Cork Quality Council

The Cork Quality Council has served the cork and wine industries for 25 years since its founding in 1994. The non-profit group of US cork companies has achieved several noteworthy accomplishments, beginning with the development of a standardized visual quality system for natural corks. The group then developed a series of quality standards to be applied to all cork shipments received for the US market. Adherence to these standards is subject to CQC audits and, in some cases, third party testing. Working in conjunction with ETS Laboratories, The CQC developed a chemical screening test for TCA that has been implemented throughout the international wine and cork industry. The CQC screening method allowed for accurate detection of TCA at concentrations of 1 part per trillion, and created a benchmark that allowed cork producers to better evaluate their sources of wood and cork production techniques. Today, TCA is a rarely detected in cork screening operations. The level of TCA found in CQC cork shipments is now reduced by 98% since screening methods went online in 2002. The Cork Quality Council continues to audit results from all quality initiatives, and routinely adjusts standards to create continuous improvement.