Quality Control
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An Ever-Present Commitment
A culture of quality and the pursuit of excellence are the foundation of the Lafitte Group’s conduct worldwide. Every stage of production—from the selection of raw materials to the quality control of orders—is subject to an integrated system of monitoring and verification.
+8,000
TCA Analysis (Annual)
+4,000,000
PerfectGO Analysis of Cork Stoppers (Annual)
+6,000,000
Sensory tests on cork (annually)
Quality control.
There are few companies that are as focused and forward-looking as Lafitte. Our commitment to innovation and quality is closely linked to our generations-old expertise, enabling us to design processes and equipment that allow us to guarantee flawless products.
Raw materials undergo several levels of inspection during production. Operators use advanced testing and measurement techniques to evaluate compliance with our stringent quality standards at every stage of production. The laboratory also examines the product to ensure that pre-established quality standards are met.
Our Quality Control
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Preventive Processes
Creating a perfect product requires a great deal of dedication from the very beginning. These processes ensure that the raw materials are properly preserved.
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Sterilization Processes
To ensure the optimal preservation of our customers’ products, we carry out a series of deep-cleaning procedures that eliminate all unwanted odors.
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Process Control
Achieving perfection is hard work, but that doesn't faze us. We want to provide the best possible product, and that means maintaining our own quality controls.
Preventive Processes.
Every effort is made to identify the most effective method for achieving organoleptic neutrality.
— A clean-up process that minimizes the impact on the material while ensuring the safety of workers and the environment;
— A process that selectively removes and extracts, as efficiently as possible, unwanted organic compounds: chlorophenols and chloroanisoles;
— A process that does not interfere with the other organic compounds responsible for the essential properties of cork as a raw material for bottle closures and wine preservation.
Ideal storage for cork stoppers
The cork slabs are left outdoors for a minimum stabilization period of 6 months until they reach a uniform moisture content. The cork bales are labeled so that the lots can be traced back to their origin.
Traceability is an essential factor in the certification of management systems in accordance with the International Code of Good Practice and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
The cork bales are constructed in a rectangular shape, perpendicular to the prevailing wind and placed on concrete beams to maximize air circulation, facilitate water drainage, and prevent microbial contamination.
Cork boiling
The cork logs are boiled in stainless steel kettles to remove impurities, clean the entire surface, and allow the cork to reach its ideal moisture content for the process.
Each batch is boiled for one hour, which increases the volume of the dough by 20%, making it more uniform and, therefore, more malleable.
Selection of Cork
After the curing period, specialized operators select the cork bales that will be turned into natural corks. The finest cork bales will be used to produce discs for technical corks.
Autoclave
Process for deodorizing, dimensionally stabilizing, and regulating the moisture content of prepared cork slabs through the combined action of steam, pressure, and temperature under optimized conditions.
Sterilization Processes.
MaxClean
At this stage, the granules undergo an additional treatment to extract volatile organic compounds such as 2,4,6-TCA and reduce the microbiological load using the steam stripping technique.
MaxClean Evolution (for corks)
Used in the treatment of natural cork, this technology produces cork stoppers with undetectable levels of TCA. Compounds such as 2,4,6-TCA and other undesirable organic compounds present in the cork are removed through a deodorization/sterilization system that combines vapor pressure, temperature, and time. The remarkable characteristics of natural cork and its unmatched performance—essential to the preservation and aging of wines—remain intact.
Process control.
Analysis of the TCA
Throughout the production process, representative samples from each batch are analyzed for chloranisol content using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to detect undesirable components.
PerfectGO
PerfectGO is a unique TCA-sensitive detection system that sorts corks based on the detected TCA level.
The corks are placed in a sealed, inert container and subjected to a controlled temperature to volatilize the TCA molecules they contain.
TCA is quantified by equivalence using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS). This allows for the separation of corks with TCA levels below the established limits, thereby ensuring that batches are 100% TCA-free.
Sensory Test
Our specialized technicians conduct sensory tests on batches of cork to monitor for undesirable volatile compounds found in the corks, particularly 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA).
The tests conducted during production can be categorized as follows:
Physical Tests
Humidity
Dimensions
Density
Chemical Tests
Oxidizing waste
Solid waste
Sensory Test
Capillarity
Analysis of Chloroanisoles
(TCA, TeCA, PCA)
Mechanical Tests
Extraction force
Latch Behavior
Resistance to boiling water
Elastic recovery
Others
Microbiology
Hydrostatic pump
Absorption
Quality Standards.
We are one of the associate members of the Cork Technology Center. All materials and technological aids used in manufacturing and processing are certified for direct contact with food products in accordance with current legislation.
Our comprehensive quality control laboratory is committed to using the latest technological advances to ensure improvements in the production process.
In conjunction with the sensory testing of all batches of raw cork, an external laboratory performs TCA screening analyses using SPE, gas chromatography, and mass spectrometry, helping us maximize the neutrality of all our products.
Water-based coating.
The exclusive use of water-based ink in our capsules is important, as it allows us to provide our customers with products of the highest quality and safety. Water-based ink offers many benefits:
Environmental safety
5% fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and free of heavy metals.
Human safety
Non-toxic and virtually harmless. It contains no carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic (CMR) substances that have been linked to carcinogenic or teratogenic effects, as found in other inks.
Technical Specifications The non-sticky properties of this dye ensure optimal performance on the bottling line, providing remarkable consistency.
Aesthetic Quality: A smoother, more uniform coating, available in tin or aluminum.
Reception.
All products received are rigorously tested in accordance with Lafitte's procedures and quality control plans to ensure that the quality of the products received meets the required standards.
After the inspection, a Quality Control Report is prepared for the received material, which includes the results for moisture content, size, visual quality, inspection of shipping conditions and hygiene, potential degradation, density, organoleptic profile, and TCA analysis.
The batches are stored for processing.
Processing.
Products are stored for processing in clean, dry, and well-ventilated warehouses, organized by product type and production area.
Product batches are prepared and processed based on a production order issued in accordance with all customer requirements. Each order is customized with text or a logo to ensure product traceability. Continuous and rigorous monitoring at every stage of the process guarantees the quality of the final product.
Expedition.
The final surface treatment of the corks is determined based on the type of wine, the bottle, and the bottling equipment used by the customer. To evaluate the quality of the final treatment, representative samples are collected and tested for residue levels, sealing performance, pull-out strength, capillarity, and absorption.
All results are recorded in the Quality Control Report for outgoing materials, prior to labeling and shipment, to ensure that quality standards comply with customer requirements.
The treated and tested corks are packaged in bags into which SO₂ is injected before sealing. This ensures that the cork is preserved under ideal conditions.
As a matter of routine, samples are taken from the caps after packaging. These samples are then sent to a laboratory to ensure that there is no bacterial, yeast, or mold contamination.
