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Merger Nuts

Macadamia kernel supplier · South Africa Nine styles. Every batch graded.

South African macadamia kernel from Style 0 wholes to Style 7 pieces, graded to specification and vacuum-packed in 11.34 kg (25 lb) units for export.

Request a spec sheetKernel styles

South African macadamia kernel Uniform in shape, colour and size.

Kernel is the macadamia cracked from its shell, sorted and graded into styles by kernel type and size.

Ours comes from our own orchards and from commercial growers in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal, and is cracked and graded at our facility near Mbombela.

A pile of whole macadamia kernels on a white background
A cracked macadamia shell holding a whole kernel, beside the empty other half of the shell

Macadamia kernel styles Style 0 to Style 7, at a glance.

Each style sets the kernel type, the minimum share of wholes or halves and the size range in millimetres. All nine are premium grade, and each is reasonably uniform in shape, colour and size.

Merger Nuts macadamia kernel styles: kernel type, composition and size
StyleKernel typeCompositionSize (mm)
Wholes
Style 0WholesMin 95% wholes> 20
Style 1LLarge wholesMin 90% wholes17–20
Style 1SSmall wholesMin 90% wholes14–17
Halves
Style 4LLarge halvesMin 80% halves> 13
Style 4HalvesMin 50% halves12–14
Style 4SSmall halvesMin 50% halves11–13
Pieces
Style 5Large piecesPieces8–11
Style 6Medium piecesPieces5–9
Style 7Small piecesPieces3–6

Style guide · PDF

The full table, the definitions and a photograph of each style, on two printable pages.

Download the kernel style guide (PDF)

Style numbering is broadly shared across origins, but size bands vary slightly between processors, so always buy against a spec sheet.

Wholes, halves and pieces Three kernel types, defined.

How the style guide defines each kernel type.

Wholes
Kernels not split into halves, with no more than ¼ of the kernel missing, provided the kernel’s shape is not materially affected.
Style 0 · Style 1L · Style 1S
Halves
Half of a whole kernel, with no more than ⅛ of its mass missing.
Style 4L · Style 4 · Style 4S
Pieces
Kernels broken naturally or diced to the size ranges of Styles 5, 6 and 7.
Style 5 · Style 6 · Style 7

Which style for which use The right style for the job.

It depends on the application: wholes for the shelf, halves for roasting and coating, pieces for ingredients.

Packing Vacuum-packed for export.

Every batch is graded to specification and vacuum-packed in 11.34 kg (25 lb) units, the international standard carton for macadamia kernel.

Palletised 25 kg bags of nut-in-shell stacked above pallets of 11.34 kg kernel cartons in a warehouse
Unit
11.34 kg (25 lb), vacuum-packed
Grading
Every batch graded to specification
Styles
Style 0 to Style 7, all premium grade
Spec sheet
On request, with certificates. Volumes and shipping terms are agreed per order.

Kernel questions Kernel styles, explained.

Styles, kernel types and packing, answered plainly. More in the full FAQ.

What are macadamia kernel styles?

Kernel styles are the trade's size and shape grades. Each style sets the minimum share of wholes or halves and the size range in millimetres, so buyers know exactly what is in the carton.

Merger Nuts grades nine styles, from Style 0 (wholes over 20 mm, at least 95% wholes) down to Style 7 (small pieces of 3 to 6 mm). Style numbering is broadly shared across origins, but size bands vary slightly between processors and national standards, so always buy against a spec sheet.

What is the difference between macadamia wholes, halves and pieces?

A whole is a kernel not split into halves, with no more than a quarter of the kernel missing, provided its shape is not materially affected. A half is half of a whole kernel with no more than an eighth of its mass missing. Pieces are kernels broken naturally or diced to the size ranges of Styles 5, 6 and 7.

Which macadamia kernel style should I buy?

It depends on the application. Wholes (Styles 0, 1L and 1S) suit premium retail and snacking, halves (Styles 4L, 4 and 4S) suit roasting, coating and snack mixes, and pieces (Styles 5, 6 and 7) suit bakery, confectionery, ice cream and ingredient use.

How is macadamia kernel packed for export?

Every batch is graded to specification and vacuum-packed in 11.34 kg (25 lb) units, the international standard carton for macadamia kernel.

Next step Tell us the style. We’ll send the spec.

Send the styles, volumes, destination market and timing. We reply within one working day with a spec sheet and availability.

Request a spec sheetBulk & private label

Keep reading

  • Whole macadamia nut-in-shell beside three cracked shells showing white kernels, on a white surface

    Nut-in-shell

    Macadamia nut-in-shell

    Dried, sized and sorted for cracking markets, in premium and standard grades and 25 kg bags.

  • Aerial view of a container terminal with rows of stacked shipping containers and a gantry crane

    For buyers

    Buy South African macadamias

    Why buy from Merger Nuts, bulk and private-label programmes, and how to order.

  • Workers beside a rotary drum sizer sorting macadamia nut-in-shell into bulk bags

    Our process

    From orchard to container

    Seven steps in one facility, with optical, laser and hand sorting and full traceability.