At Afrikelp, the quality of our products is of utmost importance. Not only do we believe in creating products that continuously and consistently meet our quality criteria, we also strive to produce a product that has a positive effect on the agricultural industry. Our dedicated team of QC scientists are, therefore, frequently evaluating and monitoring our products and processes to improve our offering.

All our products undergo extensive routine testing to evaluate the efficacy of our preservatives. The presence of certain microbiological organisms is known to compromise and damage crops as well as degrade natural products, which is why we have a zero-tolerance policy and only authorise the release of products with no bacterial and fungal contamination. The biological activity of the hormones contained in Afrikelp products, and the longevity of our products are essential to maintaining a high-quality product that provides repeatable on-farm performance. It is for this reason Afrikelp focuses on weekly accelerated shelf-life testing to timeously determine any chemical and physical changes to the products which may occur over time.

Samples are stored at 40 °C, over a 24-week period. During each week the samples are tested for fungal and bacterial contamination and are assessed on the mung bean assay at the start and the end of the cycle to ensure consistent performance and rooting activity. The measuring of pH, conductivity and TDS is done on a weekly basis. At 6-week intervals the samples are tested by our validation scientist, with the liquid chromatography-mass spectrophotometer to measure the level of active hormones present. The data collected is then logged on our database to monitor trends and any discrepancies over the course of the testing. We can, therefore, confidently provide a 2-year shelf-life evaluation, within 6 months, on how well our preservatives and products are performing and will continue to perform long after it leaves our premises.

The knock-on effect of using limited resources more sustainably, from start to finish, will positively affect the lives of all consumers and end users.

“I am proud of being part of the QC team knowing that at Afrikelp we produce high-quality products in the most sustainable way.” – Michelé Arendse, Laboratory technician