Lakadong Turmeric: GI Status, Curcumin and Proving Origin

Lakadong turmeric is a turmeric grown in the Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya. It is a registered geographical indication (GI application No. 741, certificate No. 575 of 30 March 2024), and it is known for its high curcumin content. Because the name commands a premium, a seller who wants to be believed needs batch records that tie each lot to the GI region, and a lab report naming that lot.

This guide covers what Lakadong turmeric is, what the curcumin claims actually rest on, the adulteration risks that affect all turmeric, and what a seller should record and attach.

What is Lakadong turmeric?

Lakadong turmeric takes its name from the Lakadong area of the Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya. It is sold in dried and powdered forms, and sellers market it on its colour and curcumin content.

Does Lakadong turmeric have a GI tag?

Yes. The GI Registry record shows Lakadong Turmeric registered under application No. 741, with certificate No. 575 dated 30 March 2024, valid to 14 February 2031. The registered proprietor is the Director of Horticulture, Government of Meghalaya. A Meghalaya government press release on the award credits the Lakadong Turmeric Cooperative Union Limited, Jowai, with obtaining it.

Some news reports said in December 2023 that the GI had been granted. The formal award date in the state's release is 30 March 2024, so use that date (checked October 2026). You can confirm the current status on the IP India GI Registry search. Our guide to GI tags in agriculture explains how GIs work.

A GI tag protects the name "Lakadong Turmeric" for produce from the defined region. It does not, on its own, show that any particular pack came from that region.

How much curcumin is in Lakadong turmeric?

Curcumin is the main yellow pigment in turmeric, and it is the figure most sellers advertise. Published data for Lakadong specifically is limited. A 2023 paper in the Future Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, which isolated curcumin from Lakadong turmeric of Meghalaya, reports a curcumin concentration of about 6.8 to 7.5 percent, and notes that little information is available on curcumin from Lakadong turmeric.

Many product listings claim higher figures. We could not find primary sources for those numbers, so we do not repeat them here. Curcumin content also varies with the season, the farm, how the rhizome was dried and stored, and the test method used. That is why a single number on a website is less useful than a lab report for the batch you are actually buying.

How is curcumin tested?

Ask the lab which method it used, and whether the result is reported as curcumin or as total curcuminoids. The two are not the same, and a report that does not say which is hard to compare with another. A useful report also states the sample ID, the date the sample was received and the moisture basis of the result.

What are the adulteration risks for turmeric?

Turmeric is one of the spices most often linked to adulteration, and the most serious documented case is lead chromate, an industrial yellow pigment added to make dull turmeric look brighter.

• Bangladesh. A 2019 peer-reviewed study in Environmental Research by Forsyth and colleagues interviewed people across Bangladesh's turmeric supply chain and found that lead chromate was being added at the polishing stage to brighten turmeric.
• South Asia, including India. A 2024 study in Science of the Total Environment tested 356 turmeric samples from 23 cities in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal, collected between December 2020 and March 2021. Samples from Patna, Bihar exceeded 1,000 µg/g of lead, against the 10 µg/g regulatory benchmark used in the study. Samples with lead at 18 µg/g or more had lead-to-chromium ratios close to 1:1, which the authors describe as suggestive of lead chromate adulteration. Polished roots and loose powder were among the most contaminated forms.

These findings do not mean that Lakadong turmeric is adulterated. They show why buyers of any premium turmeric ask for heavy-metal test results, and why a bright yellow colour is not evidence of quality.

What should a turmeric lab report include?

For a premium turmeric lot, a buyer will usually expect a certificate of analysis that covers:

• curcumin or total curcuminoids, with the method named;
• moisture;
• lead and, where the buyer asks, chromium and other heavy metals;
• the parameters in the applicable FSSAI standard for turmeric, if the product is sold as packaged food in India.

The report must name the batch or lot number that is printed on the pack. A report that only says "Lakadong turmeric" cannot be linked to any particular consignment.

What should a Lakadong turmeric seller record?

The GI tells a buyer that genuine Lakadong turmeric exists and where it comes from. Batch records show that this lot is part of it. For each batch, record:

Two points carry most of the weight:

1. Keep GI-region produce separate. If the batch is mixed with turmeric from outside the GI area at any step, it can no longer be sold as Lakadong turmeric. The aggregation record has to show every input lot.
2. Match the lab report to the lot. Test after aggregation, on the batch that will be packed, so that the curcumin and lead results describe what the buyer receives.

Showing the record to buyers

These records can then be shared with buyers. In IndiTrace, a QR code on the pack opens a trace page in the browser that shows the source village, processing dates and the lab report for that batch. Each confirmed record is fingerprinted on the Polygon blockchain, which shows it has not been edited since confirmation, but not that the facts in it are true. The GI itself is granted by the GI Registry, not by a traceability tool.

The spices page covers how spice brands and farmer groups set up these batch records.

For a step-by-step check of a GI and its authorised users, see how to check GI tagged products in India.

Questions

Q: Is Lakadong turmeric GI tagged? Yes. The GI Registry lists Lakadong Turmeric as registered (application No. 741, certificate No. 575 of 30 March 2024), with the Director of Horticulture, Government of Meghalaya, as registered proprietor.

Q: Where is Lakadong turmeric grown? In the Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya, in north-east India. It takes its name from the Lakadong area.

Q: What is the curcumin content of Lakadong turmeric? A 2023 paper in the Future Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences puts it at about 6.8 to 7.5 percent. Content varies by lot, so ask for a lab report for the batch you are buying.

Q: How can I tell if turmeric has lead chromate in it? Not by colour. Lead chromate has been found in turmeric in peer-reviewed studies from Bangladesh and South Asia, and it can only be ruled out by a lab test for lead (and chromium) on that batch.

Q: What documents should come with a premium turmeric batch? A lab report naming the batch number that covers curcumin, moisture and lead; source and harvest records; the GI authorised-user certificate where relevant; and invoices showing each change of custody.