Quality Control
Careful quality control. Over and over again. At every step of production.
Raw Materials Control
All raw materials we use go through the following checks:
1) Mold control
Moldy raw materials cannot be used for further processing. They are disposed of or returned to the supplier.
2) Color control
Making sure that the color of the nuts is consistent allows us to separate good nuts from old and unripe ones.
3) Moisture control
Moisture control helps increase the raw materials’ shell life. After the cone falls, the nut’s moisture levels are measured. If the nuts are too moist for storage or processing, they need to be dried first. The process of drying is executed with utmost care not to overheat the kernel.
4) Pest Control
Raw Materials Storage
It is crucial not only to harvest good raw materials, but to maintain their quality and safety. The storage temperature needs to be controlled and maintained. The nuts need to be checked daily for signs of fire-fanning. Our factory has high power drying equipment, refrigerators, and warehouses for raw materials.
Production Control
Our products undergo quality checks at every production stage:
1) Kernel size
2) Moisture
3) Inclusions quantity control
4) Organoleptic control
An SGS inspector takes samples from a processed lot and assesses quality and product safety in accordance with our specification.
Optical Sorting
Our company’s optical sorters separate the final product from dark, dry, or rancid kernels, shell particles, inorganic impurities of the same color as the product.
Laboratory Analysis
Every lot of our product is subject to quality control in accredited Russian and European laboratories for the following:
- organoleptic properties (appearance, color, smell, taste, texture); physicochemical properties (moisture, content of broken kernels, kernels with surface damage, spoilt kernels, kernels with sprouts, husk, inclusions, etc. in accordance with the specification);
- FFA acid value (for oil);
- aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2;
- ochratoxin A;
- radionuclides;
- heavy metals;
- pesticides.
as well as the microbiological control that determines:
- mold level;
- yeast level;
- total viable count;
as well as detection of pathogenic microflora:
- E. Coli;
- Salmonella;
- Coliform bacteria (coliforms);
- Enterobacteria;
- Listeria monocytogenes.
< 10³ CFU/g
Not allowed
