Cotonou, Benin, via DHL Express. Transit is 5 to 9 business days to the United States and Europe, 5 to 10 for the rest of the world, counted from dispatch. Add 1 to 2 business days for order processing. Full shipping policy →

Yes, in most cases. The $800 US de minimis exemption was suspended for all countries on 29 August 2025, so every shipment into the United States now requires a customs entry and is assessed applicable duties and fees regardless of value. DHL contacts you directly for payment before delivery. EU and UK buyers pay import VAT on arrival. Please budget for this on any order. Details →

Free shipping on US retail orders over $95. Customs duties and import taxes remain the buyer’s responsibility and are not covered by this threshold.

30 days from delivery, unopened, in original packaging. Approved refunds are issued within 10 business days of the return reaching our Cotonou warehouse. Damaged or incorrect items: full credit or replacement, no return required. Because returns travel to West Africa, contact us before shipping anything back on a low-value order, we will often resolve it without a physical return. Full return policy →

Tracking is emailed when your order ships. Logged-in customers can also see order status under My account → Orders.

5 kg per ingredient, with no upper limit. Tier pricing is shown on each product page at the 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 kg levels. Above 100 kg we quote per volume and destination. Below 5 kg is sample-only, quoted on request. Wholesale program →

First orders are payable in full before dispatch, typically 50% to confirm production and 50% before the shipment leaves Cotonou. Deferred terms may be agreed case by case, in writing, once you have a documented order history with us. We do not offer standing credit terms as an entitlement. Payment policy →

Available for repeat orders above 200 kg per ingredient. We can supply unbranded bulk packaging or apply your label artwork. Custom packaging adds 7 to 14 days to lead time on first runs. Request a quote →

There is no automated portal and no account approval queue. You submit the form on the Wholesale Program page with your ingredients, volumes and destination, and a person replies within two business days with a proforma invoice. Samples ship within 24 to 48 hours of confirmation if you need them first.

A per-batch CoA ships with every wholesale order, covering microbiology and heavy metals as standard. Pesticide residue panels are available on request. The laboratory name and its accreditation scope are disclosed in your quote so your QA team can verify them before you commit. Retail customers can request the CoA for their lot by emailing contact@essentialcareplus.com with the lot number printed on the bag. Full CoA process →

No. Neither Essential Care Plus nor any of our partner cooperatives currently hold organic certification, and we will not describe a product as certified organic. Several of our ingredients are wild-harvested, which cannot be certified under schemes built for cultivated land. The rest are grown by smallholder cooperatives whose practices we document per lot. If your finished-product labelling requires certified organic input, tell us at the quote stage and we will say so plainly. Status per ingredient →

Lake Chad spirulina is a wild-harvested algae, so cyanotoxin screening matters. Heavy metal and microbiological panels are run per batch and reported on the CoA. Cyanotoxin (microcystin) analysis is carried out on the harvest lot, and the current report is available on request before you order. The reference threshold used in the supplement industry is 1 µg of microcystin per gram of product. Ask us for the current lot report and check it against your own specification.

Each ingredient comes from one named cooperative, in one named region, in one country. We do not blend lots from different cooperatives or different countries. Where an ingredient can come from more than one origin, such as moringa from Benin or northern Ghana, the country of origin of your specific lot is stated on the certificate of analysis.

No. We describe traditional and culinary uses, origin, and composition. Nothing on this site is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and we do not claim our ingredients do so. Terms of service →

No, retail checkout is open to guest checkout. An account lets you re-order faster and view past CoAs.

Retail: Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay. Wholesale: bank transfer (ACH, SWIFT, SEPA) against a proforma invoice, or card on request. Payment policy →