ISO 4149:2025

Green coffee - Olfactory and visual examination and determination of foreign matter and defects

This document specifies methods for the olfactory and visual examination and determination of foreign matter and defects in green coffee from all origins. These methods can also be used for determining one or more of the characteristics of green coffee with an impact on coffee quality for technical, commercial, administrative and arbitration purposes, and for quality control or quality inspection. This document is applicable to green coffee as defined in ISO 3509.

Café vert — Examens olfactif et visuel, et détermination des matières étrangères et des défauts

L'ISO 4149:2005 spécifie les méthodes pour l'examen olfactif et visuel, et pour la détermination des matières étrangères et des défauts dans les cafés verts de toutes origines, aux fins d'évaluer la conformité avec une spécification ou un contrat. De plus, ces méthodes peuvent être utilisées pour déterminer une ou plusieurs caractéristiques de cafés verts ayant un impact sur la qualité du café à des fins techniques, commerciales, administratives et d'arbitrage, ainsi que pour le contrôle et l'inspection de la qualité.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 20-Nov-2025
• ICS: 67.140.20 - Coffee and coffee substitutes
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 34/SC 15 - Coffee
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 34/SC 15 - Coffee
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 21-Nov-2025
• Due Date: 31-Aug-2026
• Completion Date: 21-Nov-2025

Relations

• Revises: ISO 4149:2005 - Green coffee - Olfactory and visual examination and determination of foreign matter and defects
• Effective Date: 02-Sep-2023

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.

Standards Content (Sample)

International
Standard
ISO 4149
Third edition
Green coffee — Olfactory and visual
2025-11
examination and determination of
foreign matter and defects
Café vert — Examens olfactif et visuel, et détermination des
matières étrangères et des défauts
Reference number
© ISO 2025
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Sampling . 1
5 Olfactory examination . 1
5.1 Procedure .1
5.2 Evaluation .2
6 Visual examination. 2
6.1 Procedure .2
6.2 Evaluation .2
7 Determination of foreign matter and defects . 3
7.1 Principle .3
7.2 Apparatus .3
7.3 Procedure .3
7.4 Expression of results . .3
8 Test report . 4
Annex A (informative) Example of a typical determination with the weighing method . 5
Bibliography . 6

iii
Foreword
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The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
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related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 34, Food products, Subcommittee SC 15, Coffee.
This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition (ISO 4149:2005), which has been technically
revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— in 6.2, recommendations have been added for artificial light;
— in 7.3, a counting method for defects of coffee has been added.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

iv
International Standard ISO 4149:2025(en)
Green coffee — Olfactory and visual examination and
determination of foreign matter and defects
1 Scope
This document specifies methods for the olfactory and visual examination and determination of foreign
matter and defects in green coffee from all origins. These methods can also be used for determining one
or more of the characteristics of green coffee with an impact on coffee quality for technical, commercial,
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