Food Safety Requirements

Compliance and Product Information

Product Description

Product:
• Green Coffee Beans.

Ingredients:
• 100% Arabica or Robusta green coffee beans of various varieties.

Explanation of Labelling Information:
• Country or Region of Origin e.g. “Cafés do Brazil”
• Producer Name e.g. “Falcafe”
• Variety of Coffee e.g. “Mundo Novo”
• Process e.g. “Washed”
• Crop e.g. “2023-24”
• Net Weight: e.g. “30kg”
• Batch No (ICO) Number e.g. “002/151-4/0282”. This number comprises of three elements:
• Country of Origin e.g. Brazil is 002
• Exporter e.g. Falcafe is 151-4
• Lot Number for Yellow Catuaí lot is 0282.
• Optional – Distributor Name / Logo e.g. “Viva Coffee Ltd”.

Organoleptic Properties:
• Appearance: Greenish beans.
• Taste: Characteristic of the product, free of foreign flavours
• Odour: Fresh, not musty, and free of foreign odours
• Texture: Dry and firm

Physical Characteristics:
• Free from harmful foreign materials such as wood, glass, metal, or synthetic substances.
• Mouldy Kernels: < 0.01%
• Hollow and Broken Beans: < 10% (maximum)

Moisture:
• Moisture Content: ≤ 13%.

GMO:
• The product does not contain any genetically modified organisms (GMO) and is not produced with the help of GMO’s.

Packaging:
• Packed in sizes ranging from 20kg boxes to 70kg bags.
• Packaging comprises of either;
• two bags, an external (Jute or Paper bag) and the internal bag (GrainPro bag or similar) or
• an external cardboard box and the internal bag (GrainPro bag or similar)
• The green coffee beans are packed in food-grade, moisture-resistant bags to ensure freshness and prevent moisture absorption e.g. GrainPro Bag.
• Both inner and outer packaging are sealed to maintain the quality and integrity of the beans.

Storage:
• The green coffee beans should be stored in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and strong odours.
• Recommended temperature range is between 10°C to 25 °C.
• Optimal storage conditions maintain the beans’ freshness and preserve their flavour profiles.
• It is recommended to use FIFO (First In, First Out) inventory management to ensure the oldest beans are used first.

Shelf Life:
• Shelf life 18 months after packing date, once storage conditions are followed.

Distribution:
• Ambient Temperature: Green coffee beans shall be transported under conditions that keep product temperature within 10°C to 25°C whenever possible.
• Active refrigeration or heating is not required.
• Vehicles must be loaded and unloaded in a manner that avoids extreme temperature exposure wherever practicable and/or physical damage to the product or its contents.

Note on Organic Coffee:
• Some of our coffees may come from producers who hold organic certification, which may be indicated on their packaging. However, under EU Regulation (EU) 2018/848 and Irish Statutory Instrument No. 494 of 2022, all operators in the supply chain, including the producer, importer (Viva Coffee Ltd.), and roaster, must be certified or approved within the organic control system for the coffee to be sold or marketed as organic.
• Viva Coffee Ltd. does not currently hold organic certification. Therefore, while some producing farms are certified organic, the coffees we supply cannot be sold or represented as organic.

Intended Use of Products

• Green Coffee Beans are sold to Coffee Roasters who roast the green coffee beans.
• Green Coffee Beans are roasted at temperatures ranging from 180°C to 250°C for between 7 to 20 minutes to produce roasted coffee beans.
• Once roasted the coffee is used to produce a variety of hot coffee drinks. To make a hot coffee drink the brewing process involves water temperatures of between 90°C to 98°C.
• The roasted coffee beans may be used as an ingredient in cold coffee drinks and coffee flavoured liquors. These products are also brewed with water at temperatures of between 90°C to 98°C.
• The roasters may sell the products directly to customers or distribute them to other businesses, such as coffee shops, restaurants, and retailers, who will then sell the coffee products to the end consumers.
• End consumers are aged 18 plus.
• Caffeinated drinks are not suitable for children under 12. Caffeine intake should be limited to 100mg daily for those aged 12 to 18 years old.

A detailed HACCP Food Safety Management System is in place by Viva Coffee Ltd and covers all products handled by the company.

Relevant Legislation and Industrial Codes of Practice

• Codex Alimentarius HACCP standard “Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) and Guidelines for its Application, Annex CRC/RCP 1-1969 (Rev.4-2003)
• BRC Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 9 and BRC Global Standard Storage and Distribution Issue 4
• Food safety legislation for EU countries which includes the following (this is not an exhaustive list)
• Commission regulation (EC) no 852-2004 on hygiene of foodstuffs and EC Regulation 853/2004 on specific hygiene rules for foods of animal origin.
• EC Regulation 178/2002 on General Food Law
• EC Regulation (EC) 1935-2004 on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food
• EC regulation (EC) 2073-2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs
• FSAI Guidance Note 27- Enforcement of Commission Regulation (EC) No: 2073/2005 on Microbiological Criteria for Foodstuffs
• EC Regulation 1169/2011 on provision of food information to customers.
• EU 2017/2158- establishing mitigation measures and benchmark levels for reduction of the presence of acrylamide in food
• Water Testing- EU Council Directive 2020/2184 and S.I. 99 of 2023 – EU (Drinking Water) Regs 2023.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at info@vivacoffee.ie

Sustainability

At Viva Coffee Ltd., we are dedicated to delivering sustainably and ethically sourced green beans to our customers, while also safeguarding the farms and ensuring the sustainable profitability of our valued farm partners who cultivate the coffee.

The two key pillars of our sustainability agenda are:

Ethically Sourcing

We proudly source our coffee exclusively from farms that share our dedication to sustainability and social responsibility, ensuring that the coffee we source contributes to a more environmentally responsible and socially conscious coffee industry.

We work closely with our farm partners to ensure fair wages for farm workers, safe working conditions, and sustainable farming practices. By nurturing these partnerships, we not only support local communities but also help preserve the precious and rich biodiversity of the Brazilian coffee regions.

Reducing our Carbon Footprint

By shipping coffee directly from Brazil, we eliminate the need for multiple transportation legs and the associated emissions. Our direct sourcing and local storage model significantly reduce the intermediaries involved, we minimise transportation distances and the energy required for coffee to reach its final destination.

Our responsible sourcing goes beyond the green beans we source and extends to the sourcing of other materials where we strive to minimise the impact on the environment in our areas such as our packaging and operations.