Archive
Process
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How often should I test an imported food product?
There is no fixed frequency in law for most parameters. Frequency is set by risk: tighter on a new supplier and on…
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How do you read a certificate of analysis?
Check that it identifies the lot you received, that the method and its accreditation status are named, that units and basis match…
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How do you compare two supplier quotations properly?
Normalise both to the same delivery point, the same specification, the same packaging and the same payment terms before comparing anything. Most…
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Can a minimum order quantity be negotiated?
Often, but not by asking for a smaller number. An MOQ usually reflects a production run, a packaging order or a full…
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How should cold-pressed oils be stored?
Cool, dark, full and sealed. Oxygen, light, heat and catalytic metals drive degradation, and for the least stable oils such as flaxseed…
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How is aflatoxin testing done?
By a prescribed sampling scheme first, then screening by ELISA and confirmation by HPLC with fluorescence detection or LC-MS/MS. The sample plan…
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How are dried herbs graded?
On four axes at once: cut size, colour, leaf-to-stem ratio and volatile oil. Trade grade names are conventions, so the specification has…
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What is steam sterilisation for spices?
A short, controlled exposure to saturated steam that reduces the microbial load, followed by immediate re-drying. It is the mainstream EU alternative…
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How should dried herbs be stored for export?
Cool, dry, dark and sealed. Humidity is the controlling variable, light is the underestimated one, and the liner is quality-critical rather than…
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How do you compare frozen fruit suppliers fairly?
Fix the specification, the Incoterm and the volume first, then compare. Otherwise you are comparing four different products.