KENYA · GUIDE 0101 · EDITION 4.2
Peanut butter making in Kenya: Operations and Quality Checks
Deliver the agreed result consistently
Choose a peanut butter texture and customer use, keeping ingredient and allergen descriptions explicit while establishing the exact approved process before expanding the jar range.
The operating sequence for this offer is:
- Approve traceable groundnut deliveries, recording supplier, condition and lot identity and separating suspect material before it reaches the food-preparation area.
- Produce to the validated recipe and process, recording ingredient weights, texture specification, actual jar yield and any batch deviations or rejected product.
- Check net weight, ingredient and allergen information and lot labels, then reconcile jars dispatched, retained, returned and sold without inventing shelf-life claims.
Put acceptance into the job record
Declare peanuts and other ingredients accurately; appearance cannot establish freedom from contamination.
Have users spread or cook with a controlled-process sample, assessing texture, separation and container convenience separately from competent validation of production and handling.
Inspect at the point where a correction is still possible, then again at handover. Record rejected or incomplete output separately from accepted output. A completed task is not automatically an accepted task, and an invoice does not establish that the customer received the right result.
Measure real capacity
Time preparation, the main operation, transport, cleaning, approvals and correction as applicable. The slowest stage determines how much you can promise. Where two orders need the same person, space or equipment at the same time, resolve the conflict before confirming both deadlines. An additional enquiry should not erase a commitment already made.
| Operating checkpoint | Evidence for this business |
|---|---|
| Before starting | Choose a peanut butter texture and customer use, keeping ingredient and allergen descriptions explicit while establishing the exact approved process before expanding the jar range. |
| During delivery | Produce to the validated recipe and process, recording ingredient weights, texture specification, actual jar yield and any batch deviations or rejected product. |
| At acceptance | Have users spread or cook with a controlled-process sample, assessing texture, separation and container convenience separately from competent validation of production and handling. |
| At the pilot review | Record nut source, formulation, process batch, packed yield and customer-use feedback, keeping recipe or packaging changes visible rather than assuming equivalent shelf behaviour. |
Keep a correction and escalation rule
When inputs, access, specifications or customer instructions change, pause the affected work and confirm the effect on time and cost. Do not quietly lower the acceptance standard to avoid a delayed delivery. Keep rework caused by your error distinct from a customer-requested change of scope and agree the remedy clearly.
Inconsistent nut selection can change flavour between batches, while an awkward jar undermines daily use despite enthusiastic comments about the original tasting sample.
Retain the minimum records needed to investigate a complaint without disclosing unrelated personal information. Use measured delivery and actual acceptance as the basis for expanding capacity, rather than the maximum theoretical output of a tool or production line.
Operating control points for this exact offer
| Sequence | Work method | Release checkpoint |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Approve exact smooth/crunchy single-ingredient sample and product safety/compliance plan with qualified support. | Peanut allergen and ingredient identity are explicit; no unvalidated ambient-life claim appears. |
| 2 | Receive 35 kg by source lot and obtain appropriate aflatoxin/pathogen supplier evidence and assessment. | Appearance or roasting smell cannot clear an unassessed suspect peanut lot. |
| 3 | Use competent operators and the validated roasting/grinding process, separating raw from post-process tools and product. | Process deviations or cross-contact hold the batch; this guide supplies no guessed roast time/temperature. |
| 4 | Weigh accepted spread and fill 120 suitable jars to 250 g net under the approved filling/closure plan. | 120×.25=30 kg; actual loss/retained product is measured rather than assumed five kg. |
| 5 | Release only cleared jars with batch/date/allergen and validated storage information; retain customer traceability. | Uncleared test/process or damaged closure prevents sale even if texture tastes good. |
Do not substitute a tick for an observation: record the count, measurement, approved sample or evidence reference used at each checkpoint. Mark unresolved work as held and identify who can approve the recheck.
Diagnose a failure before repeating it
| Observed symptom to investigate | Check the cause | Proposed response |
|---|---|---|
| Spread feels gritty | Check approved texture reference and grinder condition through competent operator | Hold quality grade and correct only within validated process. |
| Jar net weight is low | Check tare and filler/scale record | Reweigh and correct affected jars before release. |
| Lot has unresolved aflatoxin/pathogen concern | Check source/test and process records | Quarantine and seek qualified disposition; never blend with clean kernels. |
These are diagnostic prompts, not proof of the cause in a real incident. Separate suspect output, record any correction and repeat the relevant acceptance check. Link rejected units, rework time, replacement materials, customer credits and collection delays to the actual job result.