Overview
ISO 4149:2025 - "Green coffee - Olfactory and visual examination and determination of foreign matter and defects" specifies standardized methods for assessing green (unroasted) coffee. It covers olfactory and visual inspections and procedures to determine foreign matter and bean defects for technical, commercial, administrative and arbitration purposes, including quality control and inspection. The standard applies to green coffee as defined in ISO 3509 and is the third edition, updating the 2005 version.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Sampling: Laboratory sampling and preparation follow ISO 4072 before any examination or testing.
- Olfactory examination: Performed first on the laboratory sample. Record as “normal odour” or “abnormal odour”; if doubtful, seal a sample in an odourless container for ≥1 hour and retest. Recognizable foreign odours should be described (see ISO 18794).
- Visual examination: Spread sample on a plain orange or black surface under diffuse daylight or artificial daylight-like illumination. For artificial light the standard recommends:
- Colour temperature: 4 000–6 000 K
- Colour rendering index (CRI): ≥ 80%
- Illuminance: 1 000–1 500 lux
- Assess botanical origin, overall colour and uniformity; record colour descriptors (bluish, greenish, greyish green, whitish, yellowish, brownish).
- Determination of foreign matter and defects: Two accepted approaches:
- Counting method: Use agreed defect/fault concepts (SCA Green Coffee Table may be used).
- Weighing method: Use an analytical balance (precision to 0.1 g). Separate defects/foreign matter by category (per ISO 10470), weigh each category, calculate mass fraction w = (m / m0) × 100.
- Quality impact units: Multiply each defect percentage by coefficients (0, 0.5 or 1) from ISO 10470 to quantify loss in mass and sensorial concern - final values expressed as quality impact units.
- Test report: Must identify sample, date, sampling method, method reference (ISO 4149), operating details, incidents, and results.
Applications and who uses it
- Coffee traders, importers/exporters and commodity graders for consistent commercial grading.
- Roasters and specialty coffee buyers for incoming quality control and supplier verification.
- Analytical and sensory laboratories performing official quality inspections or arbitration tests.
- Port and customs inspectors, certification bodies and dispute resolution panels that require repeatable, documented assessments.
- Quality managers implementing standard operating procedures across the coffee supply chain.
Related standards
- ISO 3509 - Vocabulary for coffee
- ISO 4072 - Green coffee in bags - Sampling
- ISO 10470 - Defect reference chart (defect categories and coefficients)
- ISO 4150 - Size analysis
- ISO 18794 - Sensory analysis vocabulary
Keywords: ISO 4149:2025, green coffee, olfactory examination, visual examination, foreign matter, defects, quality control, ISO 10470, sampling.
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