Good Hygiene Practices along the coffee chain

Product Information and Traceability / Product

Tracing

Module 3.6

Slide 2 Module 3.6 – Product Information and Traceability / Product Tracing

Objectives

To make stakeholders aware that adequate product information is required to ensure food product safety and suitability

To update stakeholders on international discussions on traceability of foods in international trade

To make stakeholders aware of what product information should be provided in the marketing of green coffee

Slide 3 Module 3.6 – Product Information and Traceability / Product Tracing

Outline

General concepts of product information and product tracing in the food sector

What is traceability and how is it being applied to food trade internationally?

Transfer of product information along the coffee marketing chain At the point of export In local marketing

Slide 4 Module 3.6 – Product Information and Traceability / Product Tracing

Product information and product tracing

Need for product information along the food chain Ensure adequate information being available to next person

in the chain to allow them to handle, store, process, prepare and display the product safely and correctly.

Ensure batch/lot can be easily identified and recalled if necessary.

Long-standing international agreement on product information and food labelling requirements Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene Codex General Standard for the Labelling of Pre-packaged

Foods

Product information not always related to hygiene issues – also related to general quality considerations

Slide 5 Module 3.6 – Product Information and Traceability / Product Tracing

Food product marketing and labelling

Lot identification ‘Lot’ means ‘...a definitive quantity of a commodity produced

essentially under the same conditions’ Lot identification is essential in product recall and also helps

stock rotation Product labelling

For pre-packaged foods, the Codex General Standard for the labelling of pre-packaged foods applies (Codex Stan 1-1985 (Rev. 1-1991))

National food labelling standards are generally harmonised with the international Codex standard

Labelling of green coffee for export is governed by the rules of the ICO certificate of country of origin

Slide 6 Module 3.6 – Product Information and Traceability / Product Tracing

Codex and traceability

Discussion of ‘traceability’ at international level is relatively recent

Codex definition of traceability / product tracing ‘...the ability to follow the movement of a food through

specified stages of production, processing and distribution’

Some Codex texts make reference to ‘traceability / product tracing’

Principles for risk analysis of foods derived from modern biotechnology

Code of practice for good animal feeding Code of practice for fish and fish products

Slide 7 Module 3.6 – Product Information and Traceability / Product Tracing

EU regulation on traceability

Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 Definition ‘…the ability to trace and follow a food, feed, food-

producing animal or substance intended to be, or expected to be incorporated into a food or feed, through all stages of production, processing and distribution.’

Article 18, Paragraph 2 ‘Food business operators shall be able to identify any person from whom they have been supplied with a food or any substance intended to be, or expected to be, incorporated into a food.To this end, such operators shall have in place systems and procedures which allow for this information to be made available to the competent authorities on demand.’

Slide 8 Module 3.6 – Product Information and Traceability / Product Tracing

EU regulation on traceability

Article 18, Paragraph 3 ‘Food business operators shall have in place systems and procedures to identify the other business to which their products have been supplied. This information shall be made available to the competent authorities on demand.’

‘One Step Up / One Step Down’ approach

Reference:Regulation (EC) No 178/2002

Slide 9 Module 3.6 – Product Information and Traceability / Product Tracing

Traceability / product tracing in the coffee sector

Why are some stakeholders in the coffee sector interested in being updated on international discussions on traceability / product tracing? Most of the coffee produced is traded internationally Rules of international trade are germane to the coffee sector

Key characteristics of the coffee sector Annual global production amounts to ~ 7 million tons green

coffee/year Over 75% is exported to consuming countries About 95% of export is in the form of green coffee Most green coffee is exported in 20 ton containers, either in

bulk or in bags About ¾ of world coffee production is by smallholders in about

60 different tropical countries

Slide 10 Module 3.6 – Product Information and Traceability / Product Tracing

Information required forexport of green coffee

Official documentation / marking required to accompany coffee exports (in bags and / or sealed containers)

ICO Certificates of Country of Origin Prescribed format to be duly stamped by customs Specifying: exporter, producing country, port, country

of destination, unique ICO identification mark (also on bags) and description of coffee

Copies of documents to be sent to ICOReferences:

ICO-document: EB 3775/01Coffee: An exporter’s guide (ITC-UNCTAD-WTO, Geneva 2002)

Slide 11 Module 3.6 – Product Information and Traceability / Product Tracing

Coffee quality and safety:significance of ICO certification

ICO minimum standards for exportable coffee Arabicas: less than 86 defects per 300 g (NY-

classification/Brazilian method) Robustas: less than 150 defects per 300 g

(Vietnam/Indonesian classification) Moisture between 8 and 12.5% (w/w) No issue of Certificate of Origin in case of non-

compliance

Other product information is commonly required as part of commercial contracts

Reference: ICO document: ICC Resolutions 407/02 and 420

Slide 12 Module 3.6 – Product Information and Traceability / Product Tracing

Product information: coffee grade markings

A variety of coffee grading systems exist in different coffee-producing countries

Harmonization of grading systems would enhance transparency and facilitate trade

Relevant international grades/ grading systems for visual defects include: ICO minimum quality standards for exportable

coffee (ICO Resolutions 407 and 420) ISO Green Coffee Defect Reference Chart

Slide 13 Module 3.6 – Product Information and Traceability / Product Tracing

ISO green coffee defect reference chart

ISO 10470:2004 defines defects into 5 categories independent of Arabica/Robusta: Foreign matter, non-bean coffee matter,

irregular formed beans, irregular visual appearance and off-taste coffee

Rates them with respect to loss of mass and sensorial concern

Application example is included

Can be used to specify terms of purchasing contracts between trading parties

Slide 14 Module 3.6 – Product Information and Traceability / Product Tracing

Product information:EU commercial requirements

‘European Contract for Coffee’ (E.C.C.) defines arrangements for transfer of green coffee from exporter/seller to buyer concerning: Weight Packing Quality Samples Freight Port of Destination

Shipment On-carriage Advice of Shipment Insurance Shipping Documents Payment Claims and

ArbitrationLink: www.ecf-coffee.org

Slide 15 Module 3.6 – Product Information and Traceability / Product Tracing

Product information:US commercial requirements

‘Green Coffee Association (of New York) Contracts’ are digitized (available in XML language format from GCA)

They define Contract Type (FCA/FOB/CFR/CIF/DAF) Weighing (when, where, by whom) Quantity and Packaging Position, Period and Tender Quality (a.o. country of origin, max. moisture)

They have as particular item the ‘no pass no sale’ clause for the obligatory FDA sanitation check

References:www.green-coffee-assoc.org

FDA/NCA booklet: ‘Health and Safety in theImportation of Green Coffee into the United States’

Price Contracting Parties Delivery and Payment

Slide 16 Module 3.6 – Product Information and Traceability / Product Tracing

Product information flow in theinternal marketing of coffee

ICO resolutions/ formal contracts/ other agreements define minimum characteristics and info at specific points in the coffee chain.

Prevention of contamination must involve all participants at all points of the chain

Following marketing chain diagrams show that coffee flows are quite complex and variable – this complicates the transfer of product information along the chain

Slide 17 Module 3.6 – Product Information and Traceability / Product Tracing

Indonesia robusta marketing

Slide 18 Module 3.6 – Product Information and Traceability / Product Tracing

Kenya coffee marketing

Farmers(Co-operatives)

Co-operative Factories

Co-operative Societies

Estate Farmers

Millers(3 commercial and 4 private)

Marketing Agents

Nairobi Coffee Exchange (= Auction)

Coffee Dealers

Exporters

Slide 19 Module 3.6 – Product Information and Traceability / Product Tracing

Obstacles to product informationflow in the internal marketing of

coffee

Extreme resource limitations for upstream operators to maintain documentation/ record keeping systems

There is much pooling of coffee at the levels from small traders down to the mill – difficult to maintain product history in mainstream marketing

Traceability upstream of the mill, in most cases, is practically impossible

Slide 20 Module 3.6 – Product Information and Traceability / Product Tracing

What can we know about coffeein internal marketing chains?

National regulations may stipulate ‘allowed’ product characteristics (max. moisture, max. residence time in marketing chain, facility requirements, handling requirements, etc.)

National competent authorities often do not have the capacity to enforce regulations

‘Actual’ product characteristics may not meet ‘allowed’ values

According to the characteristics of the marketing chain, national authorities can determine meaningful and practicable documentation/ record keeping at various stages of the chain

Slide 21 Module 3.6 – Product Information and Traceability / Product Tracing

Main strategy in preventing contamination

Main assurance of acceptable quality of coffee comes through promoting good practises

Training and awareness-raising to all stakeholders Creating incentives and suitable policy environment

Buyers’ stipulation of minimum quality requirements and identification of acceptable suppliers is an effective way of ‘knowing your product’

Many buying schemes link trained farmers to large traders or exporters

Training of many exporters is based on the European Coffee Federation Code of Practice

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Product information flow in‘specialty’ coffee marketing

There are strict product information requirements for many specialty coffees

Premium quality single origins Organic Fair trade Sustainable production, etc

Mechanisms for maintaining systems of documentation and record keeping are possible in the coffee chain under certain conditions (small proportion of market volume / substantial price incentives)

Slide 23 Module 3.6 – Product Information and Traceability / Product Tracing

Summary

Several official documents, standards and contracts define product characteristics and info at specific points in the coffee chain

Adequate product information is required throughout entire chain to ensure food safety

National authorities should establish ‘appropriate’ requirements for documentation and record keeping in local coffee chain

Slide 24 Module 3.6 – Product Information and Traceability / Product Tracing

Summary

Identification of ‘approved suppliers’ by economic operators in the coffee chain can help in achieving quality and safety goals

EU regulation requires ‘One step up / One step down’ traceability

Exported lots are in principle traceable backward as far as the mill for most mainstream coffee marketing