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It takes a company-wide commitment.Years ago, since 1976 exactly, Frontier decided to become the quality leader in the natural food industry. Today you can't work at Frontier without being conscious of quality -- it's woven in to every part of the business. If you're a new employee in a packaging area, you'll learn your first day that part of your job is to stop production and call Quality Assurance if you spot a potential problem. If you're a financial manager, you know that lowering product quality is not an acceptable cost-cutting measure. If you're in sales and marketing, you depend on Frontier's ability to consistently deliver superior quality at competitive prices. There are no secrets or gimmicks to Frontier quality. Just hard work and commitment. Quality from the StartFrontier actively recruits and develops quality organic growers. For over a decade, we have been one of the largest buyers of organic herbs in the United States. We visit growers all over the world to observe and discuss the growing and harvesting of the herbs and spices we buy. Over the years, we've have built relationships with quality-conscious suppliers who consistently provide the best of a year's crop and respect our standards-including no irradiated products. Thorough inspection of a pre-shipment sample is performed on each product Frontier buys. Using our in-house lab as well as independent labs, we run tests for flavor, color, aroma, moisture, mesh size, volatile oil content, bacteria count, pesticides, and herbicides. Maintaining QualityOnce herbs and spices arrive at Frontier, every aspect of their handling is done with quality in mind. We have climate controlled storage (60 degrees Fahrenheit and 50% relative humidity) to preserve freshness and volatile plant constituents. We were the first in the herb and spice industry to use carbon dioxide fumigation -- a safe, effective alternative to chemical fumigation agents such as methyl-bromide (which has recently been identified as a serious ozone threat as well). Strict sanitation rules are enforced through regular inspections by Quality Assurance. Product handling, processing and packaging systems are all set up to maximize the quality of the final product. Exposure to moisture and heat is minimized at all times. Much of our grinding is done cryogenically at temperatures as low as 70 degrees to prevent the loss of quality which may result from the heat of grinding. Our herbs and spices are packaged in materials which ensure the optimum quality of a product -- nitrogen flushed foil laminate pouches, glass bottles, or plastic bags double-bagged in paper. Monitoring QualityWe know we're maintaining quality at Frontier because we check it every step of the way. Our Quality Assurance team monitors everything from the temperature in the warehouse to samples of each batch of seasoning blend. A sophisticated system of computerized inventory allows any herb or spice, even a minor ingredient in a blend, to be instantly located or traced back to its origin. If questions are raised about the quality of an herb or spice, the whole lot can be quickly located and checked. Guaranteed QualityWe're confident about the quality of our products. But it's not our opinion that counts -- it's yours. To make it perfectly clear who's always right, we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at any time, for any reason, you are not satisfied with a Frontier product, we will replace it or refund your money -- your choice. This guarantee is the most important part of our commitment to quality -- our herbs and spices must meet your standards. Testing ProceduresWe combine sophisticated testing equipment with traditional testing methods using taste, touch, smell and sight to ensure our customers are getting the highest quality products. Testing Equipment
Aromatherapy TestingNumerous tests are performed on our essential oils to ensure purity and quality. In addition to gas chromatography (GC), we utilize tests for specific gravity, optical rotation, refractive index and sensory analysis. Each essential oil has a particular weight, a direction and degree in which light rays bend when passing through the oil, and a speed at which light is refracted. Any deviation from these established standards may indicate adulteration. We are working to improve quality by growing several varieties of aromatherapy herbs at our Iowa Organic Research Farm, distilling them on-site, testing them and using the results to create a stronger profile of knowledge about oils. We also have experts with trained noses to determine quality and to detect inconsistencies. All this adds up to the most extensive aromatherapy testing facility in the U.S. Highly Qualified Staff
No ETO or IrradiationFrontier does not use ETO (ethylene oxide) or irradiation to sterilize products, due to our concerns for quality and safety. This often means that we need to bring in numerous samples before we find quality raw materials which meet our specifications. CO2 FumigationFrontier used the first natural CO2 unit in the Natural Products Industry to control infestation in herbs and spices. This enables us to avoid the use of chemical fumigants and provide greater purity in our products. Cryogenic GrindingWe grind most of our herbs and spices in-house with cryogenic grinding. Raw materials are ground at zero to minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit to protect volatile components. Normal grinding temperatures can reach 200 degrees, damaging heat-sensitive components. Our research shows that cryogenic grinding delivers up to 22% higher levels of active constituents. Ideal Storage ConditionsOur herb and spice warehouse in our Norway, Iowa, facility is kept at a maximum of 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 60% relative humidity all year long. These are ideal storage conditions for maintaining the quality of raw botanicals. The higher the temperature, the faster the volatilization and degradation of the plant materials. As a rule of thumb in chemistry, for every 18 degrees increase in temperature the reaction rate doubles. Freshness Dating
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