Detail

Sampling of Coffee - Relevance of Regulation 2023/2782 for the Private Sector

On 14.12.2023, the EU Commission repealed the previously applicable Regulation 401/2006 and replaced it with the new Implementing Regulation 2023/2782.

What has changed? The obvious change is in the title, which is no longer "Regulation [...] on official controls" but "Regulation [...] on controls".

Does this change now mean that sampling for self-monitoring of mycotoxins (i.e. specifically OTA analysis in coffee) must also be carried out in accordance with this new regulation?

The clear answer here is "NO" - because apart from the deletion in the title and other minor changes, which are not relevant for coffee, section G still states "[This] sampling method shall be used for the official control of the mycotoxin content in coffee [...]".

However, we would like to urgently point out that well thought-out and carefully executed sampling remains an essential prerequisite for a representative OTA result. Depending on the equipment of the sampling site, there are several ways to obtain a representative sample, such as automatic sampling from conveying units, suction lances in containers, etc., followed by quantity reduction using riffle dividers.

We recommend that you send at least 1 kg of coffee to the laboratory as a sample. We will grind this quantity completely, homogenize it and carry out the analysis. This is the only way to ensure that the best possible sampling method on your side and maximum effort on the laboratory side produces the most realistic result with the least possible fluctuation.