At IREKS, IQ means innovation and quality. From the grain of seed to the finished malt product, quality is the top priority at IREKS. Therefore, the complete development and manufacturing process of our products is monitored by close-meshed analyses and quality tests.
Our commitment to innovation drives us to constantly look for new ways to improve and develop products for our customers that allow them to advance. This is reflected in our company-wide principle, which is based on our quality policy and supported by five pillars: IREKS IQ.
The malt production process at IREKS is being fully documented and accompanied by constant quality checks in our in-house laboratories. Through these permanent internal analyses and the additional integration into a special monitoring system of the malt industry, we guarantee food safety at the highest level. From the very beginning, all properties of the resulting malt are specifically monitored and adapted to the technological requirements of our customers.
We carry out numerous quality controls in our laboratories, some of which are far above average. Unique in the industry, for example, is our ultra-trace analysis laboratory. Equipped with state-of-the-art analytical equipment, such as a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, it provides a highly sensitive means of checking our raw materials and malts. In this way, we can detect the smallest traces of undesirable substances such as nitrosamines (NDMA), pesticides or heavy metals. However, we do not only use ultra-trace analysis to guarantee the highest purity, but also the best possible product properties. Our team of experts, comprising specialists from a wide range of fields such as food technology, natural and active ingredient chemistry or biology, works on innovative product solutions every day. In addition, we cooperate with various suppliers and research institutions.
In order to meet the requirements of our customers, we not only examine the standard parameters of our brewing malts, but also carry out further special analyses. For example, we test the gushing effect of every batch produced using a modified Carlsberg test or randomly examine the varietal purity by means of protein gel electrophoresis, the fingerprint of each individual grain variety, so to speak.
The satisfaction of our customers and their trust in the safety of our products is defined as one of our main goals. To this end, our processes are consistently being put to the test. More than 25 internal auditors take care of the permanent review and improvement of processes and sub-suppliers. Our HACCP system, too, is continuously optimised by two interdisciplinary teams.