Rwanda Coffee Development Authority

RS 199:2007, GREEN COFFEE-SPECIFICATION

1.       SCOPE

This Rwanda standard specifies requirements for green coffee beans. It applies to the following categories of coffee:
a) Arabica coffee
- Wet processed
- Dry processed
b)    Robusta coffee
- Wet processed
- Dry processed

2. DEFINITIONS

Coffee: fruits and seeds of plants of the genus Coffea, usually of the cultivated species, and the products from these fruits and seeds, in different stages of processing and use, intended for human consumption

Green coffee: Coffee in the naked bean form (i.e. from which the silver skin has been removed) before roasting

Defect: anything diverging from the regular, naked sound green coffee beans expected in a coffee lot.

3. REQUIREMENTS

• Green coffee shall be clean and free from extraneous matter and shall not be contaminated.
• Green coffee shall be free from strings, dirt, stones, wood, glass, metallic pieces and any other foreign matter.  The beans shall also be free from infestation due to insect, fungus and rodents.
• The moisture content of Green coffee should be between 9% and 12.5% (m/m).
• The natural colours of the green coffee shall be of each coffee species and free from foreign odour
• Green coffee shall not contain levels of pesticide residues, in excess of Codex Recommended Limits or; the maximum limits stipulated in the terms of contract between the seller and the buyer.
• Green coffee shall not contain levels of Ochratoxin A (OTA) exceeding 10 ppb.
• The natural flavors of the green bean shall be of each coffee species with no strange flavours.
• Green coffee shall comply with the maximum limits for heavy metal contaminants as specified in CODEX STAN 193-1995.

4. GRADING
4.1 ARABICA COFFEE
4.1.1 GRADING BY SIZE

Coffee size and classification chart

Reference chart for Arabica coffee grading

4.1.2 FULLY WASHED COFFEE

a) Super- Specialty Grade: Should receive 90 to 100 points.  Not more than 5 full defects in 300 grams of coffee. No primary defects allowed. A maximum of 5% above or below screen size indicated is tolerated. Must possess at least one distinctive attribute in the body, flavour, aroma, or acidity. Must be free of cup faults and taints. No Quakers are permitted.

b) Speciality Grade: Should receive 80 to 89 points. No more than 8 full defects in 300 grams. Primary defects are permitted. A maximum of 5% above or below screen size indicated is tolerated. Must possess at least one distinctive attribute in the body, flavour, aroma, or acidity. Must be free of faults and may contain only 3 Quakers.

c)  Grade 1: Should receive 70 to 79 points, 9-23 full defects in 300 grams. A maximum of 5% above or below screen size indicated is tolerated. Must possess at least one distinctive attribute in the body, flavour, aroma or acidity. No cup faults are permitted and a maximum of 5 Quakers are allowed.

d) Grade 2: Should receive 60 to 69 points and not more than 24-86 defects in 300 grams.

e) Grade 3: Should receive 50 to 59 points and not more than 86 defects in 300 grams.

4.1.3 WASHED (SEMI-WASHED) COFFEE

a) Grade 1: Should receive 71 to 80 points. No more than 23 full defects in 300 grams. Primary defects are permitted. A maximum of 5% above or below screen size indicated is tolerated. Must possess at least one distinctive attribute in the body, flavor, aroma, or acidity.  No cup faults are permitted and may contain only 3 Quakers.

b) Grade 2: Should receive 55 to 70 points. No more than 30 full defects in 300 grams. Primary defects are permitted. A maximum of 5% above or below screen size indicated is tolerated. Must possess at least one distinctive attribute in the body, flavor, aroma, or acidity.  No cup faults are permitted and may contain only 5 Quakers.

c) Grade 3: Should get 40 to 54 points or 1-2 defective cups out of 6 cups. No more than 50 full defects in 300 grams.

d) Grade 4: Should get below 40 points or more than 2 defective cups out of 6 cups. No more than 86 full defects in 300 grams.

4. GRADING (Cont)
4.2 ROBUSTA COFFEE

The Robusta coffee is classified in 2 grades:
Grade 1: Robusta fully washed
Grade 2: Robusta washed

5. DEFECTS

There are five categories of materials defined as “defects”, namely:

• Foreign materials of non-coffee origin;
• Foreign materials of non-bean origin;
• irregularly formed beans;
• beans of irregular visual appearance;
• off-taste coffees

The values of faults are stipulated for primary and secondary defects respectively.
The maximum foreign matter not mentioned in following Tables should not be more than 1% per sample

Primary Defects

* Maximum value of faults per 300 g samples: 5 faults

SECONDARY DEFECTS

* Maximum value of faults per 300 g samples: 5 fault

6. PACKAGING, MARKING, STORAGE AND SHIPPING
6.1 PACKAGING AND MARKING

Green coffee should be packed in clean Jute bags or Woven poly-bags, specially made for coffee
The marking of green coffee bags shall be in accordance with the International Coffee Organization (ICO) requirements and shall include the following:

a)   Type of green coffee;
b)   Country of origin;
c)   Lot number;
d)   Weight;
e)    Name of exporter and address.

6.2 QAULITY CHARACTERISTICS INTO STORAGE

• Green coffee before bagging should be free from signs of infestation, rodent contamination, mould and other contamination
• Coffee beans should be sufficiently dry so as not to be unnecessarily vulnerable to subsequent moulding, yet not so dry as to cause unnecessary bean breakage.
• The bags in which the green coffee is stored should be inspected before use to assure they are odors free, free from insect infestation, rodent contamination, and physically sound.

6.3 PUTTING BAGGED GREEN COFFEE INTO STORAGE

• Bagged green coffee should be moved with minimum delay to well ventilated, well-maintained storage areas or facilities. The air temperatures and RH surrounding bagged coffee in store should be constant and low enough( 20ºC/60RH) to preserve the original quality throughout the storage duration
• During the inland transport to and from storage facilities green coffee should be protected from stray contamination and weather damage
• All inland transport vehicles should be inspected before loading coffee to ensure that they are in sanitary condition.

6.4 CONDITIONS FOR STORAGE
6.4.1EXTERIOR OF STORAGE FACILITIES

• Spills should be cleaned promptly
• Waste, damage and refuse should be removed promptly
• Equipment should be stored in a manner so as not to provide harborage for rodents, insects, or birds.
• There should be no poor drainage areas which could provide a breeding place for insects or other pests.
• There should be a pest-control programme for the surrounding grounds and regular inspections of the area. A recognized pest control agency should be employed.
• Hard surface areas should be kept in a broom-clean condition

6.4.2 INTERIOR STORAGE FACILITIES

• Buildings should be structurally sound, free of leaks, rodent-proof and bird-proof.
• All pipes that are subject to condensation should be adequately insulated.
• Buildings should be kept in a broom-clean condition; there should be a clean-up programme both for spills and for routine cleaning to avoid accumulation of dirt and debris on the floor.
• Cargo spillage should be removed immediately
• Rubbish should be removed and disposed of properly.
• An adequate bird, rodent, insect and other pest-control programme should be maintained, supervised by a recognized pest-control agency.
• There should be regular inspection of buildings in support of the clean-up programme, by a person in authority.
• Any toilet facilities should be separated from the coffee storage area, totally enclosed and maintained in a sanitary condition.

6.4.5 STORAGE AND HANDLING

• Bagged green coffee should be stored well away from outside walls, at least by a distance which allows inspection and sanitary maintenance of the floor space between the coffee and walls.
• No bagged coffee should be in direct contact with the flooring: pallets or other separating devices that are used should be clean and dry throughout.
• Storage of green coffee next to or in the area of potentially contaminating cargo (for example chemicals, odorous or dusty materials, green coffee triage, other commodities that might possibly be infested) should be avoided.
• Storage near openings subject to effects of the weather should be avoided.
• Bagged coffee and reserve pallets should be maintained in a clean condition and, if necessary, protectively covered. Covering practices and cover materials which restrict bagged coffee’s ventilation or would adversely affect the coffee’s quality should be avoided.
• Bagged coffee in store should be sampled (see ISO 4072 and ISO 6666) and regularly inspected for evidence of damage or quality deterioration (see ISO 4149 and ISO 6667 as necessary).

7. CONDITIONS OF MARITIME TRANSIT
7.1 PORTS OF EMBARKATION AND DISEMBARKATION

• The time during which bagged green coffee loaded onto vehicles or into freight containers is awaiting transfer to a ship should be kept to a minimum, and loaded vehicles or containers should be kept in the shade where possible. Light-coloured protective coverings should be used to minimize increases of the temperature of the coffee beans while awaiting transfer f bagged coffee from vehicle to ship.
• Green coffee in bags should not be placed on an unclean or contaminated wharf surface.
• Green coffee should not be loaded into leaky, odorous, or unsanitary containers, nor into containers whose ceilings, walls or floor are wet or show sign of dampness. They should be inspected by a person in authority before being loaded.
• Containers from tropical to temperate zones be ventilated type, preferably those designed for such a purpose
• During loading and discharging of green coffee cargo it should be protected from potentially contaminating cargo.

8. MARITIME TRANSPORT

• Ships’ holds should be clean prior to loading.
• Green coffee cargo should be protected from self-water damage and ship sweat. Storage of green coffee next to, or in the area of, potentially contaminating cargo (for example chemicals, odorous or dusty materials, green coffee triage or other commodities that might possibly be infested) should be avoided.
• Only clean, dry pallets or Marino-type slings should be used if cargo is unitized. Rope-type slings, when used, should be clean.
• An adequate pest-control programme should be maintained.
• Bagged green coffee, whether containerized or not, should be stowed below deck in ventilated holds well away from heated or refrigerated areas.

10. DESCRIPTION OF A LOT/CONSIGNMENT OF GREEN COFFEE

All or part of the following information should be provided for each lot or consignment of green coffee in accordance with RS ISO 9116:

a)Country of origin;
b) The year of harvest, or an indication of the age of the coffee, where applicable;
C)The type of green coffee in accordance with RS 38;
d)Number of bags in the lot and the average net weight of each bag or, for alternative  methods of packing, the net weight of the lot or consignment;
e)The loss in mass on drying, determined in accordance with ISO 6673, or the moisture content, determined in accordance with ISO 1446;
f)The total defects and foreign matter, determined in accordance with   RS ISO 4149;
g)The content of insect-damaged beans, determined in accordance with ISO 6667;
h)The bulk density, determined in accordance with ISO 6669
j) Bean size, determined in accordance with ISO 4150.