Seven checkpoints before release

The seed arrives on Crown's own trucks from contracted fields, so no other cargo has shared the trailer. Every truck is weighed, sampled and tested for moisture and foreign matter before it is accepted; the lot number assigned here follows the product to the customer's invoice.

OLIS pre-cleaners take out dust, stems, stones and light seeds by aspiration and screening. The ELICA dehulling line then separates kernel from hull with minimal breakage; hulls go to the by-product line.

ELICA screens sieve the kernels into the calibre the customer's line needs — a bakery topping and a halva line do not want the same kernel. The calibre is set per order and recorded on the lot.

A BÜHLER SORTEX colour sorter removes dark, discoloured and hull-attached kernels, and any foreign material of the same colour as the product, at full line speed.

A TOMRA X-ray unit detects glass, stone, metal and high-density contaminants that a colour sorter cannot see, including inside the kernel.

Our own laboratory runs the physical and quality analyses on every lot; pesticide residues, heavy metals, mycotoxins, radioactivity and microbiology are confirmed by accredited laboratories. Nothing is packed until the analysis has passed.

Kernels are packed into sacks or big bags on an automated line and sealed, with the customer's own label where requested. A retained sample of every lot is kept until the product's shelf life has passed.