Quality Assurance Policy
Food safety is the foundation of trust in our tea business. We do not leave this important element to chance, or ignore it, but we actively and alertly plan, implement and pursue tea safety from the initial stage of production, inputs, processing, packaging, storing and distribution.
Quality is not a result of chance, it is a choice. This informs the basic reason as to why we strictly follow and adhere to the below quality assurance policy as a company.
Product Control
- We ensure that our tea is stored, packaged, dispatched and transported in a manner that maintains its wholesomeness and complies with relevant Kenya Standards and customer contractual agreements; and it’s traceable to the market.
- Our quality control system is established to verify compliance of finished products with specifications, and maintain records.
- Storage containers for our tea are designed to ease cleaning, constructed of food grade materials and managed in a manner that prevents additional moisture pick up.
- Our packaging material is designed in a manner that minimizes damage, prevent contamination, and no direct contact of the product with recycled materials.
- Our teas are palletized to ensure that the product packaging is not compromised and as well guaranteeing the product safety and quality.
- We have in place a dispatch procedure and criteria that only allows use of clean vehicles which are capable of preserving safety and quality of the tea.
- Consumer packages are designed for compliance with KS 1927, Specification for tea packets and container and labelled in accordance KS EAS 38, KS EAS 804.
- Organoleptic tasting is done to ascertain quality and value of tea by relevant parties and in accordance with KS ISO 3103
Hygienic Facilities
Our tea processing premises have appropriate internal design, equipment layout and a location that ensures good maintenance and hygiene throughout the tea handling process and prevention of cross contamination.
To ensure this, we have provided the following;
- Washrooms, changing rooms, hand-washing facilities are supplied with hot and cold water and detergent.
- Portable water conforming to Kenya standards for Portable water.
- Adequate lighting and “No glass” policy.
- Clean compressed air for dry cleaning.
- Food grade quality lubricants.
- Appropriate storage facilities packaging materials, finished products (unpackaged and packaged), lubricants and fumigants.
- Facilities for appropriate waste disposal.
Maintenance and Sanitation
Maintenance and sanitation procedures and programmes are established to cover all areas of the tea handling premises and ensure:
- Efficient operation programmes are in place for all plant machinery and equipment.
- Effective cleaning and disinfection programs for all our facilities and equipment are undertaken.
- Use of approved solvents, oils, lubricants, detergents and disinfectants.
- Monitoring is done to establish effectiveness of maintenance, cleaning and sanitation done.
Process Control
All process steps are designed, implemented, monitored, measured, documented and reviewed for effectiveness of controls and compliance with critical limits for contaminants in accordance with Kenya standards for various tea products.
We have put in place a systematic and effective control system which identifies potential food safety hazards arising from value chain and their control measures duly established.
Product Transportation
- The mode of transport that we use is fit for the purpose and transfer of product from one truck/trailer/container during transit and cannot compromise product safety and integrity.
- Our transporters have adequate knowledge of the quality and safety issues of the tea product.
- We ensure that our pre-qualified transporters must have systems in place to ensure that accidental damages to the product on transit are appropriately addressed.
Information on tracking of the product while in transit is documented at our warehouse and includes among other things:
- Truck/trailer registration number
- Date and time of dispatch
- Name of manufacturing factory
- Garden mark and grade
- Product invoice numbers
- Delivery note
- Goods received note
Personal Hygiene
Our personal hygiene policy is established and implemented to ensure that tea is not contaminated by food handlers.
- Written instructions for acceptable personal hygiene are visibly displayed at appropriate areas and enforced.
- Visitors to storage areas are sensitized on hygiene practices and wear protective clothing as appropriate.
- A documented and effective training program is in place to ensure that employees, contractors and sub-contractors are competent in assigned duties, and are conversant with hygiene, accidents, and emergency procedures and any other issue critical to food safety.
Product Traceability
- We have established a documented system which ensures that every unit or batch of the tea is traceable.
- Blending, packaging, and dispatch is done in a manner that ensures food quality, safety and traceability
- A pre-qualification and traceability procedure has been put in place to ensure that packaging materials and tea received at our warehouse are of approved quality and are traceable to the supplier.
- Our Tea is packaged in approved food grade materials and appropriately labelled to ensure traceability.
Environmental management
Sustainable environmental management shall be maintained to conserve energy, soils, water resources, wild life and forests in accordance with the relevant environmental related legislation.
Shipping
Tea shall be shipped in accordance with the relevant rules and regulations. Shipment records showing the consigner, consignee, quantity, type or grade, and the port of destination shall be maintained.