Product Quality & Packaging Standards

Last Updated: [12 Sept 2026]

These Product Quality & Packaging Standards (“Standards”) establish minimum quality, food-safety, packaging, labeling, storage, and order-handoff requirements for Vendors offering products through the Palenque marketplace.

These Standards should be read together with the PalenquePH Vendor Agreement, Vendor Compliance Guidelines, Refund, Replacement & Cancellation Policy, and other applicable marketplace policies. Vendors remain responsible for complying with Philippine laws, regulations, permits, licenses, and product-specific requirements applicable to their products and business activities.

1. General Product Quality

Products supplied through Palenque must be lawful, safe, fit for their intended purpose, and substantially consistent with the applicable product listing and confirmed order.

Vendors shall ensure that products are, as applicable:

• Fresh and in acceptable condition at the time of handoff;
• Within applicable expiry, best-before, or use-by periods;
• Free from contamination, spoilage, infestation, adulteration, or other conditions that make the product unsafe or materially unfit for its intended use;
• Reasonably consistent with the quality, size, quantity, pack, grade, variant, or other specifications represented in the listing; and.
• Stored, prepared, handled, and packaged in a manner appropriate to the product.

Normal natural variations in the appearance of fresh agricultural products do not automatically constitute a quality defect. However, materially rotten, spoiled, unsafe, excessively damaged, or otherwise unmerchantable products must not be supplied.

2. Fresh Produce

Fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and similar produce must be reasonably fresh and suitable for sale and consumption based on the nature of the product.

Vendors shall remove products showing material rot, mold, contamination, infestation, or deterioration that makes them unsafe or materially unfit for sale.

Minor natural variations in size, shape, color, surface appearance, or cosmetic condition may occur in fresh produce unless a particular grade or specification has been expressly represented in the listing.

Produce shall be packaged in a manner appropriate to the particular product, taking into account ventilation, moisture, crushing, contamination, and other reasonably foreseeable handling risks.

3. Meat, Poultry and Seafood

Meat, poultry, seafood, and similar high-risk perishable products must be sourced, stored, handled, prepared, and packaged in accordance with applicable food-safety and regulatory requirements.

Products must not be supplied where there are reasonable signs of spoilage, contamination, unsafe temperature exposure, or other conditions making them unfit for consumption.

Raw meat, poultry, and seafood shall be securely contained to reduce leakage and cross-contamination. Packaging shall be food-safe and appropriate for the product and delivery conditions.

Where temperature control is required, Vendors must take reasonable and appropriate measures to maintain safe product conditions before handoff and during any period for which the Vendor remains responsible.

4. Frozen and Chilled Products

Frozen products shall be maintained under appropriate frozen storage conditions before handoff. Chilled products shall be maintained under appropriate refrigerated conditions where required for safety or product integrity.

A Vendor must not knowingly supply a product that has been subjected to temperature abuse or handling that makes it unsafe or materially compromises its required condition.

The appropriate packaging and temperature-control method may vary by product, delivery duration, applicable legal requirement, and reasonably foreseeable delivery conditions.

5. Pack Sizes, Quantities and Product Specifications

Products shall be supplied according to the size, quantity, unit, pack, standardized weight option, variant, or other specifications shown in the confirmed order.

Palenque does not use a post-order variable-weight price adjustment merely because the actual weight of a fresh product differs from an estimated weight. Products commonly sold by weight shall use the standardized weight or pack-size options made available or approved for the applicable listing.

Vendors must not intentionally underfill a pack or substitute a materially different quantity, size, variant, or product without authorization through the applicable Palenque process. .

A material shortage, incorrect quantity, or other confirmed discrepancy may result in a refund, replacement, adjustment, or Vendor enforcement action under applicable Palenque policies.

6. Packaging Requirements

Vendors shall use packaging that is clean, appropriate for the product, and reasonably capable of protecting the product during ordinary pickup and delivery handling.

Food products shall use food-safe packaging materials where applicable.

Packaging shall, as appropriate:

• Protect products against contamination, leakage, crushing, breakage, exposure, or material deterioration;
• Secure liquids, wet products, sauces, raw meat, seafood, and similar products against reasonably foreseeable leakage;
• Separate incompatible products where necessary to reduce cross-contamination, odor transfer, leakage, or damage;
• Use tamper-evident or sealed packaging where required by law, PalenquePH policy, or reasonably appropriate to the product;
• Provide sufficient structural protection for fragile or easily damaged products; and
• Avoid packaging practices that create an unreasonable safety risk to customers, riders, or other products.

Double-wrapping is not automatically required for every liquid or wet product. Vendors should use leak-resistant primary packaging and additional containment where reasonably necessary for the particular product and delivery conditions.

7. Raw, Ready-to-Eat and Other Incompatible Products

Raw products that may contaminate ready-to-eat food or other products shall be appropriately separated and contained.

Raw meat, poultry, seafood, chemicals, cleaning products, and other products presenting contamination or leakage risks must not be packaged in a manner that creates an unreasonable risk to ready-to-eat food, fresh produce, or other sensitive products.

Where multiple product types are included in one order, Vendors shall use reasonable segregation and containment appropriate to the products involved. .

8. Labeling and Order Identification

Vendors must provide product and package labeling required by applicable law and PalenquePH marketplace requirements.

Where the Platform generates an order label, receipt identifier, order number, or other pickup reference, the Vendor shall use the applicable identification method supported by the Platform so the correct order can be verified at handoff.

Labels and order identifiers should be legible and securely associated with the correct order. Customer personal information displayed on packaging should be limited to what is reasonably necessary for fulfillment and protected from unnecessary disclosure.

Nothing in these Standards replaces mandatory labeling requirements applicable to prepackaged, regulated, allergen-containing, or other products under Philippine law.

9. Allergens and Material Product Information

Where applicable, Vendors must provide allergen, ingredient, preparation, storage, warning, or other material product information required by law or reasonably necessary for safe customer use.

Vendors must not make false or misleading claims concerning ingredients, allergens, origin, freshness, grade, organic status, health benefits, certifications, or other material characteristics

Where a Vendor prepares food in an environment where cross-contact with allergens may reasonably occur, the Vendor shall comply with applicable legal requirements and PalenquePH standards concerning disclosure and safe handling.

10. Storage and Handling

Vendors shall maintain reasonable hygiene, sanitation, pest-control, storage, and handling practices appropriate to the products sold.

Products must be protected from contamination and stored under conditions appropriate to their nature. Vendors must comply with applicable requirements of competent Philippine authorities, which may include the Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health, local government units, and other authorities depending on the product and activity.

References to a particular regulator in these Standards do not limit the Vendor’s obligation to comply with all authorities and legal requirements applicable to its products.

11. Handoff to Riders

Before handoff, the Vendor shall take reasonable steps to:

• Confirm that the correct order has been prepared;
• Ensure packaging is properly closed, secured, and reasonably suitable for delivery;
• Identify obvious leakage, damage, contamination, or other material packaging problems;
• Provide applicable handling instructions reasonably necessary for safe delivery; and
• Verify the order using the applicable Palenque pickup process.

A Rider may report or decline handoff of an order where there is an apparent material safety risk, serious leakage, materially inadequate packaging, or another condition that reasonably makes the order unsafe to transport. The matter should be reported through the applicable Palenque process for resolution.

12. Customer Complaints and Product Quality Investigations

PalenquePH may investigate complaints concerning spoilage, contamination, unsafe products, incorrect quantities, damaged packaging, product substitutions, labeling, freshness, or other quality issues.

Vendors shall reasonably cooperate with legitimate investigations and may be asked to provide product information, photographs, batch or source information where applicable, preparation records, or other relevant evidence reasonably available to them.

Where a product defect, shortage, safety issue, or Vendor-controlled fulfillment error is established, PalenquePH may provide or facilitate a refund, replacement, correction, product delisting, or other remedy or enforcement measure under applicable Palenque policies.

13. Product Recalls and Safety Alerts

A Vendor must promptly notify PalenquePH if the Vendor becomes aware that a product offered through Palenque is subject to a government, manufacturer, supplier, or other legitimate safety recall or material safety warning.

The Vendor shall promptly stop offering affected products where required and cooperate with reasonable measures concerning customer notification, product removal, refund, replacement, investigation, or regulatory compliance.

PalenquePH may immediately restrict or delist a product where reasonably necessary because of a credible safety concern, recall, regulatory direction, or material risk to customers or the public.

14. Compliance Reviews and Enforcement

PalenquePH may conduct reasonable scheduled, complaint-based, random, or risk-based reviews concerning product quality, food safety, packaging, labeling, storage, fulfillment, and compliance with these Standards.

Where an issue is identified, PalenquePH may request corrective action, additional information, or supporting documentation.

Depending on the nature, severity, frequency, and risk of the violation, PalenquePH may issue a warning, restrict or delist a product, temporarily restrict Vendor functionality, suspend the Vendor account, or take other proportionate action permitted under the Vendor Agreement.

Where appropriate and reasonably practicable, the Vendor may be given an opportunity to correct a violation. Immediate restriction may be imposed where reasonably necessary because of suspected contamination, unsafe products, unlawful goods, serious food-safety concerns, regulatory action, or other material risks.

15. Policy Updates

PalenquePH may update these Standards where reasonably necessary for operational, legal, regulatory, food-safety, security, customer-protection, or marketplace purposes.

Material changes shall be communicated to Vendors through the Platform, registered email address, or another reasonable electronic means. Where required by applicable law or where PalenquePH determines appropriate, renewed affirmative acceptance may be required.

16. Contact Us

For product-quality, packaging, food-safety, or compliance concerns:

Support Email: support@palenqueph.com

Corporate/Legal Notices: corporate@palenqueph.com

Website: palenqueph.com