Lima has had its own laboratory since the 1960s.

In addition to official inspections, the company's internal laboratory, Lima Expert, checks all the stages in the production, processing and distribution processes.

The role of Lima Expert:

• to carry out checks on the raw materials originating from the various producers, based on very strict specifications formulated by Lima;
• close cooperation with suppliers;
• to carry out numerous checks on everything from raw materials to finished products.
  

The checks carried out by Lima Expert

Complete absence of pesticides:
Lima has a zero tolerance policy, which means that if traces of pesticide are found during the analysis of a raw material or finished product sample, the batch or product is declared contaminated, and is refused and returned after being subjected to a counter-analysis by an external laboratory.

No trace of pesticides in Lima products, thanks to Lima Expert’s zero-tolerance approach

Absence of GMOs:
Given the complexity of GMO controls, the Lima laboratory works with an external partner (attached to the University of Ghent and to the School of Agricultural Science).

Random controls are carried out on sensitive products, in addition to the guarantees provided by our suppliers. For instance: representative samples of soy beans used to produce its sauces are sent to Lima Expert which performs tests. If the samples are approved, production can commence.

Other quality criteria checked by Lima Expert :

• physical and chemical properties: besides pesticides; other elements affect the quality of the products: moisture, density, pH balance, the presence of heavy metals, free fatty acids, etc.
• organoleptic properties: smell, colour, taste of the product, foreign substances: foreign grains, weeds, insects. Rice sometimes contains grey rice, which is mature rice, the hull of which is still green. Another example: sesame that is used to make gomasio sometimes has a bitter taste.
• microbial and bacterial properties of a product: this means the percentage of germs and the presence of microorganisms and fungi in a product. Here, the keywords are food safety and possible contamination of foodstuffs. Hence, Lima Expert checks the packaging: weight, content, the packaging itself, the expiry date, the practicality of the packaging, etc.