Case Study - Oregano
Product Integrity
Restoring trust in the oregano supply chain
The name oregano is derived from the Greek oros (meaning mountain) and ganous (meaning joy), as it covers the Mediterranean hillsides it grows on with beautiful fragrant flowers. Joy though was in short supply when a global recall hit the oregano market in 2018.
As a major supplier of oregano in the Australian market, Frutex Australia was committed to finding a long-term solution and re-establishing trust in the oregano supply chain.
Frutex employed agronomists, botanists and partnered with a quality team at Herbs Hellas to establish a supply chain that would meet strict quality standards so supply could be guaranteed to our customers. Significant investment was made in new processing facilities in Volos, Greece. We now produce over 1000 tonnes and production is growing every year.
We are proud of our Greek quality accreditations (FAMI-QS, FDA, Vegan, Halal, Kosher) and our processes ensure the integrity, quality and purity of our oregano, with as little handling as possible from farm and plate.
The end product is pure oregano that is full of flavour and rich in antioxidants and nutrients such as Vitamin K, C and A, manganese, iron, and calcium and a volatile oil content of over 4%.
The Future
Securing future supply
Our partnership with Herbs Hellas is one of many instances that Frutex is working to take control of product supply chains to guarantee consistent quality for our customers.
There are many examples of production techniques that are only possible with like-minded producers committed to quality. Many growers outside of Greece use pesticides to control weed growth around their oregano crops. Along with the weeds themselves, these pesticides can find their way into the product. The solution is distinctly old fashioned. At all our farms, the weeds are hand removed. While this is an investment in time, it is the only effective way to guarantee the crops purity. We are also the only producer that machine harvest at a single point of origin, again maintaining consistency and quality.
Oregano is not the only product that Frutex has taken control of the supply chain in order to protect the integrity of the end product. Cumin Seed in India, Coriander in Australia and Linseed from ??? are some of the many examples of Frutex Australia's pro-active role in providing our customers with food ingredients they can trust.
