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Three open tins of caviar with roe in different shades
  • Private-label packing
  • Export documentation
Frozen & Live Seafood

Caviar and Premium Roe Supplier for Importers and Restaurants

Aquaculture sturgeon caviar shipped under CITES export permits in labeled containers, alongside non-sturgeon roes such as salmon ikura, tobiko, masago and lumpfish for sushi, retail and catering buyers.

  • Farmed sturgeon caviar from several species and hybrids
  • CITES export permit and universal label for every container
  • Graded by grain size, color, firmness and salt level
  • Ikura, tobiko, masago and lumpfish roe for volume use
  • Caviar typically held at around -2 to +2 °C in transit
  • Tins from 30 g to 1 kg; trays and jars for other roes

Product Specifications

Indicative; confirmed per lot on each quotation.

Origin
Sturgeon caviar from aquaculture in China, Europe and other producing countries; ikura, tobiko, masago and lumpfish roe from North Pacific, North Atlantic and Asian processors.
Grade / Size
Caviar graded by species, grain diameter, color and firmness into classic, select and reserve-style grades; other roes by grade and egg size.
Form & Processing
Sturgeon roe screened, lightly salted in malossol style and packed in sealed tins; ikura cured in brine or soy; tobiko and masago cured and frozen, plain or flavored.
Storage
Caviar typically at -2 to +2 °C in the coldest part of the chiller and used within the stated shelf life; non-sturgeon roes kept in a freezer at -18 °C or below and thawed under refrigeration.
MOQ
Caviar from 1 kg across mixed tin sizes per species for trial orders; other roes from around 50 kg per item.
Lead Time
Typically 3⁠–⁠5 weeks for caviar, allowing for CITES permit issuance; frozen roes usually 2⁠–⁠4 weeks.

Product overview

In the strict sense, caviar is the salted roe of sturgeon, and legal international supply today comes largely from aquaculture. Farmed sturgeon are raised for several years before harvest, after which the roe is screened, lightly salted and packed in tins. Each species gives a recognisably different grain size, color and flavor, and we offer caviar from farms in China, Europe and other producing regions, with species and source declared on every tin.

Species and hybrids commonly available include Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii), Amur sturgeon (Acipenser schrenckii) and its hybrid with kaluga, Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) and white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus). Grading looks at grain size and firmness, color from dark gray to golden amber, how cleanly the eggs separate, salt level (usually a low-salt, malossol style) and the clarity of flavor.

For volume sushi, retail and catering, the range extends to salmon roe (ikura), cured as large separated eggs; flying fish roe (tobiko) in natural and colored or flavored versions, with colorings declared; capelin roe (masago); and lumpfish roe, often dyed black or red as an accessible garnish. In many markets the word caviar on its own is reserved for sturgeon roe, so these products are labeled with their species name.

Sturgeon caviar is typically held at about -2 to +2 °C and shipped chilled, while most non-sturgeon roes are supplied frozen. On a cured-roe menu it sits well alongside sea urchin roe and bottarga, and the checks applied to permits and labels before dispatch are set out under export quality assurance.

Specification sheet

Premium Roe and Caviar: full specification

Indicative values. Final specifications are confirmed per lot on the quotation and certificate of analysis.

Premium Roe and Caviar product specification
Sturgeon speciesAcipenser baerii, A. schrenckii, A. gueldenstaedtii, A. transmontanus and hybrids, by availability
SourceAquaculture; source code shown on the CITES label
Caviar gradeGrain size, color, firmness and egg separation
SaltLow-salt malossol style; salt content declared per lot
Non-sturgeon roesSalmon ikura, flying fish tobiko, capelin masago, lumpfish
TemperatureCaviar typically -2 to +2 °C; other roes -18 °C or below
Shelf lifeCaviar as stated on the tin, typically a few months unopened; frozen roes around 12 months
LabelingCITES universal caviar label on each primary container
DocumentsCITES export or re-export permit, import permit where required, veterinary certificate, certificate of origin
Minimum orderCaviar from 1 kg across mixed tin sizes per species for trial orders; other roes from around 50 kg per item.
Lead timeTypically 3⁠–⁠5 weeks for caviar, allowing for CITES permit issuance; frozen roes usually 2⁠–⁠4 weeks.

FAQ

Premium Roe and Caviar: questions from buyers

What documents accompany a sturgeon caviar shipment?

Every consignment travels with a CITES export permit, or a re-export certificate if the caviar has been repacked in a third country, issued by the exporting country’s CITES authority. Depending on the destination, you may also need a CITES import permit, a veterinary certificate and a certificate of origin. We send draft documents for checking before dispatch so that your broker can raise any questions early.

What information appears on the CITES caviar label?

The universal label typically includes a standard species code, a source code (for example C for captive-bred stock), the two-letter code of the country of origin, the year of harvest or repackaging, the registration code of the processing or repackaging plant, and a lot identification number. Typically the label itself seals the container, or the container is sealed in another way so that any opening leaves visible evidence.

Can you repack caviar into private-label tins?

Repacking sturgeon caviar into smaller or branded tins is possible only through a plant that holds the registration required under the CITES caviar system, and the new label then carries that plant’s code. We can discuss private-label tins and outer packaging where volumes justify it, but the timing depends on permit issuance in the repacking country.

Are tobiko and ikura sold as caviar?

Not under that name alone. In many markets caviar unqualified means sturgeon roe, so non-sturgeon products are labeled by species, for example salmon roe or flying fish roe, and any colorings or flavorings used in tobiko are listed among the ingredients. These roes do not fall under CITES controls, which keeps them simpler to import for volume sushi and catering use.

Related

Buyer guides

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