Medjool Date Grades Explained: Jumbo, Select Large and EU Organic

Why Grade Selection Matters for Wholesale Buyers

Medjool dates are not a commodity where one specification fits all buyers. A supermarket chain in Germany has different requirements than a food manufacturer in Malaysia, and a Gulf gift retailer has different requirements still. Grade selection determines shelf appeal, pricing, pack yield, and ultimately your margin — before a single carton leaves Jordan.

The three commercial grades supplied by Milano Dates are defined by individual fruit weight, with additional specifications for moisture content, Brix reading, and skin condition. Understanding these specifications protects you from receiving product that does not perform as expected in your market.

Jumbo Premium: 36g and Above

Jumbo Premium is the top tier of Medjool production — the grade that commands premium retail pricing worldwide. Individual fruits weigh 36 grams or more, and represent the top 20–25% of any Jordan Valley harvest by size.

• Fruit weight: 36g minimum, averaging 40–46g per fruit
• Brix: 68–72° (exceptionally sweet, concentrated caramel flavour)
• Moisture: 18–24% (soft, plump texture; neither dry nor fermented)
• Skin: Deep mahogany, intact, minimal wrinkling
• Shelf life: 12 months at 0–4°C; 6 months at ambient

Jumbo is chosen by premium supermarkets across Europe, high-end food gift companies in the Gulf, and any buyer whose retail price point depends on visual impact at the point of sale. A Jumbo date fills a snack box, anchors a gift assortment, and justifies the pricing tier that health food retailers in Germany or the UK need to achieve.

If your buyer's first question is "how big are the dates," the answer must be Jumbo — because size is the visual signal that communicates quality before the fruit is tasted.

Select Large: 28–36g

Select Large is the volume workhorse of the Medjool export trade. At 28–36g per fruit, it delivers consistent size and flavour across every pallet — making it the preferred choice for buyers who prioritise reliability over maximum fruit size.

• Fruit weight: 28–36g, tightly sorted for uniformity
• Brix: 66–70° — identical Jordan Valley flavour profile
• Moisture: 18–24%
• Skin: Brown to dark brown, consistent across the pallet
• Shelf life: 12 months at 0–4°C

Select Large suits food service operators (hotels, catering companies, airline caterers), industrial buyers incorporating dates into energy bars or confectionery, and private label programmes that need reliable pack yield. Because the fruit weight is lower per unit, the cost per kilogram is slightly lower — a meaningful consideration for buyers placing multi-tonne annual contracts.

Major supermarket chains that run their own private label Medjool lines often work with Select Large precisely because the uniformity is easier to maintain across the six-month season window.

EU Certified Organic: 28–40g

The EU Certified Organic grade draws from the same Al-Karamah origin as the conventional grades, with one critical difference: no synthetic inputs are used at any stage of cultivation, harvesting, or packing.

• Fruit weight: 28–40g (spans Select Large and Jumbo size ranges)
• Certification: EU Organic Regulation 2018/848 (full chain audit)
• Additional eligibility: USDA NOP recognition pathway
• Moisture: 18–24%
• Shelf life: 12 months at 0–4°C

EU Organic certification requires annual third-party audits of our farming and packing operations. The certification covers soil management, pest control, irrigation water sources, and packaging materials. Buyers importing into the European Union under the organic premium do not need to re-certify at the border — our documentation is accepted directly by customs authorities in Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the UK.

The organic Medjool market is growing fastest in Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK. Health food retail chains and organic supermarket groups (including those operating in Southeast Asia) have shown consistent volume growth in organic Medjool demand since 2022.

How Medjool Dates Are Graded

Grading begins at harvest. Fruit is picked by hand from our Al-Karamah palms at peak Rutab stage — when sugar development is complete but moisture is still retained. Within 24 hours, the fruit enters our packing house where the grading process follows this sequence:

1. Initial sorting

Damaged, under-ripe, or over-ripe fruit is removed by trained sorters working under controlled lighting. Fruit with skin splits, insect damage, or visible fermentation is diverted to processing.

2. Weight classification

Remaining fruit passes through a calibrated mechanical sorter that separates it by weight into grade bands. The sorter is calibrated daily against reference weights. Any fruit below 20g is classified as processing grade and excluded from wholesale export.

3. Brix and moisture testing

Random samples from each batch are tested for Brix (refractometer reading) and moisture content (weight-loss method). Batches outside specification are rechecked before packing approval is granted.

4. Packing and lot numbering

Approved fruit is packed into export cartons (5 kg or 10 kg) by grade, with lot numbers linking each carton to the farm block, harvest date, and inspection record. This traceability chain is required by GlobalG.A.P. and forms part of every export shipment's documentation package.

Matching Grade to Your Market

The right grade depends on three factors: your buyer's quality expectations, your retail or foodservice price point, and your product's role in the category.

• Premium supermarkets and gift retail (EU, Gulf): Jumbo Premium. Size and appearance are the primary purchase driver.
• Mainstream supermarket private label: Select Large. Uniformity and cost efficiency matter more than maximum size.
• Food service and industrial (hotels, airlines, food manufacturers): Select Large. Size variation within the 28–36g range is commercially acceptable; flavour and shelf life matter most.
• Organic health food retail (EU, UK, North America): EU Certified Organic. Required for any certified organic retail labelling in these markets.
• Energy bars, confectionery, ingredient supply: Select Large or organic. The processing application often does not require visual perfection.

If you are unsure which grade suits your market, request samples of both Jumbo and Select Large before committing to a specification. Most importers who place mixed-grade first orders settle on a clear primary grade within two seasons.

Requesting Samples by Grade

Milano Dates provides complimentary samples (2–5 kg per grade) for qualified wholesale buyers. A sample request requires your company name, country, and intended market application. We can typically dispatch samples within 3–5 business days of qualification.

When evaluating a sample, measure the following before making a grade decision:

• Weigh 10 random fruits individually — verify they fall within the grade specification
• Check Brix with a refractometer if your quality team has one (target 66–72°)
• Assess skin condition under direct lighting — look for consistency, not perfection
• Taste from different positions in the sample box — flavour should be consistent throughout

Any quality discrepancy observed in a sample should be raised before the first pallet order. Our export team will confirm the specification in writing as part of the commercial agreement.