Reading Organic Food Industry Product Specifications

mEq

Milliequivalent (one-thousandth (10−3) of a chemical equivalent).

ppb

Parts per billion (the number of units of mass of a contaminant per 1000 million units of the total mass)

mcg OR

μg

Microgram (a unit of mass equal to one-millionth of a gram)

ufc/g

Colony-forming unit per gram (the term ‘colonies’ refers to the microbiological colonies)

ppm

Abbreviation for “parts per million” (can be also expressed as milligrams per litre (mg/L);  usually refers to the mass of a chemical or contaminant)

GENERAL DATA

• Origin (where an ingredient was cultivated or sourced)

• Botanical name (indicate which genus and species, e.g. Cinnamomum cassia vs. Cinnamomum verum)

• Composition (e.g. 100% maca powder)

• Processing (e.g. whether a product has been altered or undergone refinement steps)

CERTIFICATIONS

• Organic (In the EU, foods must contain at least 95% of organic ingredients and additionally respect further strict conditions for the remaining 5%)

• Fair Trade (internationally recognised social and ethical worker standards)

• Halal (certified according to Islamic law)

• Kosher (certified according to Jewish law)

• ISO 22000 (food safety management standard)

ORGANOLEPTIC PROPERTIES

• Flavour (taste)

• Colour (appearance)

• Odour (smell)

NUTRITIONAL VALUES

• Carbohydrates/fat/sugars (energy)

• Vitamins & minerals (vitamin C, iron etc.)

• Antioxidants

MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTENT

• Aerobic mesophilic (microorganisms)

• Moulds (fungi)

• Yeasts (single-celled fungi microorganisms)

• Coliforms (e.g. Eschericia Coli)

• Salmonella (a bacterial disease that infests the digestional tract)

• Enterobacteriaceae (Gram-negative bacteria that naturally inhabit the human gut)

CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

• Melting point (the temperature at which a substance liquifies)

• Acid value (the mass of potassium hydroxide required to neutralise one gram of chemical substance)

• Moisture (presence of liquid, i.e. water)

• Granulation (size of particles)

• Ash (the process of mineralisation for preconcentration of trace substances)

CONTAMINANTS

• Pesticides (e.g. acidic pesticides, glyphosate, chlorate, perchlorate, glufosinate, residues of pesticides)

• Heavy metals (e.g. lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium)

ALLERGENS

• General (By law, all foodstuffs must clearly indicate and declare the presence of any of a list of 14 allergens: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, wheat, cereals containing gluten, celery, mustard, sesame seeds, lupin, sulphur dioxide, sulphites.)

• No Allergens/Allergen-Free (To declare that a product is free from allergens, the possibility of cross-contamination must also be fully ruled out.)

• Cross-Contamination (The product itself is not made using an ingredient that contains a listed allergen, however, the machinery or factory in which the foods are processed or produced may deal with foodstuffs that contain allergens. This could potentially result in passive exposure. Because some allergies are life threatening, customers must always be alerted if there is a potential for cross-contamination anywhere along the supply chain.)

PACKAGING

• Size (Depending on the product, the size can vary from very small sachets to 920 kg drums.)

• Materials (Plastic, cardboard, paper and metal are all examples of materials used in food grade packaging.)

STORAGE

• Parameters & recommendations (Recommended storage conditions to ensure that the product remains safe for consumption.)

TRANSPORT

• Type (Dependent on packaging and storage conditions, such as temperature, humidity and safety precautions.)

SHELF LIFE

• Best-Before-Date (determined by the production date for any given batch.)