Carob Kibble Quality Grades
Carob kibble is the fleshy parts obtained during the separation of the fruit from its seeds and is often referred to as "carob cracked" or "granule" in Turkish. It is used as a raw material in many areas from molasses and must production to roasted powder, from animal feed to beverage industry.
In kibble trade, the name of the product alone is not enough; characteristics such as piece size, moisture, seed residue, foreign matter, color and roasting degree determine the use of the product. In this article, we discuss how kibble is classified and what parameters are looked at in quality evaluation in the light of sources.
What is Kibble and How to Get It?
When evaluating carob fruit in industry, the first step is to separate the seeds from the flesh. The compilation by Martins-Loução et al. (2024) states that the first step in evaluating the fruit is the process called "de-seeding" or "kibbling", which separates the seed from the flesh. In this process, the fruit is mechanically broken, the seeds are separated, leaving pieces of flesh of different sizes. These pieces are called kibble.
In the study of Antoniou et al. (2020) from the Cyprus Agricultural Research Institute, it is stated that the carob fruit consists of approximately 90 percent flesh and 10 percent seeds by weight at full maturity. In the same study, it is stated that the kernels are the most industrially valuable part of the fruit, and that the fleshy part fragments emerge as a low-cost by-product during the separation of the kernels by crushing. These crumbs have traditionally been used as a cocoa substitute in animal feed, confectionery and beverage industries, and as a local ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine.
The composition of kibble is also the main factor that determines its usage area. According to Antoniou et al., kibble contains approximately 48–56 percent sugar, approximately 40 percent crude fiber, 2–7 percent protein, 2–3 percent ash, 1.4–2.0 percent total polyphenols and 0.5–1 percent fat over dry weight.
Classification by Part Size
The most visible classification criterion in the kibble trade is the piece size. The material from the crushing process is separated into different size fractions with the help of screens. The naming and limit values of these fractions are not determined by a single international standard; they are usually defined by the technical specification between the manufacturer and the buyer.
The dimensions used in scientific studies provide insight into understanding the logic of classification:
| Source | Defined part size |
|---|---|
| Antoniou et al. (2020) | Medium kibble: 9–13 mm; powder size kibble: 1–4 mm |
| Grigoriou and Pinakoulaki (2021) | Broken fleshy part with a thickness of 0.5–1.0 cm for roasting trial |
Antoniou et al. point out that dust-sized shards are an inevitable and low-cost by-product of industrial carob crushing, often used as feed or in the production of must and molasses. In other words, chunk size isn't just about looks; it also determines which fraction goes to which market.
How Does Part Size Affect Usage?
The importance of particle size becomes evident, especially in extraction and processing performance. Antoniou et al. reported that kibble size showed a more pronounced effect on sugar and phenolic yield in ultrasound-assisted extraction than in heat-assisted extraction. In the same study, it was observed that under light mixing conditions, powder-sized kibble settled to the bottom, hindering solvent circulation.
In a doctoral thesis conducted at Mersin University (Yalım Kaya, 2010), particle size in the production of sugar syrup from carob; water/fruit ratio was considered as one of the optimized variables along with temperature and time.
To draw a general framework, the expectations of different usage areas from kibble can be summarized as follows:
| Field of use | Prominent expectation |
|---|---|
| Production of must, molasses and syrup | Size suitable for extraction, high sugar, cleanliness |
| Roasting and powder production | Homogeneous size (for even roasting), low impurities |
| Animal feed | Lack of proper moisture, mold and spoilage |
| Beverage and fermented products | Consistent composition and aroma |
The study by Polanowska et al. (2021) is a recent example of how kibble's uses can expand: Researchers used carob shards as a partial replacement for rye malt extract in the production of a low-alcohol drink called kvass, reporting that the shards introduced significant amounts of phenolic compounds into the drink.
Quality Parameters
In addition to the piece size, there are other parameters that determine the quality of the kibble. The ISO 7907:1987 "Carob — Specification" standard published by the International Organization for Standardization for carob gives an idea about this. The standard covered headings such as odor and taste, freedom from live insects and other pests, damaged fruit, foreign matter and moisture content for ripe and dried carob fruits. It should be noted that this standard appears as withdrawn in ISO records; therefore, it is not a binding reference today. Nevertheless, its titles are instructive in terms of showing which issues should be addressed in commercial specifications.
Here are the parameters that are often evaluated for Kibble:
- Humidity: A key metric for storage stability and mold risk.
- Core residue: Indicates the effectiveness of the crushing and separation process; core fragments are both a separate depreciation and undesirable in some uses.
- Foreign matter: Stones, soil, stems, leaves and other vegetable residues.
- Pest and damage: Live insect, insect damage, and damaged parts.
- Smell and taste: No moldy, rancid or foreign odors.
- Color and degree of roast: Consistency between batches, especially in roasted products.
- Size distribution and dust ratio: The ratio of fine and coarse particles outside the specified fraction.
Variability is also great on the composition side. In Feedipedia, the common feed information system of institutions such as FAO, INRAE and CIRAD, the average total sugar over dry matter for seedless carob fruit flour is given as 44.0 percent, crude protein as 5.1 percent and total tannins as 19.9 g/kg; it is stated that the starch content varies greatly between samples. Antoniou et al. also reported that the source of the raw material is decisive on the phenolic content and sucrose, glucose and fructose ratios.
Raw and Roasted Kibble
Another important distinction in the kibble trade is whether the product is raw or roasted. Grigoriou and Pinakoulaki (2021) state that carob crumbs are roasted to enhance taste, color, and aroma, especially in the production of carob powder, which is used as a cocoa substitute. According to the researchers, in traditional roasting, a temperature range of 120–180 °C is applied for 10–60 minutes, resulting in light, medium, or dark roasted powder, depending on the roasting conditions. In the same study, it was noted that roasting at 175 °C for 60 minutes led to partial charring and undesirable sensory properties.
This information explains why the quality classification for roasted kibble should also include color and roast grade. The roasting grade determines both the appearance and taste of the product; over-roasting is an irreversible loss of quality. The small difference between batches is especially important for buyers in the food industry.
What Should Be Considered When Preparing Technical Specifications?
Since there are no universally accepted class names for kibble, it is up to the technical specification that the buyer and supplier speak the same language. A healthy specification usually includes the following headings:
- Product description: Raw or roasted, pitted kibble
- Size range and acceptable proportion of parts outside this range
- Upper limit for humidity and measurement method
- Upper limits for core residue and foreign matter
- Sensory characteristics (color, smell, taste)
- Microbiological and contaminant analyses (according to buyer's market and legislation)
- Sampling method, packaging and labelling
The numerical limits for these titles vary according to the area of use, the legislation of the recipient country and the contract. Therefore, whether a batch is "good" or "bad" can only be decided according to a defined specification.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is kibble the same as carob kibble?
Yes. Kibble is the name in international trade for the fleshy parts of the carob fruit that remain after the seeds are separated; It is also referred to as broken or granulated in Turkish.
Is there an official quality grade standard for Kibble?
The ISO 7907:1987 standard published for carob seems to have been withdrawn. In practice, classes and limit values are mostly determined by the technical specification between the buyer and the supplier.
Is the dust-sized kibble worthless?
According to sources, this fraction is used in the production of must and molasses with feed; it can also be used to obtain sugar under appropriate extraction conditions.
Why can roasted kibble be different colors?
Roasting temperature and time directly affect color and aroma; light, medium and dark roasted products are obtained with these different conditions.
Carob Kibble with Carob Türkiye
Kibble is one of the most important intermediates in the carob value chain, after the kernel. Right size, low moisture and a clean product; facilitates all subsequent stages from extraction to roasting.
At Carob Türkiye, we supply carob fruit, crumbs, flour/powder, kernels, and extracts. Carob Kibble (Granular) You can review our product page, where we introduce the product in general. What is Carob Kibble (Granule)? You can read our article. For your wholesale and export requests and technical specification negotiations Contact Now You can contact us on our page.
Domestic resources
Yalım Kaya, S., "Production of high purity sugar syrup from carob fruit", PhD Thesis, Mersin University Institute of Natural and Applied Sciences, 2010 (YÖK Thesis No: 283071). Tezara.
org/ theses/ 283071 Foreign sources
Antoniou, C., Kyratzis, A., Rouphael, Y., Stylianou, S., Kyriacou, M. C., "Heat- and Ultrasound-Assisted Aqueous Extraction of Soluble Carbohydrates and Phenolics from Carob Kibbles of Variable Size and Source Material", Foods, 9(10), 1364, 2020. doi.
org/ 10. 3390/ foods9101364 Grigoriou, A. M., Pinakoulaki, E., "Linking the Dynamic Changes in the In Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Carob Kibbles upon Roasting to the Chemical and Structural Changes Revealed by FTIR Spectroscopy", Antioxidants, 10(12), 2025, 2021. doi.
org/ 10. 3390/ antiox10122025 Martins-Loução, M. A., Correia, P. J., Romano, A., "Carob: A Mediterranean Resource for the Future", Plants, 13(9), 1188, 2024. doi.
org/ 10. 3390/ plants13091188 Polanowska, K., Varghese, R., Kuligowski, M., Majcher, M., "Carob kibbles as an alternative raw material for production of kvass with probiotic potential", Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 101(13), 5487–5497, 2021. doi.
org/ 10. 1002/ jsfa. 11197 ISO, "ISO 7907:1987 Carob — Specification" (withdrawn standard), 1987. ISO.
org/ standard/ 14869. html Feedipedia (INRAE, CIRAD, AFZ, FAO), "Carob (Ceratonia siliqua), pod meal, without seeds", table update: 2012. feedipedia.
Scientific Resourcesorg/ node/ 11933
