The most important factors which are very important in saffron are crocine (color), picocrocine (flavor) and safranel (aroma). Higher number of these factors = higher quality of saffron. ISO (the international organization for standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standard bodies (ISO member bodies) they have set a classification of saffron base on minimum requirements of each quality, this is called ISO 3632. According to this classification, they established 4 categories.

 

Classification of saffron in filaments
Characteristic Categories
Extra I II III IV
Floral waste
% (m/m),
max.
Extraneous
matter
% (m/m)
max.

0.5



0.1

4



0.5

7



1.0

10



1.0

Chemical requirements for saffron, in filaments or in powder form
Characteristic Requirement Test method
Saffron in filaments  Saffron in Powder form 
Moisture and volatile matter, % (m/m), max 12 10 ISO 3632-2, clause 9
Total ash, % (m/m), on dry basis, max. 8 8 ISO 928 & ISO 3632-2 clause 10
Acid-insoluble ash, % (m/m), 
on dry basis, max.
Categories I and II
Categories III and IV


1,0
1,5


1,0
1,5		 ISO 930 & ISO 3632-2, clause 11
Solubility in cold water, % (m/m), on dry basis, max. 65 65 ISO 941
Bitterness, expressed 
as direct reading of 
the absorbance
of picrocrocine at about 
257 nm, on dry basis, min.
Category  I 
Category  II
Category  III
Category  IV 





70
55
40
30





70
55
40
30		 ISO 3632-2, clause 13
Safranal, expressed as 
direct reading 
of the absorbance
at about 330 nm, on dry
categories
min.
max. 




20
50




20
50		 ISO 3632-2, clause 13
Colouring strength, 
expressed as direct reading 
of the absorbance of crocine at about 440 nm,
on dry basis, min.
Category  I
Category  II
Category  III
Category  IV





190
150
110
80





190
150
110
80		 ISO 3632-2, clause 13
Total nitrogen, % (m/m), on dry basis, max.1) 3.0 3.0 ISO 1871
Crube fibre, % (m/m), on dry basis, max.1) 6 6 ISO 5498

 

Here are the basic Tarvand classification of Saffron:
Tarvand A: (PUSHALI)
The stigmas are joined at the end of portion of style. The color length is above 220 UCP.
Tarvand B: (SARGOL)
We have two different quality of this class. One with the longer length of stigmas but with the lower power in coloring (around 215-225 UCP) and the other with the shorter length of stigmas but higher power in coloring (above 240 UCP)
Tarvand C: (TIGHT)
Is the original quality in IRAN, most of the farmers are use to harvest the saffron in this form which contains the whole filament classes B,D and E are producing by modify of this quality (cutting the yellow style at different levels)
Tarvand D:
This quality is obtain from Tarvand C by cutting the yellow style at the level of 800 gr. Per Kilo.
Tarvand E:
This quality is obtain from Tarvand C by cutting the yellow style at the level of 850 gr. Per Kilo.