Why this matters:
– Vietnam’s cashew industry reached a record export value in 2025 and remains a major global processing hub. (Source: Vietnam Customs via VINACAS, 1/2026)
– In 2026, the industry is facing stronger pressure from raw material dependence, logistics disruption, and stricter requirements on food safety and traceability. (Source: VINACAS, 5–6/2026)
– A factory visit should not be treated as a simple tour. It should be used to verify whether the supplier can control quality, documentation, and delivery risk.
1. Before the visit: verify documents before looking at the factory
Observe:
– Whether the supplier prepares certificates, business license, export records, and product specifications before the visit.
– Whether documents are organized by product, market, and production line.
– Whether the sales team and technical team give consistent answers.
Ask:
– Which cashew grades and formats are produced in-house and which are subcontracted?
– Which destination markets has the factory exported to in the last 12–24 months?
– Which food safety certificates are active, and when was the latest audit?
– How does the factory trace each finished batch back to raw cashew origin and processing date?
2. Raw material receiving and storage: check supply discipline
Observe:
– Raw cashew receiving area, moisture check process, storage layout, and lot separation.
– Whether imported raw cashew lots are labeled clearly by origin, arrival date, supplier, and internal lot code.
– Whether rejected or pending lots are physically separated from accepted lots.
Ask:
– What percentage of raw material is imported, and from which origin groups?
– How does the factory manage supply risk when African or Cambodian raw cashew flow changes?
– What tests are performed before raw cashew enters production?
– How long can raw cashew be stored before quality risk increases?
3. Processing and food safety control: look for process consistency
Observe:
– Shelling, drying, peeling, grading, sorting, metal detection, and packing flow.
– Worker hygiene, pest-control records, cleaning schedule, and line separation.
– Whether defect sorting is manual, machine-assisted, or both.
– Whether broken kernels, scorched kernels, foreign matter, and off-color kernels are controlled by written standards.
Ask:
– What are the critical control points in the process?
– How often are metal detectors and weighing systems calibrated?
– How are customer specifications communicated to production staff?
– What happens when a batch fails internal quality checks?
4. Packing, storage, and export readiness: test shipment reliability
Observe:
– Vacuum packing, carton sealing, label accuracy, pallet condition, and finished-goods warehouse temperature.
– Whether export cartons match the buyer’s required grade, lot code, production date, and net weight.
– Whether loading photos and container inspection records are available.
Ask:
– Can the factory provide pre-shipment inspection, loading records, and batch-level traceability documents?
– How does the factory prevent mix-ups between grades, buyers, and destination markets?
– What is the lead time from confirmed order to shipment under normal conditions?
– What contingency plan is used when shipping routes, payment timing, or destination requirements change?
Buyer checklist after the visit:
– Processing steps are controlled in-house or transparently disclosed.
– Raw material origin and lot separation are traceable.
– Food safety certificates are active and relevant to the destination market.
– Defect standards are written and visible to production staff.
– Packing labels match contract and destination requirements.
– Export documentation can be produced at batch level.
– The supplier can explain risk controls without relying only on sales claims.
Email: contact@gbridgex.com
Website: www.gbridgex.com