Delivering to key players in the retail and food service market requires a clear focus on quality. We take our responsibility seriously and meet both legal requirements and the requirements of our customers. Our quality standards can only be reached by putting a daily emphasis on different aspects.

The selection of our suppliers is made carefully. The Spice Factory works only with GFSI certified suppliers (BRC, IFS, FSCC22000) providing highly qualitative herbs and spices, meeting food safety requirements and excluding the risk of adulteration. Non-European suppliers are audited on a regular base. Every year all suppliers are reviewed and reclassified within the vendor management system.

Food safety is one of the key-focus areas of our quality department. Most of the raw materials bought by The Spice Factory have been heat-treated to reduce the micro population and to guarantee the absence of pathogens. For all its raw materials The Spice Factory applies a strict analysis plan based on detailed risk assessment performed by our quality department. Each delivery of raw material is being analysed by accredited laboratories on microbiology, pesticides, mycotoxins and illegal colorants. Intrinsic product characteristics -like essential oils- are controlled by fysico-chemical tests.

The Spice Factory takes different measures during production to reassure the quality of the finished product. We hold a sample library on raw materials, semi-finished and finished products which enables us to monitor the quality throughout the process. Traceability is guaranteed when any quality question arises in terms of product or packaging issues of a delivered product.

An important point of attention within the factory is handling allergens. The Spice Factory takes the necessary steps to avoid any contamination following strict cleaning schedules and using swab controls (specific cleaning after allergens productions, clear identification of each allergen handled in the factory, segregation of allergen materials).

A strict selection of suppliers, a well-defined analyses plan for raw materials at risk and a good knowledge of the supply chain of our suppliers enables The Spice Factory to guarantee the delivery of pure products. Our quality department has built strong experience on this topic by sharing and visiting suppliers at the origin all over the world, working with the most strict existing customers in Europe but also out of Europe and participating in technical meetings organized by European Spice Association. On top, developments in terms of improved or new detection methods are closely monitored and applied where necessary.

Our quality department is continuously working on further improvement of quality systems, procedures and processes. This is the only way to move forward and to be able to deliver to the specific quality requirements of each Customer.

Due to the growing concern of the consumers regarding food safety, authorities are more and more demanding about the quality and the traceability of food. The Spice Factory is proud to be certified according to: