LIMBUA Quality

Macadamia nut cracking and more

Digital transparency.
From farm to product.

When LIMBUA was founded, one thing was immediately clear: we are totally committed to organic quality and make no compromises. But how do you keep track of the 7,000 or so smallholders we work with in Kenya?

Modern IT and a pioneering spirit make it possible. We developed the BIOFANS software especially for our needs: With its help, we can completely trace all organic macadamia and organic avocado products. From the farm to the processing plants to the logistics centers in Mombasa, Rotterdam and the warehouse in Bochum. Organic certification is also completely digitized, giving our customers maximum security.

Fresh quality directly
from the processing plants.

LIMBUA has gradually built up four manufactories around Mount Kenya. Washing, drying, macadamia nut cracking, sorting and packaging: All these steps take place in our modern production facilities. In this way, more people are involved in the value chain and are given real alternatives to the rural exodus. Our customers also benefit, because the macadamia nuts and Avocados can be processed immediately after harvest - without detours via intermediaries. This has a positive effect on quality and product safety.

MACADAMIA NUT CRACKING AND SORTING BY HAND

Taste and nutritional value make our organic macadamias highly sought after commodities. However, to preserve their high value, the nuts must be as intact as possible.

LIMBUA has developed a special nut cracker for this purpose, as no machine can replace the fineness of manual work. The whole process requires intuition and experience to produce true quality.

Modern technology and craftsmanship? At LIMBUA, this is not a contradiction but the key to excellent organic quality, which is regularly tested and confirmed by independent laboratories and certifiers.

Macadamia: the world's hardest nut

It takes a whole 150 kg to open a macadamia nut. A challenge as far as cracking is concerned. The manual nut crackers developed by LIMBUA are designed to separate the sensitive, buttery kernel from the hard shell and to leave the nut as undamaged as possible. Because: whole nuts yield more and that in turn benefits the macadamia farmers!

But the nutcracker alone is not everything: The cracking of the macadamia nuts is an art, which is carried out at LIMBUA with great care and skill. Our experienced staff has many years of experience and a deep understanding of the nature of the macadamia. Each nut is handled by hand and cracked with special care, yet quickly, to reveal the delicate inner shell and expose the delicious heart of the nut.

Why do we crack the macadamia nuts by hand? The answer is simple: quality. Hand-cracking allows us to handle the nuts gently and ensure that there is no damage or cracking. This is critical to preserve the freshness, flavor and texture of our macadamia nuts. Each nut is inspected with care to ensure it meets our strict quality standards before it goes into further processing.

The hand-cracking process is a combination of precision and craftsmanship. Our experts know exactly how much pressure to apply to open the nutshell without damaging the inside.

The hand-cracking process also allows us to inspect each nut individually. This allows us to identify any irregularities early on and ensure that only the best nuts make it into our final products. This approach ensures that our customers always receive the best and highest quality macadamia nuts we have to offer.

Experts on site

The natural cultivation of macadamia nuts 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.

In the meantime, we have also been able to establish a tree nursery on site, where new seedlings are growing and additional jobs have been created.

Hence, quality assurance begins even before the plots are planted.