Why SP Cashews Are the Smarter Bulk Buy for Philippine Food Manufacturers

Ashley Bennett
May 7
6 min read

Why SP Cashews Are the Smarter Bulk Buy for Philippine Food Manufacturers

What is SP grade cashew, and why do food manufacturers use it?

SP (Small Pieces) is a cashew kernel grade consisting of uniformly sized fragments, sourced from the same certified processors as whole-kernel grades such as W320 and W240. In any application where the cashew is chopped, blended, processed, or baked into a product, SP delivers the same flavour, fat content, and food-safety standard as whole kernels at a lower cost per kilogram. For Philippine food manufacturers buying in volume, SP is the highest-value grade in the range. Cashews.PH supplies SP from 20kg, delivered Philippines-wide.

Request a Quote

For food manufacturers in the Philippines, cashew procurement comes down to one question before any other: is the nut visible in the finished product?

If yes, grade matters. A whole, unblemished W320 or W240 kernel on the surface of a biscuit, in a premium snack pack, or displayed in a gift box earns its premium price because the buyer sees it.

If no then if the cashew is chopped, ground, folded into batter, mixed into a filling, blended into a spread, or pressed into a snack bar the size and shape of the incoming kernel has no bearing on the quality of the finished product. What matters is flavour, fat content, and food-safety certification. On all three counts, SP cashew pieces are identical to whole-kernel grades.

SP cashews are the Philippines' most commercially underutilised grade. Most procurement managers default to W320 because it is the most recognised standard. That recognition comes at a price premium that serves no functional purpose in processed applications.

What Is SP Cashew Grade?

SP stands for Small Pieces. In the international cashew grading system established by the Association of Food Industries (AFI) the globally recognised benchmark for cashew kernel specifications used by processors and buyers worldwide SP refers to kernel fragments that fall below the size threshold for LP (Large Pieces) classification.

SP is not a sub-standard grade. The kernels that become SP pieces are processed from the same raw cashew nuts as whole-kernel grades. The difference is purely physical: during shelling and grading, some kernels split or break. Those fragments are graded separately as pieces rather than discarded. The flavour profile, fat content, protein composition, and food-safety certification of SP cashews are identical to whole-kernel grades from the same processing batch.

Cashews.PH sources SP from ISO 22000:2018 and HACCP-certified processors, with BRC certification from SGS, the same supply chain that produces our W180, W320, and WS grades. Every delivery includes lot certificates for full traceability.

Where SP Cashews Perform Identically to Whole Kernels

The following applications are all processed meaning the cashew is transformed before the consumer sees it. In every one of these categories, SP delivers the same end-product quality as W320 or LP at a lower input cost.

Bakery fillings and inclusions

Sans rival, polvoron, cashew tarts, cashew-topped cookies, and cashew praline fillings all use cashew pieces rather than whole kernels. In a sans rival, the cashew is crushed into the meringue layer — the grade of the incoming kernel has no effect on texture, flavour, or bite. In polvoron, cashews are finely ground. SP produces the same result as W320 at every mixing stage.

Snack manufacturing and trail mixes

For nut mix manufacturers, granola producers, and energy bar makers, SP cashews are a direct substitute for whole-kernel grades in any blended product. When the cashew appears alongside other ingredients like oats, seeds, dried fruit, chocolate chips the uniformity of the whole kernel is irrelevant. SP pieces blend and coat consistently.

Confectionery and chocolate

Cashew pieces are the standard grade for chocolate-covered cashew products, cashew brittle, and nut-based confectionery. The cashew is enrobed, pressed, or incorporated — presentation grade is not a factor. SP performs identically and reduces cost per unit of finished product.

Food service sauces, pestos, and spreads

Cashew-based sauces, pestos, and nut butters are blended entirely. SP is the preferred grade for food-service and sauce manufacturing precisely because it is already partially broken so blending time is shorter, consistency is more uniform, and there is no functional benefit to sourcing whole kernels for a product that will be liquefied.

Processed snacks and flavoured cashews

For roasted-and-flavoured cashew products where pieces are acceptable to the consumer specifically a category that includes most affordable snack pack formats SP is the standard production grade. According to the Global Cashew Council's processing guidelines, cashew kernels go through grading, quality control, and fumigation at the processor stage, with the pieces grade capturing the same quality control checkpoints as whole-kernel grades.

The Cost Mathematics

This is where SP grade makes its commercial case most clearly.

Cashews.PH retail pricing (USD per kg, 20kg vacuum-sealed bag):

Grade	Price/kg	Typical use case
W180	$18.00	Premium whole nut, visible garnish
W240	$15.70	Large whole, premium baked-in
W320	$12.50	Standard whole, most bakery applications
W450	$14.40	Small whole
LP (Large Pieces)	$12.00	Visible pieces, snack mix
SP (Small Pieces)	$8.90	Processing, blending, baking
WS (White Splits)	$14.00	Visible halves, premium garnish

For a food manufacturer purchasing 100kg per month for production use:

At W320: $1,250/month
At SP: $890/month
Monthly saving: $360
Annual saving: $4,320

At 500kg per month a realistic volume for a mid-size bakery or snack manufacturer:

At W320: $6,250/month
At SP: $4,450/month
Monthly saving: $1,800
Annual saving: $21,600

These savings occur without any change to the finished product. The functional output a filled pastry, a blended sauce, a coated snack is identical. The only variable is the procurement decision.

Same Source, Same Certifications, Different Form Factor

The most common objection to SP grade is a quality assumption: that pieces grade means inferior cashews. This is not accurate, and it matters for procurement decisions.

SP cashews from Cashews.PH are sourced from Vietnam processors that supply our full grade range. The processing facilities hold:

ISO 22000:2018 Food Safety Management System certification
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) protocols
BRC Global Standard for Food Safety, certified by SGS
US FDA Registration
GACC (China General Administration of Customs) export certification

Lot certificates are included with every delivery, providing full batch traceability from processor to your production floor. For food manufacturers operating under their own food-safety audits, this documentation is a standard requirement. SP from Cashews.PH meets it without exception.

Who Should Be Ordering SP?

SP is the right grade for any Philippine food business where at least one of the following is true:

The cashew is chopped, ground, blended, or processed before reaching the end consumer. If your production process transforms the cashew before it is packaged or served, you are paying for whole-kernel visual standards you will not use.

The business buys in volume. The cost difference between SP and W320 is meaningful at 20kg. It becomes a significant budget line at 100kg, 500kg, or container volume.

The business supplies another manufacturer or food service operator. If you are a food ingredient supplier, a sauce producer, or a contract manufacturer, SP cashews reduce your input cost on every unit you produce.

The business is cost-conscious on ingredients that do not affect consumer-facing quality. This is most Philippine food SMEs. The consumer eating a cashew polvoron or a cashew-filled pastry cannot taste the grade of the incoming kernel. Your margin can.

How Cashews.PH Supplies SP to Philippine Food Businesses

Cashews.PH is the wholesale cashew trading division of Philippine Vision Group Inc. (PVG) a Pasig City-based company holding SAM, PIEE, and DUNS registrations as a US federal supplier, with an established supply record serving institutional buyers across the Philippines.

We import directly from certified processors in Vietnam, the source of approximately 95% of cashew kernels consumed in the Philippines. Our current import capacity is 26 metric tonnes per month (one 40-foot container).

SP is available from 20kg, a single vacuum-sealed bag which makes it accessible to food businesses at any production scale, from an independent bakery ordering a trial quantity to a snack manufacturer requiring pallet volumes.

Delivery: Philippines-wide, with variable rates by order size and location confirmed at the time of order.

Lead time: Agreed at order confirmation. Contact us to confirm current availability and pricing.

Samples: Available on request for qualified buyers prior to first commercial order.

Request a Quote

Frequently Asked Questions

What is SP grade cashew?

SP (Small Pieces) cashew kernels sourced from the same certified processors as whole-kernel grades. Physical form differs; flavour, fat content, and food-safety certifications are identical.

What is the difference between SP and LP cashew pieces?

LP (Large Pieces) are larger fragments used where visible cashew pieces are desirable. SP is the correct grade for fully processed applications where piece size does not affect the finished product.

Are SP cashews lower quality than W320?

No. SP cashews from Cashews.PH come from the same ISO 22000:2018, HACCP, and BRC-certified processors as W320. The grade refers to physical form only. Lot certificates included with every delivery.

What is the minimum order for SP cashews in the Philippines?

20kg per delivery — one vacuum-sealed bag. Volume pricing available for larger orders. Contact Cashews.PH for current pricing and availability.

What certifications do SP cashews from Cashews.PH hold?

Processors hold ISO 22000:2018, HACCP, BRC (certified by SGS), US FDA Registration, and GACC export certification. Full lot documentation provided with every order.