Pioneers of the European cashew industry, Geneva, since 1964

One simple passion: the cashew.

A Swiss, family-run house supplying Europe's roasters and packers with cashew kernels they can rely on, season after season, at prices agreed in advance.

For over sixty years, Europe's roasters and packers have trusted Cetecom with one product.

It begins in the orchard.

From the orchards of Vietnam and West Africa to factories across Europe. We know this product at every step, because it is the only one we import.

Working with Cetecom

What our clients rely on.

Secure supply

We manage the swings in production and demand, so supply stays reliable through the year and shipments arrive on time.

Stable prices

Fixed, pre-agreed prices let buyers plan ahead, without exposure to a volatile market.

Assured quality

We work to AFI grading standards and source only from BRC-certified suppliers, tailoring supply to each client's grade, quality and volume.

A specialist partner

A focused, professional service, from first contact and pricing through to delivery and post-sales support.

At origin

White wholes

Shipped to Europe

Explore

Sourcing, grades and the cashew.

Import-Export

Close relationships across origins (Vietnam and a fast-changing West Africa), with the market knowledge that sourcing well now demands.

How we source →

Specifications

Wholes, pieces and scorched grades, graded to AFI specifications, the standard your buyers work to.

View grades →

About us

A Swiss, family-run house in Geneva, dedicated to a single product for over sixty years.

Our story →

The Cashew

From its origins in the Americas to the world's tables, and why it matters to the food industry today.

About the cashew →

About us

Our story

A Swiss, family-run importer in Geneva, dedicated to a single product for over sixty years.

Our mission

Among the first to bring the cashew to Europe.

Over sixty years in nuts and importing.

Founded in 1964, Cetecom is a Swiss, family-run importer specialising purely in cashew nuts. Located and registered in Geneva, the company supplies the roasting and packing industries across Europe, working with key producing nations and trusted partners around the world.

Cetecom's experience across the cashew supply chain, from origin through to delivery, lets the company manage the challenges of cashew production, and gives clients full transparency on the origin and quality of their nuts.

With strong and growing demand, the cashew has established itself among the world's most sought-after nuts. By focusing on a single product, Cetecom can put its expertise, its quality assurance and its resources behind one thing: a consistent product, available year round at stable, pre-agreed prices.

Our values

Building on earlier experience in the fruit and nut sector, we saw the potential of the cashew long before others, and chose to specialise in it. We also understood that its agricultural, processing and transportation challenges demand both deep expertise and a strict set of quality assurance processes: the only way to deliver a consistent product at fair, stable prices.

That focus is what we bring to every shipment, and to every long-term relationship we build.

From the orchard to your factory.

Sourced at origin, shipped through Europe's main ports, and delivered to roasters and packers across the continent.

Import-Export

Close relationships, across changing origins.

Sourcing well takes a current, on-the-ground understanding of every origin, and decades of trusted relationships.

Sourcing

Origin

Vietnam

Vietnam is the world's leading exporter of cashew kernels, accounting for the large majority of global supply. Over many years, Cetecom has built close relationships with producers who deliver a consistent, reliable supply.

Origin

West Africa

Led by Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa has become the world's largest source of raw cashew nuts, the biggest shift in the industry in the past decade. Cetecom follows these origins closely, sourcing where quality and value fit each client's needs.

Over six decades, Cetecom has built close personal relationships with reliable producers and partners across origins, relationships that secure a consistent supply through every season.

Vietnam remains the heart of our sourcing. But the industry is shifting, with West Africa now growing a larger share of both production and processing. We follow these origins closely and source wherever quality, value and our clients' needs point, always working strictly to international grading standards. That is how Cetecom keeps quality consistent.

Cetecom's role

Supplying high quality produce, on time and to specification.

Quality assurance, from origin through to delivery.

Sourcing only from BRC-certified suppliers, verified along the chain.

A knowledge centre: guidance on grades, standards and requirements.

Managing the swings in production and demand, to keep supply reliable.

Up-to-date market information for buyers.

A professional service, from first contact to post-sales support.

Through Europe's ports

Into Europe, through Rotterdam and beyond.

Most cashew kernels bound for Europe transit through Rotterdam, and it remains a key point of entry for us. But our logistics reach across the continent: by focusing solely on cashew nuts, Cetecom delivers a dependable, quality-assured supply wherever our clients are.

The Cashew

From the Americas to the world.

One of the world's most traded tree nuts, and increasingly in demand across the food industry.

Grown across the tropics.

Native to South America and the Caribbean, the cashew spread across the tropics from the sixteenth century onward. International trade began in the 1920s, and today the cashew is among the most traded tree nuts in the world.

Origins & history

The cashew is native to South America and the Caribbean, from southern Mexico to Peru and from Brazil to the West Indies. French naturalist André Thévet first recorded the cashew apple being eaten by the Amazonian Tupi people in Brazil in 1588.

From the sixteenth century the cashew spread, carried by the Portuguese and Spanish to Africa, India and South-East Asia. International trade began in the 1920s, and the roles of producers, exporters, brokers, importers and consumers became established as demand grew.

Cultivation & harvest

Cashew trees need a tropical or subtropical climate; they are relatively drought resistant and prefer well-drained sandy soils. They flower in winter and are pollinated by insects, with fruit developing in around eight weeks.

Cashews fall when ripe, so the ground beneath the trees is kept clear. At peak season a picker can collect up to 50 kg per day. The nuts are then shelled to remove the kernels, which are dried, graded and packaged for export.

Economic impact

The cashew tree's value goes beyond the kernel: the wood is used in construction, the bark yields a natural dye, and the apple is eaten as fruit or made into juice and preserves. The shell contains Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL), used in paints, varnishes and lubricants.

1588

French naturalist André Thévet first observed the cashew apple eaten by the Tupi people in Brazil.

16th century

Carried across Africa, India and South-East Asia.

1920s

International trade in cashew nuts begins.

1950s

CO₂ vacuum sealing developed to prevent breakage and contamination.

Today

Among the most traded tree nuts in the world.

A nutritious ingredient

Beyond its taste, the cashew is valued across the food industry as a natural source of plant protein and healthy fats, increasingly in demand for snacks, confectionery, dairy alternatives and ready meals.

Health & nutrition

A healthy heart

Rich in monounsaturated fats, dietary fibre, arginine, magnesium and antioxidants.

Reducing diabetes

A low Glycemic Index value helps manage glucose and insulin levels.

Vitamins & minerals

A valuable source of copper, zinc, magnesium and iron.

The ideal ingredient

Plant protein from a naturally chemical-free source.

Per 100 g of nuts

17 g

Protein

49.2 g

Fat, total

31.1 g

Monounsat.

5.9 g

Fibre

25

GI value

250 mg

Magnesium

Whole cashew kernels.

Specifications

Cashew grades and quality.

We work to the AFI standard. Below: our grades and key quality parameters.

Graded to size, sorted for quality.

Cashew nut grading

The grades below cover white wholes, pieces and scorched kernels. Supply can be tailored to each client's grade, quality and volume requirements.

Cashew grade reference chart: white wholes, scorched wholes, splits, butts, pieces and baby bits

White wholes, pieces & scorched grades
White wholes
W180 super large	Between 120 and 180 kernels per lb (266–395 per kg)
W210 large	Between 200 and 210 kernels per lb (395–465 per kg)
W240	Between 230 and 240 kernels per lb (485–530 per kg)
W280	Between 270 and 280 kernels per lb (575–620 per kg)
W320	Between 300 and 320 kernels per lb (660–706 per kg)
W450	Between 400 and 450 kernels per lb (880–990 per kg)
White pieces
Butts	A kernel broken cleanly across the section of the nut.
Splits	A kernel broken down the natural line of cleavage to form a cotyledon.
Pieces	Broken across the section, not qualifying as a butt and above a specific size.
Small pieces	As above but smaller.
Baby bits	Very small pieces of kernel, white in colour.
Scorched grades
Wholes	Whole kernels slightly scorched but otherwise sound. Not graded by size.
Butts	Butts that have been scorched.
Splits	Splits that have been scorched.
Pieces	As for pieces, scorched during processing, containing all but the very small pieces.

Key quality parameters

Moisture

max 5%

Aflatoxin

B1: max 2 ppb · total (B1+B2+G1+G2): max 4 ppb

Shelf life

24 months from packing

Allergen

Tree Nut (Cashew) only, no cross-contamination

Microbiology

Salmonella: absent in 25 g · E. coli: absent in 1 g

Download full product specifications →

Quality

Quality, Food Safety and Sustainability

As a specialist in cashew nuts, we are aware of the vital importance of the quality and safety of the foodstuffs we offer.

Cashew kernels.

Our Quality Policy

Rigorous selection of partners: we work only with certified suppliers (BRC, or BRC & SMETA) meeting our quality and food safety requirements.

Traceability and quality control along the supply chain.

Compliance with all applicable food safety standards and regulations.

Continuous improvement of our quality management system.

Our Commitment to Cashew Nut Safety

HACCP system to identify and control hazards across production, processing, transport, storage and distribution.

Good hygiene and manufacturing practices (GMP) applied by our partners.

Regular staff training and food safety awareness.

A risk management plan to prevent and handle potential incidents.

Sustainability and responsible sourcing

Where possible, we favour supply chains that limit unnecessary transport: cashews grown in Vietnam and Cambodia are generally processed in Vietnam before export, reducing handling and the product's overall footprint. Where we can, we also favour shipping options with a lower environmental impact.

Cashew cultivation is itself relatively sustainable, the trees store carbon over their lifetime and need fewer inputs than intensive farming, while the sector supports hundreds of thousands of farming families across Asia and Africa. We continue to look for ways to source more responsibly and reduce our impact further.

At Cetecom, responsible sourcing means creating long-term value for our customers, our partners, farming communities, and the environment.

Download our full Quality & Food Safety Policy (PDF) →

FSSC 22000 · AFI · suppliers BRC / BRC & SMETA

Contact

A select number of partners.

We work with a limited number of industrial partners: roasters and packers across Europe.

If you need a reliable cashew supply for the long term, get in touch. We are based in Geneva, and glad to hear from industrial buyers across Europe.

Phone

+41 22 322 22 00

Email

cetecomsa@bluewin.ch

Address

11, rue Cornavin
1201 Geneva · Switzerland

Map

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Geneva, Switzerland