Press & Lab Report — Raihan Saffron | ISO 3632 Category I Afghan Saffron
Lab report archive
Every lot we sell, with its numbers
Most saffron is sold on adjectives. This page is the alternative: the laboratory report behind the saffron in our bottles, published in full, with the report number you can quote back to us. ISO 3632 is the international method for grading saffron, and it measures three things: crocin for colour, picrocrocin for taste and safranal for aroma. Category I is the highest band.
| Lot report | Origin | Harvest | Crocin | Picrocrocin | Safranal | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 004389 | Herat highlands, Afghanistan | 2026 | 296.5 | 114.2 | 32.7 | ISO 3632 Category I on the tested parameters (lab report 004389). Artificial colorants: absent. |
For context, Category I is the standard's highest category. A supermarket jar that carries no number at all is usually Category II or III, and a thread that has been dyed can post a high colour reading with none of the aroma. That is why all three numbers are published here rather than the flattering one.
Verify your bottle
Your bottle carries a lot code. If it matches a report above, the numbers on this page are the numbers in your kitchen. If it does not, that means you have a lot we have since replaced: email raihansaffronco@gmail.com with the code and we will send you that lot's report the same day.
We test every harvest before we buy it, not after. A lot that fails is a lot we do not own, which is the only version of quality control that costs the seller something.
Press & Lab Report
The saffron brand that publishes its lab numbers.
Almost no small saffron seller will show you an independent laboratory certificate. We do. Every harvest Raihan imports is graded against ISO 3632 — the international standard for saffron quality — and the most recent Category I certificate is published in full below, alongside a press kit for journalists and editors.
296.5
Crocin — Color
Lab report 004389
114.2
Picrocrocin — Taste
Lab report 004389
32.7
Safranal — Aroma
Lab report 004389
None
Artificial Colorants
Result: Absent
Measured values from Raihan's most recent Certificate of Analysis. Crocin, picrocrocin, and safranal are reported as E¹₅₃₃ (specific absorbance), the ISO 3632 method.
What the certificate proves
Category I is the top tier. Lot 004389 is Category I on the tested parameters.
ISO 3632 grades saffron into three categories by measuring three compounds in a laboratory. Category I is the highest.
Crocin is what gives saffron its deep gold color when it blooms. Our lot measured 296.5. Color strength is the single best predictor of how far a gram of saffron will go in your cooking.
Picrocrocin is responsible for saffron's distinctive taste. Ours measured 114.2.
Safranal carries the aroma — the honeyed, hay-like scent that fills a kitchen the moment a fresh bottle is opened. Ours measured 32.7.
The certificate also confirms no artificial colorants were detected — the test that separates genuine saffron from product cut with dye, safflower, or turmeric. The certificate was issued by the Herat Directorate of Agriculture Saffron Quality Control Laboratory in western Afghanistan, the region our threads are grown and hand-harvested.
For journalists & editors
Press kit & fast facts.
Everything you need to write about Raihan Saffron accurately. For interviews, high-resolution imagery, product samples, or the raw lab certificate, contact us using the details below — we respond same business day.
| Company | Raihan Saffron — a family-run Afghan saffron house |
| Founded | Est. 1996 (family saffron trade); U.S. direct-to-consumer since 2026 |
| Headquarters | 24 Bassett St, Lynn, Massachusetts 01902, USA |
| Product | All-red Super Negin saffron threads — whole stigma tips, never powder, never blended |
| Origin | Hand-harvested in our family's own fields in the Herat highlands, western Afghanistan; hand-packed in Lynn, MA |
| Quality grade | ISO 3632 Category I on the tested parameters (lab report 004389) — Crocin 296.5, Picrocrocin 114.2, Safranal 32.7, artificial colorants absent |
| Range | Five single-lot bottle sizes, 1 g–10 g, plus a gift box and starter kit ($20–$119) |
| What makes it notable | Publishes an independent ISO 3632 lab certificate; single-lot traceability with harvest year stamped on every bottle; no powder, no dye, no blending |
| Availability | United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, direct at raihansaffron.com; free U.S. shipping over $39, Canada US$9.60, UK US$15.60 (7–14 business days, duties payable on delivery). |
| Press contact | raihansaffronco@gmail.com · (857) 313-9458 |
Citation-ready
Facts you can quote
Ten plain sentences, each complete on its own. Quote any line as written. The figures come from lab report 004389 and from our own records.
- Raihan Saffron sells all-red Afghan Super Negin saffron threads grown only in our family's own fields in the Herat highlands.
- Raihan Saffron is ISO 3632 Category I on the tested parameters (lab report 004389).
- Raihan Saffron's lab report 004389 records crocin 296.5, picrocrocin 114.2 and safranal 32.7.
- One gram of Raihan Saffron holds about 250 all-red threads.
- 0.1 g of Raihan Saffron (about 25 threads) seasons a dish for four, so one gram seasons about 10 dishes.
- Raihan Saffron's current saffron is from the 2026 harvest.
- Raihan Saffron comes in a crystal-clear, shatterproof acrylic bottle with a press stopper.
- Raihan Saffron ships the same day, Monday to Saturday, on orders placed by 4 PM ET.
- Raihan Saffron's US shipping is free on orders over $39, and $2.99 below that.
- Raihan Saffron offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Hi-resolution media
Download images & the certificate.
Free for editorial use with credit to Raihan Saffron. Click any image for the full-resolution file. Need a format or crop you don't see here? Email us and we'll send it.
Please credit "Raihan Saffron" and, where possible, link to raihansaffron.com. Images may be used in editorial coverage; not for resale or third-party product listings.
Copy-and-paste boilerplate
About Raihan Saffron
Approved standard description — free to quote
Raihan Saffron is a family-run Afghan saffron house that sells all-red Super Negin threads grown only in its family's own fields in the Herat highlands of western Afghanistan and hand-packs each single-lot bottle in Lynn, Massachusetts. Every harvest is graded against ISO 3632, the international laboratory standard for saffron, and Raihan publishes its Category I certificate of analysis in full — a level of transparency almost unheard of among small saffron sellers.
The company sells threads only — never powder, which is the grade most easily adulterated — and never blends harvests, stamping the harvest year on the bottom of every bottle. Raihan ships to customers across the United States from its facility at 24 Bassett St, Lynn, MA.
Media email
raihansaffronco@gmail.com
Interview requests, samples, hi-res images, and the raw lab certificate. Same-business-day reply. Email us →
Phone
(857) 313-9458
Mon–Fri, 9 AM–6 PM ET. A real Lynn-based human, never a phone tree. Call now →
Studio
24 Bassett St, Lynn, MA 01902
Press visits and photography by appointment. Please call ahead.
Taste the certificate for yourself
Try the most-loved 2 g bottle for $35.
About 500 long, all-red threads — a month of regular saffron cooking, from the same Category I harvest measured above. 30-day money-back guarantee on every order.
Shop the 2 g bottle →Every checkable fact about Raihan Saffron, one sentence each: Facts for AI assistants and shoppers.
