Direct import · Processing · Private label

Spices & botanicals sourced at origin, processed in Umbria.

We import spices, herbs, seeds, flowers, dehydrated vegetables and essential oils directly from growers and exporters, and process them in our own food laboratory in Umbertide, Italy. For companies, professionals and brands that need traceable, fully documented raw materials.

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ISO 17025

Testing in accredited laboratories

100+

Raw materials in our catalogue, essential oils included

EORI

Registered EU importer

3 models

Own stock, toll processing, consignment

Who we serve

Natural raw materials for those who process, cook and sell.

Hospitality & pastry

Whole and ground spices, culinary herbs, flowers and essential oils for kitchens, pastry labs and gelato makers.

Food manufacturing

Spices, seeds, herbs and dehydrated vegetables in professional formats, with spec sheet, lot code and quality sheet.

Herbal & tea trade

Dried flowers, leaves and roots, tea cuts and blends made to your recipe.

Natural cosmetics

Essential oils, dried botanicals and, by project, oil macerates and extracts for clean-label formulas.

Distributors & retailers

Bulk or packed supply, also under your own label, for shops, delis and wholesalers.

Growers & cooperatives

Toll drying of your harvest and consignment sales through our online store.

Two sides, one supply chain

Buyers in Europe, partners at origin.

Growers and exporters

We are looking for partners at origin.

We work directly with the people who grow, harvest and distil. We ask for complete documents; we offer stable relationships, clear contracts and fair pay along the supply chain.

A direct relationship, no needless middlemen
Samples tested in the laboratory before purchase
We handle the import, with our own customs advisor

Become a supplier

Buyers in Italy and the EU

Buy from the people who import and process.

One partner from origin to finished product: raw material selected, tested and processed in Italy, with clear documents and traceable lots.

Samples before you order
Merlisfam quality sheet with laboratory results
Bulk, professional formats or private label

Request a quote

The range

Product categories

Full catalogue

15 items Spices Vanilla, saffron, cinnamon, cardamom, rare peppers 14 items Culinary herbs Oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil, sage 11 items Flowers and tea plants Chamomile, hibiscus, calendula, mallow, mint 12 items Seeds Fennel, cumin, coriander, nigella, sesame 6 items Dehydrated vegetables Onion, garlic, leek, carrot, tomato 6 items Fruit, resins and specialty botanicals Dates, frankincense, henna, rose, lavender 38 items Essential oils Citrus, mint, lavender, geranium, jasmine R&D Botanical extracts Tinctures, oil macerates, fluid extracts

Why Merlisfam

A short supply chain, thorough checks.

We shorten the distance between those who grow and those who process. Fewer middlemen means truly knowing the origin, checking every step and giving everyone a fair share.

HACCPActive
ISO/IEC 17025 labsActive
OrganicIn progress
ISO 9001In progress

Quality and certifications

Direct import from origin

We buy from selected growers and exporters: fewer middlemen, more control and a fair price for everyone along the chain.

Quality tested, not just declared

Every raw material goes through incoming inspection. Testing is done by ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratories and summarised in our own quality sheet.

Processed in Italy

In our food laboratory in Umbertide we sort, dry, mill, blend and pack, under our label or yours.

Lot traceability

Every pack carries a lot code linking it back to its origin, checks and processing.

The journey

From origin to your warehouse.

Five steps, each one documented. At the end, every lot has its own signed and stamped quality sheet.

01
Selection at origin
We choose growers and exporters, check their references and certifications, and assess samples.
02
Import
We handle customs and official controls: EORI-registered importer, customs advisor, TRACES NT where required.
03
Inspection and testing
Visual and sensory checks on arrival, testing in an accredited laboratory. Non-conforming lots are rejected.
04
Processing
Sorting, drying, milling and blending in our Umbertide laboratory, with parameters recorded for each lot.
05
Packing and delivery
Bulk, professional formats or private label, labelled to EU Reg. 1169/2011 and shipped insured.

Processing of plant materials

From drying to extraction.

Leaves, flowers, roots, seeds, barks and resins: for each botanical, the process that preserves its aroma, colour and active compounds.

All processes

Drying

Controlled removal of water at low temperature, usually between 35 and 55 °C depending on the botanical, with constant airflow.

Cutting, milling and sifting

Size reduction from tea cut (C/S, TBC) down to fine powder, with sifting for an even particle size.

Blending

Blends of herbs, flowers and spices to our recipe or yours, for teas, seasonings and mixes.

R&D

Hydroalcoholic maceration

The plant material steeps cold in a water-ethanol mixture of defined strength for days or weeks, then is filtered and pressed.

R&D

Cold maceration, infusion and decoction

Water extraction at different temperatures: cold for the most delicate parts, infusion for flowers and leaves, decoction for roots and barks.

R&D

Oil macerates

Dried plant material macerated in vegetable oil (olive, sunflower, sweet almond), cold or in a low-temperature water bath, to carry the fat-soluble components into the oil.

R&D

Percolation

The solvent passes slowly, drop by drop, through ground plant material packed in the percolator, constantly renewed.

Quality control

Sampling of every lot, laboratory checks and analysis with internationally recognised methods in ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratories.

Do you send samples?

Yes. For catalogue products we send a sample with the spec sheet before you order. For custom developments we agree quantities and timing together.

What is the minimum order?

It depends on product and format: we work from food-service packs up to regular bulk supply. Tell us volumes and frequency and we will prepare a quote.

Do you offer private label?

Yes. We select the raw material, process it and pack it under your brand. Custom packaging is developed with our partner designer.

Which documents come with the goods?

Spec sheet, lot code, origin and the Merlisfam quality sheet for the lot.

Are your products organic?

Our organic certification is in progress: once granted, the organic range will be marked in the catalogue.

Where do you ship?

Throughout Italy by insured courier. For other EU countries we assess each request individually.

Have a project or a product to propose?

Buyers, growers and exporters: tell us what you are looking for or what you produce. You'll hear back directly from the people who run import and the laboratory.