US, Japan, or Australia.
Each export consignment from Target Agriculture Vietnam ships with a complete documentation package — organic transaction certificates, grading records, moisture analysis, lot traceability documentation, and relevant certification references for the destination market.
This is not paperwork for its own sake. For buyers operating in regulated markets, this documentation is what makes a shipment compliant, auditable, and insurable. For buyers building long-term supply relationships, it is what makes consistent quality a verifiable track record rather than a supplier promise.
Raw cashew nuts contain a caustic shell liquid, require precise temperature management, and demand controlled mechanical processing at every stage. What emerges — when every step is executed correctly — is a certified organic cashew kernel that retains its natural taste, nutritional profile, and visual grade.
At Target Agriculture Group, this six-step process is performed in a dedicated Vietnam facility certified for organic export — supported by the farmer partnerships, Field Officer programs, and traceability systems that connect every kernel to the orchard it came from.
👉 Contact Target Agriculture to request processing documentation, product samples, or discuss certified organic cashew supply for your market.
YOUTUBE - LINKEDIN