BOGOTA, Colombia – The quality standards for Excelso export Colombian coffee were modified during the last session of the National Coffee Growers Committee with the aim of boosting exports and aligning them to international standards.
Although the Green Coffee Association of New York’s standards catalog Colombian beans that pass through a screen of 14/64 and have a 5% tolerance as Excelso Colombian coffee, Colombia had traditionally self-imposed a 1.5% maximum tolerance.
This, naturally, prevented the export of a significant amount of high quality beans.
According to Resolution 2, adopted on April 25 2016 by the National Coffee Growers Committee, exporters will now be able to export Excelso coffee with a tolerance of up to 5% of healthy almonds that pass through a screen of 14/64 and are retained by a screen of 12/64.
All other minimum quality standards in terms of humidity, defective beans, infestation, odor, color and cup test still apply. The measures enacted by the National Coffee Growers Committee must be followed both by the Colombian Coffee Growers Federation (FNC) and by individual exporters.
Resolution 2 also modified the labeling for export Excelso Colombian coffee. As long as coffee meets the minimum standards for being considered Excelso, it’s no longer necessary to describe the bean’s size and amount of defective beans in the label.
The label will simply say “Excelso” “Café de Colombia“. The FNC will issue a quality certificate for this specific type of coffee.
These new measures seek to maximize the income of Colombian coffee growers. They complement the initiatives adopted in October 2015 for the export of green coffee qualities other than Excelso, which are sold abroad under the reference of “Product of Colombia”.
