1. The Fresh Twelve™ Quality Charter
At Relsh International, our flagship brand Fresh Twelve™ guarantees uncompromised farm-fresh crop integrity all 12 months of the year. Sourced directly from generational hill farms in Nedumkandam and the mist-bathed heights of Idukki and Wayanad (Western Ghats, Kerala), our whole spices and select coffee beans bypass stale consolidation warehouses.
Our processing protocol guarantees zero synthetic artificial polishing, zero artificial food coloring (such as Sudan dyes or Metanil yellow), and zero chemical adulteration.
2. Statutory Accreditations & Compliance Framework
Our processing centers and export lots comply with elite international food safety legislation:
• FSSAI License: Strict compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSS Act, 2006).
• US FDA FSMA: Full adherence to the Food Safety Modernization Act for preventive controls and foreign supplier verification.
• European Commission: Strict conformity with EU Regulation (EU) 2023/915 for heavy metals, mycotoxins, and pesticide Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs).
• Codex Alimentarius: Global standards for whole and ground spices (FAO/WHO).
3. Laboratory Testing & Analytical Benchmarks
Every export shipment is backed by an independent batch Certificate of Analysis (CoA) executed in NABL-accredited, ISO/IEC 17025 certified testing laboratories:
| Test Parameter | Testing Methodology | Export Benchmark Specification |
|---|---|---|
| Aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, G2) | HPLC with Fluorescence Detection | Total < 10 ppb (EU standard); < 20 ppb (US FDA) |
| Ochratoxin A (OTA) | LC-MS/MS | < 15 μg/kg (Strict EU Contaminant Threshold) |
| Pesticide Multi-Residue Screen | GC-MS/MS & LC-MS/MS (350+ compounds) | Compliant with EU MRL database & US EPA limits |
| Salmonella spp. | ISO 6579 / BAM Chapter 5 | Absence in 25g / 125g / 375g composite |
| Escherichia coli | ISO 16649 / MPN Method | < 10 CFU/g (Undetectable levels) |
| Moisture Content | Dean-Stark Toluene Distillation | Green Cardamom < 10.5%; Black Pepper < 11.0% |
| Volatile Essential Oils | Steam Distillation (ASTA Method 7.0) | Cardamom > 7.0% v/w; Cloves > 15.0% v/w |
4. Mechanical Grading & Sizing Protocols
We grade every spice harvest according to stringent physical dimensions:
- Green Cardamom: Pod-sieved through precision round-hole optical sieves into 8mm Bold, 7–8mm Bold, and 6–7mm grades. Extractions feature intact capsules with high count-per-liter densities.
- Malabar Black Pepper: Mechanically garbled to eliminate pinheads and light berries. Standard export bulk densities exceed 550–570 g/L (Tellicherry Garbled Special Extra Bold - TGSEB standards available).
- Whole Cloves: Headless clove content below 1.5%, free from mother cloves, stems, and external foreign matter.
5. Biosecurity, Fumigation & Quarantine
Export lots are prepared under strict biosecurity protocols. We coordinate mandatory export clearance with the Plant Protection Quarantine of India, issuing official Phytosanitary Certificates with every ocean container and air cargo dispatch.
Fumigation protocols utilize approved, residue-free treatments (Aluminum Phosphine or Controlled Atmosphere CO2 treatment) fully compliant with destination country biosecurity import rules (e.g., USDA-APHIS, EU Plant Health, and Australia DAFF).
6. High-Barrier Moisture-Controlled Packaging
Spices degrade primarily through exposure to humidity, UV light, and oxygen. Our export packaging preserves volatile organic aromatic oils over prolonged ocean transits:
- Bulk Shipments: Multi-ply food-grade kraft bags with hermetic polyethylene inner liners, heavy-duty 50kg jute/gunny sacks, and multi-layer high-barrier vacuum pouches.
- Retail Shelf-Ready: Nitrogen-flushed aluminum foil stand-up pouches, UV-blocking amber glass jars, and airtight food-grade PET containers with induction-heat foil seals.
7. Farm-to-Port Batch Traceability
Through direct partnerships with farmer self-help groups across Nedumkandam and the Western Ghats, every master carton and export sack is marked with a unique Batch Traceability Lot Number. This lot code enables full traceability directly to the harvest month, estate altitude, and post-harvest drying protocol.