At Goodfolks, our mantra isn’t just a tagline—it’s a daily commitment:GOODFOLKS IS GOOD FOR CONSUMERS.
In a world where natural products promise purity but too often fall short, we go beyond the basics. We obsess over every possible way a product could go wrong and eliminate those risks before they ever reach your kitchen, wellness routine, or gift basket. Recently, we uncovered a concerning practice in the drying of butterfly pea flowers: the use of chemicals typically reserved for preserving rice, like phosphine-based fumigants, to extend shelf life. It was a wake-up call. While these shortcuts might seem harmless, they introduce residues that no consumer should ingest.
That’s why we’ve developed a rigorous, end-to-end safety framework for our entire range—from wild bee honey and nutrient-rich kithul syrups to creamy coconut spreads, vibrant herbal powders, delicate dehydrated whole flowers, aromatic spices, premium vanilla pods, and sun-kissed dehydrated fruits. Drawing from Sri Lanka’s lush landscapes and the hands of our trusted Micro-Small-Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), we ensure every jar, pouch, and pack delivers uncompromised goodness. No additives, no shady shortcuts—just 100% natural, vegan-friendly, low-GI delights that support your health and our planet.
In this post, we’ll pull back the curtain on our master guideline: a comprehensive checklist spanning the full supply chain. Think of it as our blueprint for purity, informed by global standards like HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) and real-world data on food risks. We’ll walk you through each stage, highlighting how we tackle biological hazards (like sneaky pathogens), chemical contaminants (from pesticides to adulterants), and physical impurities (think dirt or debris). And because transparency is key, we’ll share stats that underscore why this matters—because knowledge is the best ingredient.
Stage 1: Farming and Cultivation – Starting Pure from the Soil Up
Our journey begins in Sri Lanka’s verdant fields, apiaries, and groves, where we partner exclusively with ethical MSMEs practicing natural farming. No synthetic pesticides here; instead, we champion Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to keep bugs at bay without chemicals. But we don’t stop at trust—we test.
Potential pitfalls? Pesticide residues that linger in soil or heavy metals like lead and cadmium from polluted water sources. In humid tropical climates like ours, irrigation runoff can introduce pathogens such as E. coli, while proximity to roads or industry risks airborne pollutants. For context, global data shows that up to 14% of imported honey samples are intentionally adulterated with undeclared sweeteners early in the supply chain, often tracing back to contaminated fields.
Our Safeguards:
- Soil and Water Audits
- GPS-Mapped Sourcing
- Farmer Empowerment
For our kithul products, tapped from mature palm flowers, this means sterile tools from day one—no fermentation risks in the sap. The result? Honey blends that taste like Sri Lanka’s wildflowers, not a chemistry lab.
Stage 2: Harvesting – Gentle Hands, Timely Picks
Harvesting is poetry in motion: dawn collections under the shade of coconut palms or careful bee frame extractions. But one slip—a dirty tool or delayed cooling—and bacteria like Salmonella can crash the party. Bruised fruits invite mold, and overripe picks spark unwanted fermentation.
In spices alone, the FDA reports that 12% of imports are contaminated with pathogens like Salmonella or riddled with insect filth. Dried coconut, a staple in our chips and spreads, shares similar vulnerabilities if husks touch soil during harvest.
Our Safeguards:
- Hygiene First: Harvesters wear gloves and wash hands rigorously; tools are stainless steel and sanitized.
- Visual and Sensory Checks: Batches with over 5% defects (bruises, insects) get rejected on-site. For dehydrated whole flowers like butterfly pea, we harvest in the morning cool to lock in those stunning blues without dew-borne contaminants.
- Product Spotlights: Our vanilla pods are hand-plucked at peak ripeness to avoid curdling.
This stage ensures our herbal powders start as vibrant leaves, not potential health hazards.
Stage 3: Post-Harvest Treatments – Cleaning Without Compromise
Fresh off the vine or hive, raw materials head to initial cleaning. Here, delays can let microbes multiply—Clostridium in kithul sap, for instance—or fumigants introduce chemical ghosts, like those rice preservatives we flagged in butterfly pea drying.
Europe saw over 5,800 food recalls from May 2024 to May 2025, many tied to post-harvest lapses. Mycotoxins, those mold-produced toxins, affect an estimated 25% of the world’s crops, hitting dried fruits and herbs hard.
Our Safeguards:
- Potable Water Washes
- Rapid Cooling
- Natural Pest Control
Our dehydrated fruits emerge crisp and contaminant-free, ready for blending into your morning smoothie.
Stage 4: Processing – Precision in Every Powder and Puree
This is where raw beauty becomes shelf-ready: dehydrating at low temps (under 50°C to preserve nutrients like anthocyanins in butterfly pea), grinding herbal powders, or blending honey with fruits. Shared equipment risks cross-contamination; high heat can leach off-flavors or destroy vitamins.
Adulteration isn’t just a honey problem—57% of consumers face health issues from tainted foods, per studies. In Brazil, recent honey analyses revealed widespread microbial hits.
Our Safeguards:
- Dedicated Lines
- Adulterant Testing
- Grading Rigor
Stage 5: Packaging, Storage, and Transport – Sealed for Safety
We’ve nurtured purity—now we protect it. Plastic migration (BPA) or temp spikes during shipping can undo it all. Tampering? Unthinkable, but we plan for it.
Stage 6: Unwavering Quality Assurance – The Goodfolks Seal
This isn’t a one-and-done; it’s woven throughout. Our HACCP plan flags Critical Control Points (like drying temps), with quarterly audits and third-party tests for everything from total plate counts (under 10^4 CFU/g) to sensory panels ensuring that fresh, Sri Lankan zing.
Supplier scorecards demand 90%+ compliance, and we loop in your feedback. For high-risk stars like spices (where WHO notes Salmonella prevalence), we double down on mycotoxin screens.
The Goodfolks Guarantee: Pure Joy, Every Time
In embracing our Mandala Model—balancing profits, sustainability, mindfulness, and innovation—we don’t just sell products; we steward a cycle of good. From empowering farmers with training to minimizing waste (those bee boxes from discarded wood? Genius), every step honors you, our consumer.
We’re proud that over 99.9% of tested dried spices globally pass muster, and we’re committed to beating that benchmark. Shop our range at goodfolks.shop—from kithul treacles that sweeten without spiking blood sugar to coconut spreads that nourish without worry. Got questions? Drop us a line; we’re all ears (and labs).
Because at Goodfolks, good isn’t good enough—it’s essential. What’s your favorite way to enjoy our goodies? Share below!
Stay good, folks. The Goodfolks Team