All Simply Organic spices are produced
under strict organic guidelines - without irradiation, genetically
modified organisms (GMOs), or harmful pesticides, herbicides or
synthetic fertilizers.
1% of the Simply Organic line is given
back to support organic farming causes.
Quality from the Start
Simply Organic actively recruits and develops quality organic
growers. We visit growers all over the world to observe and discuss
the growing and harvesting of the herbs and spices we buy. Over
the years, we've have built relationships with quality-conscious
suppliers who consistently provide the best of a year's crop and
respect our standards-including no irradiated products. Thorough
inspection of a pre-shipment sample is performed on each product.
Using our in-house lab as well as independent labs, we run tests
for flavor, color, aroma, moisture, mesh size, volatile oil content,
bacteria count, pesticides, and herbicides. Only 40% of the samples
we test are approved and released for production.
Maintaining Quality
Once herbs and spices arrive at the facility, every aspect of
their handling is done with quality in mind. Climate controlled
storage (60 degrees Fahrenheit and 50% relative humidity) to preserve
freshness and volatile plant constituents. Simply Organic was
the first in the herb and spice industry to use carbon dioxide
fumigation -- a safe, effective alternative to chemical fumigation
agents such as methyl-bromide (which has recently been identified
as a serious ozone threat as well). Strict sanitation rules are
enforced through regular inspections by Quality Assurance. Product
handling, processing and packaging systems are all set up to maximize
the quality of the final product. Exposure to moisture and heat
is minimized at all times. Much of our grinding is done cryogenically
at temperatures as low as 70 degrees to prevent the loss of quality
which may result from the heat of grinding. Herbs and spices are
packaged in materials which ensure the optimum quality of a product.
Monitoring Quality
Simply Organic knows they are maintaining quality because they
check it every step of the way. The Quality Assurance team monitors
everything from the temperature in the warehouse to samples of
each batch of seasoning blend. A sophisticated system of computerized
inventory allows any herb or spice, even a minor ingredient in
a blend, to be instantly located or traced back to its origin.
If questions are raised about the quality of an herb or spice,
the whole lot can be quickly located and checked.
Sourcing Botanicals
Simply Organic sources the highest quality botanical raw materials
from all over the world. But there is more to it than quality.
They also consider the social and environmental impact of all
our purchases. Our first choice is always organic. They offer
support to the communities that grow our organic coffee and botanicals,
and help strengthen economies by buying from many areas where
economic development is poor, including Peru, Mexico, Africa and
Native Indian communities. They send buyers around the globe to
develop personal relationships with growers and organic growing
communities.
Testing
They combine sophisticated testing equipment with traditional
testing methods using taste, touch, smell and sight to ensure
our customers are getting the highest quality products. Simply
Organic performs extensive testing on every incoming lot. About
half of the raw materials available for purchase do not meet our
high quality standards. Some testing methods used to determine
quality include:
HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography)
Measures active constituent levels in herbs.
GC (gas chromatography) and MS (Mass
Spectrometry)
Identifies and quantifies volatile components in essential oils.
TLC (thin layer chromatography)
Determines botanical identification and adulteration.
Microanalysis
Reveals cellular structure of plants to determine identity and
adulteration.
Microbiological Testing
Tests levels of yeast, mold and bacterial pathogens.
Organoleptic Testing
Taste, smell and sight tests determine quality and screen out
adulterated product.
Highly Qualified Staff
Ravin Donald, Ph.D. Director, Quality Assurance
Denys Charles, Ph.D. Essential Oil Chemist
Plus a staff of highly trained Technicians
No Irradiation
Simply Organic does not sell any products or use any ingredients
that have been sterilized by irradiation.
CO2 Fumigation
Simply Organic used the first natural CO2 unit in the Natural
Products Industry to control infestation in herbs and spices.
This enables us to avoid the use of chemical fumigants and provide
greater purity in our products.
Cryogenic Grinding
Simply Organic grinds most of our herbs and spices in-house with
cryogenic grinding. Raw materials are ground at zero to minus
70 degrees Fahrenheit to protect volatile components. Normal
grinding
temperatures can reach 200 degrees, damaging heat-sensitive components.
Our research shows that cryogenic grinding delivers up to 22%
higher levels of active constituents.
Ideal Storage Conditions
Simply Organic herb and spice warehouse facility is kept at a
maximum of 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 60% relative humidity all
year long. These are ideal storage conditions for maintaining
the quality of raw botanicals. The higher the temperature, the
faster the volatilization and degradation of the plant materials.
As a rule of thumb in chemistry, for every 18 degrees increase
in temperature the reaction rate doubles.
Freshness Dating
Many of our packaged products are freshness-dated to help ensure
that our customers receive the freshest possible products.
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