Macadamia Kernels

Exotic EPZ LTD aims to become market a market leader of nuts and oils supply chain in the region. The company has a management team and an advisory board.

The company lead by women. It has a diverse and dynamic team of staff who are energetic and enthusiastic about serving their customers. They are engaged consistently providing the highest quality products while impacting smallholder farmers, their employees and the environment positively. The company is professionally managed and has put in place systems and policies that guide the management team and all staff in the organization. They are open and transparent in their dealings with buyers and are looking to build long term relationships with their buyers and stakeholders. Their major buyers are the wholesalers. The company has experience in exporting to the Netherlands and wants to expand to the USA, Germany, Japan and Canada.

Exotic EPZ LTD stores the sorted graded nuts in a chilled warehouse. The temperature is controlled between 12-14 degrees. Final sorted nuts are packed in vacuum-sealed bags then put in cartons and stored on racks in the warehouse

Some are vacuum packed in an aluminium container with nitrogen and sealed.

The shipping time depends on the quantity of the order. It takes 30 days for a full container load of 16 tonnes to be ready for shipment. The preferred method of delivery is sea freight through Mombasa port which is approximately 480 km from the facility.

Exotic EPZ LTD ensured quality the purchase of raw material. Parameters like insect damage, immaturity, mould, size and moisture content are looked at with caution. The moisture content of the nuts is checked at various steps to ensure high quality. It is ensured that the final product is checked for any chemical and microbiological limits, potable water, heavy metals and organoleptic characteristics like the taste, appearance, texture and odour. The company is certified under FSSC 22000 and is a member of Nut Processors and Exporters Association of Kenya (NUTPAK). The company has the HACCP Plan, the Threat Assessment Plan (TACCP) the Prerequisite Programmes, the cleaning, sanitation and environmental monitoring, Standard operating procedures and work instructions in place. They have won the "Woman Agri-Entrepreneur of the Year" in 2018 (AWIEF 2018)

The average production yield is 45,000 metric tons. There are two harvest seasons, the first harvest season starts from February and goes on till June and the second season starts September and ends in November. the main harvest season is between February to June. At least 16 metric tons is ready for export per month from July to December 2020. the entire factor is spread across an area of 17,820 square foot. The production process starts with sourcing followed by a quality analysis. Then the process of drying, grading, cracking, shell separation, sorting, grading, vacuum packing and storage takes place.

Exotic EPZ LTD offers Macadamia Kernels varying from style 0 to 7. Styling of the kernels is dependent on the size and shape of the nuts, 0 being the largest in size and a whole nut and 7 being small chips). It has a creamy white appearance/colour and a nutty taste. The nuts meet the chemical and microbiology requirements by the Kenya regulatory body as well as requirements given by the customer based on their preference and country regulations. The product is stored in cold warehouses which helps to retain the freshness of the product and increases the shelf life. it has a shelf life of 18-24 months shelf life period. The nuts can be used for further processing and in various food items, confectionaries and snacks. They have recently become popular in the chocolate industry and as ice cream toppings. Samples are available on request.