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LIMBUA

Quality of organic products

As a German–Kenyan producer and exporter of organic macadamia nuts, avocado oil and dried mangoes, LIMBUA ensures the quality of its raw materials through full traceability, its own certified production sites in Kenya and internationally recognised quality and food safety standards. This enables us to supply organic products that are reliable, safe and fully transparent for international trade, industry and further processing.

Digital transparency.
From farm to product.

Digital traceability is a central element of our quality management system. But how do you maintain full oversight when working with around 9,000 smallholder farmers across Kenya?

Modern IT and a pioneering spirit make this level of transparency possible. To meet the specific requirements of our supply chains, LIMBUA developed the BIOFANS software, which has been awarded a CSR prize for its contribution to responsible and transparent value chains. All organic raw materials – macadamia, mango and avocado – can be fully traced from the farm to the processing sites and onward to the logistics centers in Mombasa, Rotterdam and our warehouse in Germany. The Organic certification is fully integrated into this system, providing our customers with a high level of traceability and operational security.

Fresh quality directly
from the processing facilities.

LIMBUA operates four modern production facilities located around Mount Kenya, where all relevant processing steps are carried out under controlled conditions.

This structure allows macadamia nuts, mangoes and avocados to be processed fresh after harvest, without detours via intermediaries. As a result, product safety and quality are significantly enhanced. During processing, continuous internal quality checks and documented release procedures are applied.
Compliance with quality and organic standards is regularly verified through internal audits as well as external audits and certifications.

Organic Production in Kenya

International standards

All LIMBUA organic products are certified according to internationally recognised standards. Compliance with organic regulations is regularly audited by independent certification bodies.

This is confirmed by the EU Organic seal. Our certifications include:
IFS Food, BRC Food Safety, Demeter, USDA Organic (NOP), Naturland, Bio Suisse, Regenerative Organic Certified, Rainforest Alliance, Fair for Life, Halal and Kosher.

View certificates

Manual processes as part of our quality concept

LIMBUA applies manual processes where machines reach their technical limits and human expertise provides a measurable quality advantage – particularly in sensitive processing steps that directly affect product integrity.

At the same time, we rely on modern machinery and standardised processes in many areas, such as oil pressing. For us, the quality of organic products results from the controlled interaction of manual processing and technical systems.

Example Macadamia Nut Cracking: Manual processing for intact kernels

Macadamia nuts have a very hard shell while the kernel itself is highly sensitive. To recover the kernel with minimal damage, LIMBUA applies manual cracking procedures using specially developed tools.

Because standardised machines cannot perform this step with the required precision, we have developed our own nut crackers, enabling a controlled separation of shell and kernel. The cracking process requires experience, fine motor skills and continuous visual inspection. Our trained teams adjust pressure and positioning individually for each nut to avoid fractures or damage to the kernel.

After cracking, the kernels are hand-sorted by specialised teams according to defined criteria. Shape, colour and integrity are carefully checked, and any damaged or non-conforming kernels are consistently removed. This manual sorting process ensures that only macadamia kernels of the required quality proceed to the subsequent steps.

Macadamia nut cracking
Macadamia nut sorting

Organic experts on site

The natural cultivation of macadamia nuts, avocados and mangos has a long tradition in Kenya. That is why we have brought local field managers into the LIMBUA team. They organize trainings and support our smallholder farmers in all aspects of cultivation, harvesting, hygiene measures, processing, organic certification and quality assurance.

We also operate a tree nursery site, where new seedlings are grown and additional jobs have been created. Through the controlled cultivation of the seedlings, quality assurance begins even before planting on the farms, forming the foundation for healthy trees, stable yields, and high-quality raw materials.

Planting macadamia seedling
PLANTING SEEDLINGS
Macadamia seedling watering
SEEDLING WATERING
Macadamia seedling grafting
SEEDLING GRAFTING & MARKING
FAQ Quality Organic Products
How does LIMBUA ensure the quality of its organic products?

LIMBUA ensures the quality of its organic products (macadamia nuts, avocado oil and dried mangoes) through clearly defined processes along the entire supply chain.

This includes its own certified production sites, digital traceability, regular internal training and documented quality and food safety procedures and controls across all relevant process stages.

What role do organic seedlings play for product quality?

At LIMBUA, quality assurance begins already before planting. In its own nursery, certified organic seedlings for macadamia, avocado and mango trees are raised and adapted to local growing conditions in the Mount Kenya highlands. The cultivation of these seedlings follows defined quality, sustainability and organic integrity criteria, ensuring their authenticity as organic planting material.

Through close collaboration between field managers and research teams, LIMBUA ensures that only healthy, grafted and organically compliant plants are distributed to smallholder farms. This approach safeguards the organic status of the crops from the very beginning and lays the foundation for stable yields and consistently high raw material quality.

Where are LIMBUA’s organic products processed?

The organic products are processed at four certified LIMBUA production sites in the highlands of Kenya at the foot of Mount Kenya. The close proximity to the growing areas enables short transport routes, gentle processing and continuous control of quality and food safety requirements.

What quality and food safety standards does LIMBUA meet?

LIMBUA operates according to internationally recognised standards for organic products and food safety. Compliance with these requirements is regularly checked through internal controls and external audits.

LIMBUA is among the few Kenyan companies with IFS certification at Higher Level and BRC Food Safety certification. In addition, and where requested by customers, LIMBUA applies its own infrared pasteurisation process for macadamia nuts as an additional food safety measure.

Together, these certifications and processes ensure a high level of product quality and food safety.

Here you can find an overview of the certifications.

What role do internal trainings play in quality assurance?

Internal training is an important part of LIMBUA’s quality management. Employees from agronomy, harvesting, purchasing, quality, food safety and production are trained regularly at the start of each season to ensure a consistent understanding of requirements, maturity indicators, handling and process workflows for macadamia, mango and avocado.

These internal trainings strengthen food safety and organic compliance across all departments and contribute to a strong quality culture, in which doing things right from the start becomes the norm.

What advantages does LIMBUA’s quality system offer B2B customers?

B2B customers benefit from consistent product quality, documented processes and transparent traceability. LIMBUA’s quality system supports product safety, audit readiness and long-term, reliable partnerships along the organic supply chain.

A macadamia nut isolated
All about the macadamia
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About
LIMBUA

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