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OXALIS chooses the tea and coffee it sells by sampling them first. Experts judge each one on taste, aroma and quality. The items we stock are tested in a laboratory to ensure consistency in quality and safety. The company holds the following certification: ISO 9001, HACCP for the production of tea and coffee.
Quality and safety first
OXALIS chooses the tea and coffee it sells by sampling them first. Experts judge each one on taste, aroma and quality. The items we stock are tested in a laboratory to ensure consistency in quality and safety. The company holds the following certification: ISO 9001, HACCP for the production of tea and coffee, and IFS Food version 6 for the production of coffee.
Laboratory analysis is carried out by the Laboratory for Examination of Foodstuffs in Kroměříž (Czech Republic) and a laboratory at the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague, both of which meet the required standard stipulated by legislation (ČSN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005).
Any material that comes into contact with our foodstuffs are tested and evaluated by ITC, a.s. Zlín, an accredited, independent company responsible for analysis, certification, calibration and inspection.
The tea, coffee and all the raw materials we use in our blends are tested every year, as are all items of equipment the blends are created in. We regularly send raw materials for analysis to the laboratories, especially to discern the presence of pesticides, microbiology (bacteria, fungi, yeasts, mycotoxins), heavy metals and more. Analyses and results are evaluated according to valid European and national legislation.
OXALIS spends around EUR 19,000 every year on laboratory analysis on all foodstuffs, including rooibos and the ingredients that go into our herbal and fruit tisanes, with the aim of ensuring quality, safety and purity.
The topic of pesticides is a common one in the food industry. In order to test for them we send samples to the Institute of Chemical Technology. Over 100 such analyses are conducted every year, each one checking for more than 450 substances. Applied to protect plants in the agricultural sector, they take the form of insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and others. Great efforts are being made by farmers to adhere to recommended amounts or periods of use, or to employ alternative, environmentally friendly methods instead. At OXALIS the goal is ensure that no pesticides are present or maximum limits of residue are not exceeded.
Our systems, processes and full assortment are subject to clear and fully documented standards pertaining to products and safety in production.
The company has held HACCP certification since 2010, with adherence to requirements of the nation’s Ministry of Agriculture, Journal No. 2. This systematically ensures safety from a health perspective in relation to our products, which exceed the legal standards specified by European legislation that we are also adherent to.
We subjected the HACCP system to certification according to the requirements of the Bulletin of the Ministry of Agriculture No. 2 from 2010. We proceeded to the certification of the HACCP system to prove the systematic ensuring of health safety of our products not only based on legal requirements of European legislation but also according to more demanding requirements of the certification scheme. This system effectively helps us in production to prevent defects, instead of detecting them.
HACCP Certificate
Holding this certification aids improvement in the quality of the company’s management system and in its standing to customers. We guarantee services of a high quality through adopting the principles of a management system stipulated by ISO 9001. The advantages it brings include superior coordination, from the receipt of raw and input materials, through to their processing and eventual sale.
ISO 9001:2016 Certification
The consumption of organic food promotes health and is environmentally friendly. OXALIS has been expanding its assortment of organic items with these aims in mind.
Supervision and control of compliance with organic production processes and associated records at the company are provided by authorised inspectors from a specialist firm, KEZ, o. P. S. All products duly certified by them as organic are labelled BIO in a code on the packaging.
Organic Certification Cool Drinks
Cooperation with a disposal company authorised to handle waste packaging (EKO-KOM a.s.) ensures its return and preparation for reuse. We actively minimise every possible negative impact to the environment resulting from our business activities. All investment decisions are also assessed as to their potential environmental effects.
Great emphasis is placed on quality and the delicacy with which products are processed at OXALIS. This requires careful selection of raw materials and continuous quality control at every step - from the plantation to sale of the end product. We deal with most suppliers directly and believe that mutual cooperation is the best approach. Moreover, hundreds of laboratory tests are carried out each year on the foodstuffs we purchase. All of this means we can offer the finest in tea and coffee to our customers.
Since we deal with most of our suppliers personally and visit their farms, it is possible to view how and where produce is grown, the harvesting methods adopted and speak with the people on site. We also have some input into procedures through cooperation by such direct trade. Read more here to learn how tea and coffee are sourced by us.
Quality control is maintained every step of the way. The tea, coffee and various components we receive from suppliers undergo sensory inspection by tasters on arrival at OXALIS’ HQ, who check the appearance, smell and taste and look for impurities; indeed, such a sensory inspection of the goods also happens prior to dispatch from the country of origin. Once our tasters have finished their tests, samples are sent to accredited laboratories for microbiological analysis and to discern the extent of pesticide residue. Only goods that have passed these stringent controls are released for further processing.
OXALIS’ products are prepared at the HQ in Slušovice with the greatest possible care. Notably, processes for flavoured products are kept isolated from others for pure tea, coffee and herbs.
Numerous aspects are controlled repeatedly, and our procedures undergo continuous improvement. The aforementioned HACCP certification dictates that quality management is carried out every day.
Each member of staff is well trained in their duties and performs them dutifully, and the team functions efficiently as a whole. When preparing a fruit infusion devised by our professional tasters, such as “Granny’s Garden”, all the components must be available to staff and only correct quantities blended together to create it. As for roasting coffee, great discipline is required as the master roaster has to stop the machine at the right time to bring out the best in the beans and avoid undesirable bitterness. Meanwhile, the packing department is required to handle packaging of different sizes, and gift packs are prepared by hand with great attention to detail.
Finished items are transported to and stored at our warehouse in nearby Tečovice. From there, they travel to stores, distributors or directly to customers around the world. All items are carefully inspected on receipt at the warehouse and again prior to shipment.
The facility also houses the customer care department, whose staff is competent at answering inquiries by customers and addressing any issues that arise.
