Certification of tea and coffee

Tea and coffee are a popular, sought-after product among residents of Russia and countries participating in the Customs Union. For all firms, individual entrepreneurs planning to produce, import or sell this type of food product on the territory of the EAEU, a declaration for tea and coffee is provided. The obligatory document is intended to confirm the compliance of the product with the requirements of technical regulations, as well as the fact of passing all the prescribed tests and examinations.

Regulatory framework.

Certification of tea and coffee is a mandatory procedure that takes place within the framework of several TR CUs relating to:

• general food safety (021/2011);
• food labeling regulations (022/2011);
• rules for the use of food additives – flavors, dyes, flavor enhancers, stabilizers (029/2012);
• Regulations for specific beverages, such as tea as a dietary supplement to boost immunity or detoxify the body (027/2012).

According to the profile regulation TR CU 021/2011, in addition to obtaining a declaration of conformity for tea or coffee, the manufacturer is obliged to develop and implement a HACCP management system at the food industry enterprise. The program is aimed at reducing risks, reducing manufacturing defects, improving the quality and safety of products.

After passing the mandatory procedures, a company can issue a voluntary certificate for tea or coffee. The document contributes to the expansion of the sales market, growth in sales, increased confidence on the part of consumers and potential partners, and also gives the right to participate in government tenders and programs.

Types of certified products.

Coffee is raw or roasted beans of the coffee tree, as well as products of their processing.

When carrying out evaluation activities related to the certification of coffee, it is customary to divide into:

• unroasted and roasted grains;
• sublimated and ground product;
• coffee drinks;
• decaffeinated drinks.

Coffee is also classified into:

• soluble,
• grain,
• powder,
• granulated.

The varieties are divided into:

• Arabica,

• Robusta,

• Liberica,

• Excellence.

According to the method of heat treatment – into black and green, and also take into account the degree of roasting.

Mandatory certification of tea is provided for the following types:

• black;
• green;
• white;
• mate;
• flavored tea drinks or with medicinal additives.

For specialized types of products (for example, tea drinks for children or diabetics), the law provides for the issuance of a certificate of state registration.

List of required documents.

The process of assessing the conformity of tea or coffee can be conditionally divided into two main stages – analysis of documentation and laboratory testing.

The submission of the application is preceded by the preparation of all necessary documents.

The package includes:

• certificates of state registration (OGRN, TIN);
• company card;
• detailed description of the product, codes of foreign economic activity;
• regulatory and technical documentation (TU, recipe, GOSTs), on the basis of which the production process is organized;
• previously issued permits (if any);
• HACCP certificate (if available).

The basic list can be reduced or expanded, depending on the features of the product, the specifics of the enterprise. The supplier of imported products will need a specification of the contract, an invoice, information about the manufacturer of the authorized representative contract.

Stages and terms of certification procedure.

The term for issuing a declaration for tea or coffee (after the provision of prototypes and a set of documents) is 2-3 weeks and depends on who initiates the check, as well as on the selected evaluation scheme.

The declarant may be:

• manufacturer (company or individual entrepreneur engaged in cultivation and/or packaging);
• wholesale supplier;
• retailer;
• an importer acting on the basis of authorized representative contract.

Permits are issued in a certain order:

• Submission of a written request for an audit.
• Identification of the product, selection of the scheme of the forthcoming procedure.
• Transfer to the experts of all necessary documents and product samples.
• Carrying out tests in laboratory conditions.
• Production control (if necessary).
• Drawing up final protocols.
• Registration and registration of the declaration in a single register.

The period of validity of permits depends on the selected assessment scheme and is a maximum of 5 years.

COMPANIES WHICH TRUST MASTCERT