Tempeh Starter Quality

Tempeh has always been considered a very safe product. But a large salmonella infection that sickened about a hundred people in the U.S. in 2012 changed that certainty. When the source of the infection was traced back to imported Indonesian tempeh starter, some vendors in the US and Australia closed up shop for a few months, probably because they were also sourcing directly from Indonesia and needed time to get things in order. In the meantime, the dust has settled and business is as usual.

So how do you know that the tempeh starter from a particular seller is safe to use?

Registration with Local Health Authorities

You can produce and sell Tempeh Starter in your backyard without any problems with the health authorities, simply because they do not know of your existence. We are registered with the Belgian Food Safety Authority (FAVV). Our FAVV registration number is 2.275.513.003.

FDA Registration

The FDA's Registration of Food Facilities Final Rule, 21 CFR 1.225-1.243, requires owners and operators of all domestic and foreign facilities that manufacture, process, pack, or hold food intended for consumption in the United States to register with the FDA. Our FDA registration number is 10241893410.

Kosher Certification

Although a kosher certificate is not required to produce high quality tempeh starters, it is an additional guarantee of quality. The rabbi who inspects our facility pays special attention to hygiene and sanitation. Some suppliers claim that their tempeh starter is also kosher, but cannot provide proof from an authorized person or organization.