ISO/TC 34/SC 18 - Cocoa

This document specifies high-level requirements for management systems for sustainable cocoa bean production, including post-harvest processes, if applicable, and traceability of the sustainably produced cocoa beans within the organization producing the cocoa beans. NOTE 1 Post-harvest processes include pod-breaking, fermentation, drying, sorting, packing, transport and storage of cocoa beans. Only organizations that fulfil both the cocoa sustainability management system requirements of either this document or ISO 34101‑4:2019, Annex A or B, and the performance requirements of ISO 34101‑2 can claim their cocoa beans have been sustainably produced. NOTE 2 ISO 34101-4 specifies the requirements for cocoa sustainability management systems at entry and medium levels.

This document specifies requirements for certification schemes for sustainable and traceable cocoa, including the certification of cocoa bean producing organizations and cocoa supply chain actors. It is to be used jointly with ISO 34101-1, ISO 34101-2 and/or ISO 34101-3. This document also specifies the requirements for cocoa sustainability management systems: — at entry level, see Annex A; — at medium level, see Annex B. NOTE ISO 34101-1 specifies the requirements for cocoa sustainability management systems at high level. Only organizations that fulfil both the cocoa sustainability management system requirements of either ISO 34101-1 or Annex A or B, and the performance requirements of ISO 34101-2 can claim their cocoa beans have been sustainably produced.

This document specifies basic requirements for the design and implementation of traceability systems within the cocoa supply chain for sustainably produced cocoa beans and cocoa products derived from sustainably produced cocoa beans that conform to ISO 34101‑2 and either ISO 34101‑1 or ISO 34101‑4:2019, Annex A or B, as described in the Introduction. This document also specifies administrative requirements for a mass balance system whereby cocoa conforming to this document can be used together with nonconforming cocoa and which provides the necessary traceability within a manufacturing process. This document specifies requirements for traceability of sustainably produced cocoa from an organization that is sustainably producing cocoa beans to the point of exit from the manufacturer of the final retail product. This document does not apply to a credit system.

This document specifies performance requirements related to economic, social and environmental aspects for sustainable cocoa bean production, including post-harvest processes, if applicable. NOTE Post-harvest processes include pod-breaking, fermentation, drying, sorting, packing, transport and storage of cocoa beans. Only organizations that fulfil both the cocoa sustainability management system requirements of either ISO 34101‑1 or ISO 34101‑4:2019, Annex A or B, and the performance requirements of this document can claim their cocoa beans have been sustainably produced.

ISO 2451:2017 specifies the requirements, classification, sampling, test methods, packaging and marking for cocoa beans. Recommendations relating to storage and disinfestation are given as a guide in Annexes G and H respectively. Annex I is for informative purposes only and sets out a sampling procedure for preliminary quality analysis which can be adopted by agreement of all interested parties.

ISO 2292:2017 specifies general conditions relating to sampling for the determination of the quality of cocoa beans. It also gives requirements and recommendations on the procedure to be followed for sampling cocoa beans in bags and in bulk.

ISO 2451:2014 specifies the requirements, classification, test methods, sampling, packaging, and marking for cocoa beans. Recommendations relating to storage and disinfestation are given as a guide in annexes.

The principle of the method consists in drying of the product for 16 h in a ventilated oven controlled at 103 °C, after previous crushing.

For the determination 300 beans shall be opened or cut lengthwise through the middle, so as to expose the maximum cut surface of cotyledones. Both halves of each bean shall be visually examined in full daylight or equivalent artificial light. Each defective type of bean shall be counted separately, and the result for each kind of defect shall be expressed as a percentage of the 300 beans examined.