Processing Plant

The processing plant of Alimentos Selectos is located in the city of Guatemala where its headquarters are. The plant has been renovated and enlarged since 2011 due to the need to increase its production capacity to meet the high international demand over macadamia nut.

Peeling

Once macadamia nuts are harvested and gathered in the farm, the surface shell is mechanically separated and used as fuel and organic compost.

Drying

Macadamia nuts are dried and taken to adequate moisture for further processing.

Cracking

Consists in breaking the macadamia shell that is just underneath the surface shell.

Sorting

In this stage, all nuts are mechanically sorted to separate the ones that do not comply with physical requirements of quality just as color defects, the ones that have insects or mold; all these proper to this type of nut.

Packaging

Macadamia nuts are vacuum packed prior “flushing” of nitrogen into polypropylene bags metalized and bi-laminated to protect the product from oxidation and deterioration ensuring a lifetime of 18 months at room temperature and up to 4 years if stored in refrigeration.

Certificates

The processing plant of Alimentos Selectos has been certified as organic to venture in niche markets in the United States and the European Union. It is the first and the only macadamia nut processing plant in Latin American with this certification, making it a pioneer industry.

Quality Control

Alimentos Selectos has adopted the requirements of Good Manufacturing Practices GMP as internal standards to ensure the safety and quality of the food processed.

The department of Quality Control is formed by a group of highly qualified people that are in constant training. Their main responsibility is to make sure that all standards of quality are met, and ensure innocuousness in the chain of value, from purchasing the raw material to its process and distribution.

This department conducts microbiological and physicochemical analysis to all raw materials processed daily. It also has implemented a quarantine system before sending the product to our buyers. During this period, the product remains under observation to guarantee full compliance with all specifications requested by the client.

Our methods are based on AOAC manuals, Codex Alimentarius, Central American Technical Regulations (RTCA) among others. We work with international accredited laboratories to perform inter comparisons with our results ensuring the innocuousness of our products.

R+D (Research and Development)

Alimentos Selectos has a Research and Development department to design and develop new products adapted to the marketing strategies and growth of the company.

We are in a continuous process of invention and evaluation of novel products to be competitive and meet the needs of a demanding market.

The R+D department seeks to improve the processes and technologies used in products based on production and industrial factors that evolve over time. At the same time, it coordinates development projects ensuring a steady progress both in terms of research and technology.