Vietnam Coffee Production and Quality Control

INDUSVINA – Farm to Export: This framework SOP controls Robusta, Arabica and specialty lots from growing areas through export green coffee. Traceability shall be maintained from farm/plot through harvest lot, processing, drying, milling, grading, bag/pallet, container and seal.

The contract, Technical Annex, buyer specification and approved reference sample take highest priority. Origin, processing method, chemicals, packaging or test methods shall not be changed without authorization. Lots shall not be blended to conceal quality, labels changed to conceal origin, or unauthorized chemicals used.

Scope and process flow

Products may include Robusta Coffea canephora, Arabica C. arabica, and Liberica/Excelsa where ordered. Methods include Natural/Dry, Washed, Semi-washed/Honey, or controlled fermentation where buyer-approved. The final form is cleaned green bean; polishing or wet-polishing is only performed where specified and approved.

1. Register farms, growers, cooperatives or estates.
2. Manage varieties, farms, nutrition, water, canopy and IPM.
3. Monitor maturity, selectively harvest and receive cherries.
4. Sort cherries, select the process, and dry under control.
5. Condition, hull, clean and screen-grade.
6. Density-sort, color-sort, QC, pack, store and ship.

Farm, harvest and receiving controls

Each supply area requires an identification code covering origin, farm/cooperative/estate, plot, variety, planting year, area and key input history. Prioritize soil, water, ground cover, organic matter and balanced nutrition; apply IPM through monitoring, sanitation and agronomic/biological measures before pesticide use.

Input records must support traceability and MRL verification against destination-market law and the contract. Growers should be guided to build quality in the field; purchasing criteria must be transparent, measurable and not used for arbitrary post-delivery price reductions.

Prioritize red ripe or appropriately mature cherries and minimize green cherries, black/dry cherries, leaves, soil and stones. Higher-quality lots should use selective multi-pass picking. Fresh cherries shall not directly contact soil, fuel, chemicals, fertilizer or dirty bags. At receiving, weigh and code the lot; record source, time, picking method, ripeness/foreign matter and process decision.

Processing, drying and moisture

Washed coffee shall not automatically be considered superior to natural coffee: quality depends on cherry quality, hygiene and process control. Wastewater, pulp and mucilage must be responsibly managed and not directly discharged to community water sources.

Dry on clean patios, tarpaulins or raised beds; never directly on soil. Turn regularly and protect from rain and night moisture to prevent moisture reabsorption. Mechanical drying must control product temperature and drying rate to avoid overheating, cracking, discoloration, flavor damage or case hardening.

A common operational target for stable green coffee is about 10–12% MC. The SOP cites the ICO Quality-Improvement Programme range of 8–12.5% MC for exportable coffee, except identified traditional specialty exceptions. QC may release a lot only after moisture is measured using controlled/calibrated equipment and linked to the lot code.

Milling, cleaning, polishing and grading

After drying, lots shall condition in clean, dry conditions before hulling. Hullers must be adjusted to minimize broken, crushed and heated beans; capacity shall not be forced in a way that increases broken beans. The cleaning sequence should include scalping, aspiration, destoning and suitable magnet/metal control before fine grading.

Chemicals shall not be used to conceal aged, mouldy or discolored beans. Dry polishing may reduce residual silverskin and improve surface cleanliness, but shall not make deteriorated coffee appear fresh. Wet-polishing is only permitted under an approved process with controlled water/processing aids, equipment hygiene, buyer criteria, and renewed moisture and food-safety verification.

S18, S16, S14 and S13 are physical screen classifications and do not automatically indicate cup quality. Referenced values are: S18 ≈ 18/64 in ≈ 7.14 mm; S16 ≈ 6.35 mm; S14 ≈ 5.56 mm; S13 ≈ 5.16 mm. Screen analysis under TCVN 4807:2013, equivalent to ISO 4150:2011, shall state retained/passing percentage, screen set, test method and tolerance.

Gravity separation assists removal of low-density or hollow beans; color sorting assists removal of black, brown, sour/discolored beans and foreign material using validated settings. QC shall not rely on machines alone and must manually verify samples and compare cup results as required by the contract/standard.

QC, storage and shipment

Critical controls include prevention of mould, off-odors and defective fermentation; foreign-matter and metal control; screen-size control; and QA/QC shipment approval before the container is closed.

Samples must represent the lot, be collected across bags/positions, composited and then subdivided for testing. Defect analysis must state sample mass, commonly 300 g in many systems, and defect-conversion method; Grade 1/2 shall not be used without naming the applicable standard. Cupping assesses aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, balance, clean cup and faults under the agreed buyer/SCA/CQI or other agreed protocol. Retained samples must be sealed and identified with lot code, date and sampler.

Storage relies on suitable moisture, a clean dry warehouse, pallets off floor/wall, FIFO/FEFO, sanitation, insect exclusion and periodic monitoring. Pesticides shall not be arbitrarily sprayed directly on green coffee. If insects occur, isolate and assess the lot and only use legally authorized treatment; fumigation such as phosphine, where permitted, must be conducted by authorized personnel according to label, aeration and destination-market requirements.

Only QC-released, dry, clean, odor-free coffee matching the required grade/screen may be packed. Jute/PP bags, liner/hermetic packaging or bulk bags apply according to the contract and food-contact compliance requirements. Minimum labels include product, species, process, grade/screen, crop/harvest where agreed, net weight, lot, bag no., origin, PO/contract and packing date.

Containers shall be clean, dry, odor-free, leak-free and free of chemical or insect evidence. Photograph the empty container, container number, loading stages, full load, door closing and seal number. Release only when bag count, net/gross weight, lot, packing list, container no. and seal reconcile.

Traceability, nonconformance and responsibility

Mandatory records include farm registration, harvest/receiving reports, processing and drying batch records, screen reports, density/color sorting QC, defect analysis, cupping, COA/release, packing, container inspection, NCR/CAR and mass balance.

Nonconforming lots shall be tagged, segregated and dispositioned as rework, regrade or reject; all rework requires reinspection. Defective lots shall not be blended with good lots merely to average below limits unless the buyer explicitly permits it. Mass balance must reconcile inputs, losses, by-products and finished goods; abnormal variation requires investigation.

Species, origin, crop, process, screen, grade, moisture and certification shall not be misdeclared. Chemicals shall not be used to conceal mould, odor, aged color or infestation. Quality must be supported by respect for labor, safety, clean water, the environment, transparency with partners and root-cause correction when defects occur.

INDUSVINA IVN-VGCB – ROB-G1-S18

Robusta green coffee. Selection should begin with the application, then determine species/variety, quality, processing, roast and brewing method; there is no single coffee that is most suitable for every user and market.

• Vietnamese phin coffee and Vietnamese iced milk coffee.
• Espresso blends requiring body, strength and crema.
• Instant/soluble coffee, RTD, and products requiring a distinct coffee character and strong body.
• Commercial Robusta for instant-coffee factories according to specification.

Robusta commonly has higher caffeine than Arabica, a heavier body, pronounced bitterness, lower acidity and good crema-forming ability. A larger screen does not automatically mean better coffee. Rather than asking only for the Robusta price per tonne, specify Grade, Screen, Moisture, Defects, Black & Broken, Crop, Processing, Origin and Cup Profile.

When purchasing green coffee, specify Species/Variety, Origin, Crop, Grade, Screen, Moisture, Defects, Foreign Matter, Processing, Cup Quality, Packing, Traceability and Inspection Method. Actual value should consider price/MT, specification, cup quality, processing, origin, traceability, consistency and delivery capability together.

S18 is not a coffee variety; Specialty is not a species; Decaf is not a plant variety.

• Roasted beans depend jointly on green beans, processing, roast profile, freshness and brewing. An excessively dark roast should not be used to conceal defective material.
• Ground coffee loses aroma faster than whole beans; grind size must suit phin, espresso, V60 or French Press.
• A blend is a flavour-design formula: Arabica can contribute aroma, acidity and sweetness; Robusta/Fine Robusta can contribute body, strength and crema.
• Instant coffee and 3-in-1 are not the same product. A 3-in-1 commonly contains soluble coffee, sugar and creamer; review ingredients, Nutrition Facts and serving size.
• RTD requires assessment of formulation, processing, packaging, shelf life and food safety.
• Decaf is coffee from which most caffeine has been removed; it should not be understood as containing absolutely no caffeine.