FAQs

In the following video Chris, our production manager will walk you through some of our most commonly asked questions in regards to blending and packaging,

The Pyramid tea packing machines used at The Herbal Connection require several consideration to get the best results.

Blend\Product: 

The consistency of the product is important in the accuracy and consistency of the distribution of your blend and ingredients into each tea bag.  The agitation process on the tea packing machine means that heavier elements (seeds\berries) will feed more quickly than lighter elements (rose\calendula petals).  Whilst more consistent throughout the run towards the end of a run the lighter elements "float" to the top of the blend.  Whilst we can maintain the best outcomes by limiting the input it is important that either consideration is given for some small variance between start and end of runs if you do not have evenly balanced ingredient weights.

It is also important to note that size matters as some products may have stems or parts that breach the seal.  This will cause a non-seal and potential leakage from the tea bag.

Sealing:

The tea packing machine uses an ultra sonic sealing process.  With some herbs the dust and makeup of them can cause the seal to be weak and in some cases stronger.  This may lead to some bags opening after sealing and in some cases staying linked.  In the case of being linked still they will fall apart with a simple shake.

Wastage:

For the above reasons there may be some wastage of blend and bags in the setup and processing of your tea bags.  Whilst we normally allow a small amount of extra blend for this reason there is the chance of +/- 3% of tea bags can be at risk of failure or not pass quality checks by The Herbal Connection or you as a client.  We will run additional tea bags with each run where extra stock exists to counter this but it is a consideration to factor in to your business plan.  The Herbal Connection does not cover the cost of wastage in our agreements.

For clients using their own printed tags this wastage is to be factored in when assessing reorder of bags.  For example; a run of 30,000 tea bags will result in a % of wastage of bags most commonly during set up of each roll onto the machine, and during quality checks.  We would rather use more bags and end up with a better result for the client than stick strictly to only running the ordered amount.

As part of The Herbal Connection, we are offering a solution for client pack out by partnering with a disability services business here on the Gold Coast.

The pack-out fee ranges from around $.90 - $3/unit (regardless of weight) -  The price variation is dependant on the type of pack out service you are looking for. 

Services on offer but not limited to, are as follows:

• Assembly of packaging
• Stand up pouch pack out of loose herbs or tea bags
• packing into Cielo bags 
• packing into boxes or tubes
• packing into outers
• application of labels 
• application of stickers
• best before date applied

The Herbal Connection Difference:

• We are committed to helping improve the lives of others and to supporting our community, we see the partnership arrangement in place for pack out as a core way for us to achieve this.
• Certified Organic Production and Processor (#4306P)
• HACCP Certified production facility
• Customised quality assurance.
• Images of production in place (QA and/or for your social media and advertising)
• Client based production space via online workflow (view all information in real-time regarding your production project)

Each job is quoted individually and based on the requirements of the client.

All packaging needs to ordered by the client and shipped to us for pack out.

For more information or for a personalised quotation - please contact sales@herbalconnection.com.au or call us on 1300 SPICED

Here, at The Herbal Connection, we pride ourselves on the communication and service we give to our clients. We have seen amazing growth within our blending, packaging, and production sector, and to ensure we continue giving you the best that we can, the following terms and conditions have come into effect for all current and future clients.

All custom blending clients are to have signed and returned a Non-Disclosure Agreement to The Herbal Connection, along with a Waiver Statement - which can be found attached to this document, or please ask one of our staff for a copy to be emailed to you.

1. All custom blending clients are to have signed and returned a Non-Disclosure Agreement to The Herbal Connection

2. All Non-Disclosure Agreements are effective from date of signature and will be reviewed every 12 calendar months to

   ensure all recipes are correct and valid. Our Non-Disclosure Agreement includes any previous recipes that The Herbal Connection have received, along with all future blends. We will request an updated copy signed every year, and we will never release client recipes.

3. Recipes are now incorporated into a private blend on our ordering system, with an allocated price/kg

4. Pricing for all custom blends will be re-quoted every 3 months. The Herbal Connection will give clients 7 days written notice of any price increases to blends. If there is a significant price rise for ingredients, The Herbal Connection reserve

   the right to increase price at time of purchase order.

5. Minimum 70% of stock required must be purchased from The Herbal Connection.

   We will not accept stock from other suppliers, unless:

   1. 5.1.  we do not stock the product

   2. 5.2.  we are out of stock of product

   3. 5.3.  the product is vastly different in cut size/flavour profile to what we stock

   4. 5.4.  we will not accept price difference as a reason

6. We charge a $62.50 blending fee per blend per order for up to 25kg of your blend - $2.50 per kg thereafter

7. A separate $35 machine fee per blend is charged regardless of the amount of tea bags are produced

8. All production orders are quoted for freight charges at time of order. We only charge what we are quoted by the freight company, and this is based on the initial order. Any additions to the order will incur extra freight charges if over the maximum volume per carton.

9. All blending, tea, production, and packaging orders are on a prepaid in full basis only. A quote will be sent from our ordering system along with a production list which must be approved by yourself in writing. Production will be confirmed only upon receipt of production approval sign-off, and confirmation of full payment. Once received approval sign- off and payment remittance, stock will then be allocated, and a blending/production date will be scheduled with our warehouse team. In no circumstance will this be negotiable, nor will any invoice be charged on terms.

10. Please allow 15 days from confirmation of payment for standard orders (not order date) for your blend to be completed and shipped. Large orders and orders requiring more attention will have a longer turnaround. This will be estimated by our staff and confirmed/communicated with all clients. Busy periods may also see a longer turnaround time – this will also be communicated at confirmation of schedule booking.

11. Pack out fees for blends are now $3 per unit if required custom pack-out can be quoted at time of order based on the complexity of the job.

12. All clients are to sign a waiver form to confirm that all blends are at user discretion. The Herbal Connection does not take responsibility for final product. All care is taken in each step of production procedure, and we will not issue a refund for anything other than compromised ingredients in stock. Please contact our team immediately if you have any concerns with your final product, and we will always try to come to a solution.

13. If clients require research and development – a non-refundable R & D fee will be invoiced. This will include a sample of product, and cost will be deducted from your first production order.

14. If a client requests special-order product to be purchased on their behalf with The Herbal Connection, an admin fee equivalent of 20% of total special-product order will be added to your invoice.

15. Custom-label tea bags are quoted and purchased through our manufacturer, and cost is based on imagery used printing, production, and international freight, with median exchange rate at time of order. All custom-label tea bag orders are to be prepaid. Additional costings may be requested for any customs or clearance fees, upon clearance into Australia.

16. Client custom tea bags are non-refundable. There will be a 3-5% loss of overall tea bags during the production process. Please allow for this during ordering and planning.

17. Any clients who are on terms accounts, please note that terms arrangements cover ingredients only, and do not cover custom blending and production. Any ingredients purchased on the same purchase order as blending and production are also to be prepaid. If you have an invoice outstanding, or due within date of production, please note that your order will not be sent until your account has been cleared of any overdue payments, or confirmation of intended payment has been received by The Herbal Connection.

18. All blends will be placed into freeze treatment for a minimum of 72 hours (3 full days), to help reduce the risk of organism contaminants. If requested that freeze treatment is foregone, a liability waiver relating to each order must be signed and returned prior to commencement of blending.

*Any clients who are on terms accounts, please note that terms arrangements cover ingredients only. Any ingredients purchased on the same purchase order as blending and production are also to be prepaid. If you have an invoice outstanding, or due within date of production, please note that your order will not be sent until your account has been cleared of any overdue payments, or confirmation of intended payment has been received by The Herbal Connection.

It is best to allow 3 weeks for production from the time we receive stock OR your blending order is paid for.  However we are always ready to work with clients who have tight deadlines where we can.  All blending stock will need to go through freeze treatment for 6 days prior to shipment to client address, whilst we can work with client timelines on blending it is important to remember the week stock will need to be in freeze treatment prior to shipment.

We ensure all equipment is cleaned thoroughly between packing jobs so it is essential we do a minimum run of tea bags when packing.  Our minimum run per product type would be 3Kg in a generic tea bag or 1 roll (6,000) if being run into a custom tea bag.

There is a $35/blend set up fee this covers the cost of setting the machine up and thorough clean down between blend to eliminate cross contamination of product.  The $35 fee is a flat fee regardless of the amount of product you choose to run through the machine.

Make sure you check out our non-branded range of bulk tea bags available at https://herbalconnection.com.au/products/tea/pyramid-tea-bags/

These have only "TEA" on the tag and are referred to as our "Generic" tea bag tags.  Ideal for filling out your range or for Cafe's and bulk food stores.

The Herbal Connection are able to pack into pillow shape or pyramid shape tea bags.  With the option of your own bag and tag, beginning at 5 cents per unit, or a generic bag and white label tag at 3.7 cents per unit.

The filling of the tea bags starts at 11.5 cents per unit and is dependant on the type of tea needing to be run through the machine and the amount of time required.

There is a $62.50/blend and a $35/blend machine charge regardless of the amount of tea bags that are being produced.

The size of herbs and their ability to flow consistently through equipment does impact the outcome but the equipment used is very flexible, allowing the filling of tea bags using whole herbs.

Each job is quoted individually at time of order.

At The Herbal Connection we can blend your products (powders or herbs).  Our blending is done to your recipe and can use 100% of The Herbal Connections products OR you can send product to us.  There may be some restrictions on how many and where these come from but we are happy to work with you.  Blending is done at a fixed cost of $2.50 per kilogram with a minimum per blend of $62.50 charged.  This covers equipment clean down costs per blend.

If you are choosing to Certify your product Organic in Australia you can choose to have your blending and packing done at The Herbal Connection knowing we are a fully Certified Wholesaler and Processor under Certificate (4306P).

We can supply your raw materials, blend and pack under the Australian Organic Standard.