The Product Was Export Ready — The Ingredient Supply Chain Was Not
On a small scale, it was working smoothly. The formulation was good. Sourcing was fine. Relationships with local suppliers were informal but effective. The quality was good enough for the domestic market, where the brand first made its reputation. The product worked. The customers came back. The business expanded. Then the opportunity to supply overseas. Distributor in the UK. Private label agreement with a European health food retailer. An import enquiry from a Gulf-based importer who had seen the product and wanted volume. The excitement continued until the first talk of compliance requirements. The importing country required full traceability of all ingredients. Heavy Metals Test Report. Certificates of pesticide residue. Microbiological analysis in accredited laboratories. Documentation proving the country of origin of each ingredient from the source, not just the immediate supplier. With these requirements in mind, the brand turned to its existing suppliers. Most of them wer...