As a member of SPBO (Syndicat des Producteurs de Bois pour l'œnologie), Arôbois promotes the Quality Charter
established by the syndicate.

SPBO members are committed to supplying quality products. This charter lists the minimum quality criteria the products must meet.

 Our Quality Control Management

Selection of the raw material :
Each batch of new oak (wood cooperage quality) is strictly selected with our suppliers. We use only French oak (Quercus Sessiliflora or Quercus Robur) and American oak (Quercus Alba).

Traceability :
Each batch of wood is identified upon receipt and traced during all the process.
> Data Recording, management by batch.

Our Food Safety approach :
> From the reception of raw material to the shipment of the final product.
> Analyze and control of physical, chemical, biological end pesticides hazards during production of oak chips for use in food.
>According to the HACCP system recognized by Bureau Veritas.
>Product in conformity with the current EC Regulation .

Quality Control :
We chase the following compounds in our raw material and final products :
- chloro and bromo anisoles and phenols, benzo(a)pyrene, heavy metals.
> Batch’s certification.

Quality certificates :
> Technical data sheet.
> GMO free Certificate.
> Treatment Certificate.
> Health and safety Sheet.

Research and development :
We commit ourselves to an important R&D program in order to continuously improve the quality of our products.

 The Quality Charter (SPBO)

Products definition

This charter concerns the products used as additives or alternatives to barrels in the winemaking process. These products are sold under different trade names, under the responsibility of each producer, but three families can be identified :

I. Powder and chips : obtained by a chipper, a crusher, or other comparable equipment.

II. Staves : obtained from a splitting or sawing equipment, they have the same shape as a board.

III. Other products : a variety of other forms are currently available, among others, cubes, blocks, spheres, or other geometrical shapes resulting from sawing, turning, or other machining methods.

Quality of Raw Materials
Whatever raw material is used (staves or other boards by-products, or others), it shall have the following characteristics :

I. New wood : it shall in all cases be the product of the first transformation of the wood. Members shall particularly not use second-hand used wood.

II. Wood of a known origin : wood supply chain is sometimes complex, but members shall take action to implement a quality assurance system, in accordance with suppliers, enabling them to guarantee the origin of the wood they use.


III. Healthy and reliable wood quality : members shall not use wood carrying traces of rot, mould, moss or other signs of decay.

IV. Absence of sap-wood and bark : only heart wood shall be used to manufacture the products concerned by this charter.

V. Absence of chemical treatment : the woods used shall not be subject to soaking, aspersion or any other form of applying preservation products (fungicides, pesticides and others) or marking not authorized by the regulation concerning "food grade" wood.

Quality of process
Whatever process members choose to use, the following guidelines must be respected :

I. Tracing : members commit to guaranteeing the traceability of their products.

II. Absence of harmful compound : members commit to ensuring their process does not bring any compound which can be harmful to health (benzo-pyrene and others.).

Quality of products
Regular analyses of products shall be carried out with a view to ensuring :
I. The absence of products that will be harmful to health (benzo-pyrenes, PCP, TCA, furan, heavy metals, micro-organisms, and others).

II. The presence of components these products are made to provide (tannins and aromatic molecules).

Quality of packaging
I. Members commit to using only adequate packaging, i.e. food grade packaging, that won't bring any off taste or smell to the product.

II. Packaging used must be recyclable.

III. Packaging must also carry clear labeling and a definition of the products that will avoid any possible misleading of end users.