Baobab Supply Chain & Operations
Processing, Testing & Quality Control
The fruit pods are opened at our supplier's facilities, and the fruit pulp (powder) and seeds are carefully stripped out from the pods by hand. This "pulp & seed" then goes through a series of steps:
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Processing - The dry fruit pulp is mechanically separated from the seeds and processed into an ultra-fine high quality powder. The kernel of the seeds is cold-pressed into an organic oil and filtered for clarity.
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Sampling & Testing - The powder is sampled by batch and sent to an accredited laboratory for testing against industry standard specifications
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Batch Quality Control - Any batches that do not comply to our specifications are immediately quarantined and investigated using our tracking and batch control protocols
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Packaging & Storage - Product that successfully passes quality control is then packaged industrially and approved for export
This means that Baobab Fruit Powder is actually a completely raw fruit, having undergone no heat treatment, irradiation, spray-drying or freeze-drying. It is also non-GMO, preservative-free and additive-free. Our final Baobab Fruit Powder is sealed into airtight 20kg reinforced plastic bags which are then packed into food grade sacks for extra protection during storage and transport. These are stored in our warehouses at constant room temperatures to preserve the freshness and integrity of the finished product. As a result our Baobab has a shelf-life of 3 years.
Sourcing & Traceability
We source our Baobab from both Zimbabwe and South Africa. A resource assessment of Baobab tree populations we conducted in 2015 concluded that Zimbabwe alone could sustainably supply an estimated annual volume of 2,000 metric tonnes of Baobab Fruit Powder. The current annual production level in Zimbabwe is around 300 tonnes. So there are ample opportunities for expansion in production with no risk to the existing forests. And Baobab occurs in 31 other African countries!
Our Baobab is harvested by 4,500 trained and registered rural smallholder farmers. Our suppliers work with and therefore deliver benefits to more rural harvesters than any other Baobab operation in Africa. Tracking and batch control systems follow the movement of the raw material from harvesting, processing, packing, right through to the finished product. This means that we can trace every batch right back to the area it was harvested.
