Summary
- A product specification sheet is a short written document that describes the dates you want to buy, in words both you and your supplier understand the same way.
- It does not need to be technical or long. A good one covers product form (branch dates, standard dates, Arjoun, pitted on request), grade and size wording, appearance and texture, acceptable defects described in words, packaging and labelling, and a reference sample.
- The spec is most useful when it is attached to the quote, confirmed in writing, and then used again at arrival inspection.
- Keep it honest and realistic: describe what your market needs, not an ideal fruit that no harvest can deliver every time.
- This guide gives a template table you can copy and adapt. To discuss a first order of Tunisian Deglet Nour, request a quote or message us on WhatsApp at +216 52 146 101.
Why a specification sheet matters, even for a small order
Many first orders of dates are placed on the basis of a few photos, a phone call and a price. The fruit arrives, and only then do buyer and supplier discover that they had different pictures in mind: one expected larger, glossier fruit; the other thought “standard” meant something else; nobody had talked about how many broken or dry dates were acceptable. None of this is anyone’s bad faith. It is simply what happens when the product was never described in writing.
A specification sheet, often shortened to “spec sheet” or simply “spec”, prevents most of these misunderstandings. For a small or mid-sized importer, it is not a bureaucratic exercise. It is a one- or two-page document that answers a simple question: what exactly am I buying?
The spec is useful at three moments:
- Before the quote, to make your request precise. Our guide on writing a request for quotation explains how to frame the whole inquiry; the spec is the part that describes the product itself.
- When the quote is confirmed, so that the price and the product description are tied together.
- When the goods arrive, as the yardstick for inspection. Our guide on arrival inspection and quality claims explains that step in detail.
This article focuses on how to write the document. It is general know-how, not a legal or regulatory template. Your quality team, your customs broker and your local rules remain the reference for what your market requires.
Before you write: know what your customers need
A specification is not a wish list. It should reflect the use you have in mind.
- A specialty grocery or delicatessen usually cares most about appearance: colour, gloss, whole fruit, attractive presentation. Branch dates may be a display product. See our guide on selling Tunisian Deglet Nour in a specialty grocery.
- A bakery or food manufacturer usually cares more about texture, consistency between lots and the absence of pits or foreign matter, and less about how the fruit looks on a shelf. See our guide for bakeries and food manufacturers.
- A food-service distributor may need both: presentable fruit for welcome trays and buffets, and practical packs for kitchens.
- A grocery serving customers who already know Deglet Nour will expect the familiar look and taste of Tunisian dates, and may ask for branch dates at Ramadan and for celebrations.
Write down, in one or two sentences, who will use the dates and how. That sentence often decides the rest of the sheet.
Section 1: product identity and form
Start with the basics, stated plainly.
Variety and origin
State the variety (Deglet Nour) and the origin as precisely as your supplier can confirm it. In our case, the fruit comes from the oases of Douz and Kébili, in the Nefzaoua region of southern Tunisia. Origin information matters for labelling in your market and for the story you tell your customers.
Product form
Deglet Nour is commonly traded in several forms. Name the one you want, and do not mix forms in a single line of the spec:
- Branch dates: dates still attached to their strands, often chosen for display and gifting. See our branch dates page.
- Standard dates: loose fruit, detached from the strands, used for everyday packs, food service or as an ingredient. See our standard dates page.
- Arjoun: the whole bunch, a show piece for events and special displays. See our Arjoun page.
- Pitted dates: at Azzed, prepared on request only, so the details are discussed in the quote.
If you plan a mixed order, write one spec per form. Our article on building a mixed first order explains how to combine forms to test a market.
Crop and season
Mention which crop you expect (for example, the new crop of the current season) and how you want this information shown. The Tunisian harvest generally runs from autumn into early winter; our harvest calendar for importers explains what that means for ordering.
Section 2: grade and size wording
Grade is where misunderstandings are most frequent, because the same word can mean different things to different people.
Use descriptions, not only labels
Words such as “standard”, “selected”, “premium” or “first choice” are useful shortcuts, but they are not shared definitions. Next to any grade label, add a plain description: whole fruit or not, how uniform in size, how clean, how attractive. Our guide Deglet Nour Grades Explained describes the main categories in general terms.
Describe size in relative terms
If size matters to you, describe it in a way both sides can check: “fruit of reasonably uniform size within a carton”, “no very small fruit mixed with large fruit”, or “size similar to the approved reference sample”. If your market uses a counting or sizing method, explain it and ask the supplier whether it can be applied. Avoid copying numbers from another product or another origin without checking that they make sense for Deglet Nour.
Uniformity matters as much as size
For many buyers, consistency within a carton and between shipments is more important than the size itself. Say so in the spec.
Section 3: appearance and texture
This is the heart of the sheet. Write it the way you would explain the product to a new colleague.
Appearance
Deglet Nour is generally described as an amber to light brown date, often slightly translucent, with a smooth skin. Describe what you expect:
- Colour: the range you consider normal, and whether you accept natural variation between fruits.
- Skin: smooth or slightly wrinkled; whether some separation between skin and flesh is acceptable.
- Surface: clean, free of dust and residues; whether some sugaring (white sugar spots) is acceptable and to what extent, described in words. Our guide on sugaring in Deglet Nour explains what it is.
- Integrity: whole fruit, or whether a small share of split or slightly damaged fruit is acceptable for your use.
Texture and moisture, in general terms
Deglet Nour is usually described as a semi-dry date: neither very soft nor hard. Rather than giving numeric values you cannot verify yourself, describe the texture you expect:
- “Soft and pliable to the touch, not sticky or wet.”
- “Not hard, dry or brittle.”
- “Similar in texture to the approved reference sample.”
If your quality team or your customer requires measured values, discuss with your supplier how and where such measurements would be made, and agree on it in writing. Do not add numbers to the spec that nobody can measure.
Taste and smell
A short line is enough: “typical Deglet Nour taste and smell; no sour, fermented, musty or foreign odour.”
Section 4: acceptable defects, described in words
No natural product is perfect, and a spec that tolerates nothing is not realistic. What matters is that both sides agree in advance on what is acceptable and what is not.
Split the defects into categories
A simple approach is to sort defects into three groups:
- Not acceptable at all: live insects, signs of infestation, mould, fermentation, foreign matter (stones, glass, metal, plastic), unusual odours.
- Acceptable occasionally, if limited: a few split or slightly damaged fruits, a few dried or very small fruits, minor skin marks, a few loose dates in a branch-date pack.
- Normal variation, not a defect: natural differences in colour, slight skin wrinkling, a few strands or stems in branch dates.
Describe the tolerance in words
Without numbers, you can still be precise: “occasional”, “a few fruits per carton”, “should not be noticeable when the carton is opened”, “similar to the reference sample”. If you want quantified tolerances, agree on them explicitly with your supplier and make sure both sides know how they are checked.
Specific points by form
- Branch dates: how much fruit should remain on the strands; whether loose fruit in the pack is acceptable.
- Standard dates: presence of stems or calyx caps; clean, loose fruit.
- Pitted dates: whether pit fragments are a concern for your use, and how this is checked. For food manufacturing, this point deserves its own line.
- Arjoun: overall look of the bunch, fruit set on the strands, and how it is protected in transport.
Section 5: packaging and labelling
Packaging protects the fruit and determines how you will store, sell or process it.
Packaging
Specify, or ask the supplier to propose:
- Bulk or retail-ready: cartons for repacking, or packs ready for the shelf.
- Pack size and carton type, in your own words; let the quote confirm the exact options.
- Inner protection: liner or bag inside the carton, and how it closes.
- Palletisation and marking if your warehouse needs it.
Our guide on retail packaging and labelling covers the choice between bulk and retail-ready in more detail.
Labelling and marking
List what you expect on each carton or pack. In general this includes the product name and variety, the origin, the net weight, a lot code, the best-before or crop information, and storage advice. Importer details and the language of the destination market are usually your responsibility; check your local rules. Private label, if you need it, is discussed case by case in the quote.
Documents
Note in the spec which shipping documents you expect, and leave the details to the quote and to your customs broker. Our shipping guide for first-time importers explains the usual documents in general terms.
The template: a specification sheet you can adapt
The table below is a starting point. Copy it, fill in the right-hand column with your own wording, and send it with your request for quotation. Every line is described in words, without figures; add measured values only if both sides agree on how they will be checked.
| Section | What to write | Example wording (adapt to your needs) |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer and use | Who you are and how the dates will be used | “Importer supplying specialty groceries; dates sold in retail packs” |
| Variety | Name of the variety | “Deglet Nour” |
| Origin | Region, as confirmed by the supplier | “Southern Tunisia, oases of Douz and Kébili” |
| Product form | One form per spec | “Standard dates, loose” / “Branch dates” / “Arjoun” / “Pitted, on request” |
| Crop | Season expected and how it is shown | “Current season’s crop; crop information shown on cartons” |
| Grade | Label plus plain description | “Whole fruit, attractive appearance, reasonably uniform size” |
| Size | Relative description or agreed method | “Similar size to approved reference sample; no very small fruit mixed in” |
| Colour and skin | Normal range and variation | “Amber to light brown; smooth to slightly wrinkled skin acceptable” |
| Texture | Described in words | “Soft and pliable, not sticky, not hard or dry” |
| Taste and smell | Short statement | “Typical Deglet Nour; no sour, fermented or foreign odour” |
| Not acceptable | Zero-tolerance items | “Insects, infestation, mould, fermentation, foreign matter” |
| Limited defects | Described qualitatively | “Occasional split or dried fruit, not noticeable when carton is opened” |
| Sugaring | Acceptable level in words | “Light sugaring acceptable; visible white coating not acceptable” |
| Packaging | Pack type, inner protection | “Cartons with closed inner liner; pack size as confirmed in quote” |
| Labelling | Carton and pack information | “Product name, variety, origin, net weight, lot code, best-before” |
| Reference sample | How it is identified and kept | “Approved sample dated and photographed; kept by both sides” |
| Photos | At loading, if agreed | “Photos of open cartons and packing before loading” |
| Inspection on arrival | How the spec will be used | “Checked against this sheet and the reference sample on arrival” |
| Reporting a problem | Evidence and time limit | “Photos, lot codes, retained samples, reported within the agreed time” |
| Version and date | Track changes | “Version 1, dated, confirmed by both parties in writing” |
Tips for filling it in
- One page is better than five. Keep only the lines that matter for your use.
- Use the same words every time. If you call it “standard” in the spec, do not call it “regular” in the purchase order.
- Date and number each version. When something changes, update the version rather than adding notes in emails.
- Ask the supplier to read it and comment. A spec that the supplier has not seen is only your hope, not an agreement.
The reference sample: the spec’s best companion
Words have limits. Two people can read “amber colour” or “soft texture” differently. That is why a spec is usually paired with a reference sample: a quantity of fruit from a lot both sides have looked at and approved.
- Photograph it in good daylight, on a neutral background, and attach the photos to the spec.
- Label it with the date, the product form and the version of the spec it corresponds to.
- Keep it in conditions similar to your stock, and remember that it ages too.
- Ask that the supplier keeps a matching sample, if possible, so that both sides can compare.
Our guide Evaluating Deglet Nour Samples Before a First Order explains how to assess samples and what to look for.
Attaching the spec to the quote
A spec is only useful if it is clearly linked to the commercial agreement.
- Send the spec with your request for quotation, so that the quote is prepared for the right product. Our article on what moves an export quote shows how product form, grade and packaging influence the price.
- Ask the supplier to confirm that the quote refers to your spec, by name and version, or to point out anything that cannot be met. A supplier who tells you honestly that a line is unrealistic is doing you a favour.
- Reference the spec in your purchase order or order confirmation.
- Keep one written record per order: spec, quote, confirmation, photos. Our guide on working with a Tunisian date supplier suggests a simple way to organise it.
With Azzed, the product, packaging, documents and terms of each order are agreed case by case in the quote. Payment terms are a separate topic covered in our guide on payment terms for a first export order.
Using the spec at arrival inspection
When the goods arrive, the spec becomes your checklist.
- Take the spec and the reference sample photos to the warehouse.
- Open a few cartons from different pallets, and check each line of the spec in order: form, appearance, texture, defects, packaging, labelling.
- Record what you see with photos and lot codes, line by line.
- Compare with the reference sample, not with an ideal in your mind.
- If something does not match, report it within the agreed time with the evidence. How a claim is settled is agreed case by case in the quote.
Our arrival inspection guide describes the full procedure, and our warehouse storage guide explains how to keep the fruit in good condition afterwards.
Common mistakes
- Copying a spec written for another variety or another origin. Deglet Nour has its own look and texture; a spec designed for a very soft date will not fit.
- Writing numbers nobody can check. A value without an agreed method creates disputes rather than preventing them.
- Asking for perfection. A zero-defect spec for a natural product is not credible; describe what is acceptable instead.
- Mixing several forms in one line. Branch dates, standard dates and Arjoun need separate descriptions.
- Never sending the spec to the supplier. A spec kept in your drawer protects nobody.
- Changing the spec by email without updating the document. After a few orders, nobody knows which version applies.
- Forgetting packaging and labelling. The fruit may be right while the packs are unusable for your market.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need a specification sheet for a small first order?
It is especially useful for a small first order, because it is the moment when buyer and supplier do not yet know each other’s expectations. A one-page spec takes little time to write and prevents most misunderstandings.
Can I ask the supplier for their own product specification?
You can ask what the supplier usually offers and how they describe their products. Then compare it with your needs and agree on one shared document. At Azzed, product details are discussed and confirmed in the quote.
Should I include numeric values for moisture or size?
Only if both sides agree on how and where they will be measured. Otherwise, describe texture and size in words and rely on a reference sample. Your quality team can advise whether measured values are needed for your use.
How do I describe acceptable defects without numbers?
Sort them into categories: not acceptable at all, acceptable occasionally, and normal variation. Use clear words such as “occasional” or “not noticeable when the carton is opened”, and link the description to the reference sample.
Is one spec enough for branch dates and standard dates?
No. Write one spec per product form, because the expectations are different. Branch dates are judged on presentation and the strands; standard dates on loose, clean fruit; Arjoun on the whole bunch.
What is the difference between the spec and the reference sample?
The spec describes the product in words; the reference sample shows it physically. They work together: the spec says what to check, the sample shows what “acceptable” looks like.
Can the spec change after the first order?
Yes. Review it after each shipment, update what did not work, and give the new document a version number and a date. Share each new version with the supplier and confirm it in writing.
Where do your dates come from?
Our Deglet Nour comes from the oases of Douz and Kébili, in the Nefzaoua region of southern Tunisia. See our Deglet Nour dates and Quality pages.
Conclusion
A product specification sheet is one of the simplest tools an importer can use, and one of the most effective. In one or two pages, it states what you are buying: the product form, the grade and size wording, the appearance and texture you expect, the defects you accept and those you do not, and the packaging and labelling your market needs. Paired with a reference sample, attached to the quote and used again at arrival inspection, it turns vague expectations into a shared, written reference.
Keep it short, honest and realistic, write one spec per form, and review it after each shipment. The template above is a good place to start.
Azzed is a local Tunisian Deglet Nour brand from the oases of Douz and Kébili. We are still building our export activity, and we study every request from small and mid-sized buyers for all our products: standard dates, branch dates, the Arjoun and pitted dates on request. To prepare a first order, send us your specification with a request for quote, read our Export page, browse our Products, or message us on WhatsApp at +216 52 146 101.
Read next: Evaluating Deglet Nour Samples Before a First Order
