Coffee Export

Green Coffee Quality Inspection

Inspection is the control that turns a specification into something enforceable. This page covers what is actually inspected, who does it, and — most importantly — how the sample gets drawn, because that is where inspection either works or does not.

Last reviewed August 20262 min read

Quick answer

Pre-shipment inspection verifies that the parcel about to be loaded matches what was contracted. It normally covers sampling to an agreed method, physical analysis — moisture, screen, defects, sometimes water activity and density — and cup evaluation against the approved sample, with weight and bag count verified at stuffing.

Sampling is the whole game

An unrepresentative sample makes every downstream test meaningless

Every figure an inspection produces describes the sample, not the parcel. If the sample was drawn from the accessible bags at the door of a container, the analysis describes those bags. Agree the sampling method before agreeing anything about tolerances.

Number of bags sampled — a defined proportion of the parcel, not a fixed handful.
Draw method — probe or trier, and how many draws per bag, taken at different depths.
Compositing — increments combined, mixed and reduced by an agreed method to the final sample size.
Sample size — large enough to support a defect count and a cupping with cups to spare.
Retention — sealed retained samples held by both parties, so a later dispute has a reference.

What is inspected

The pre-shipment inspection scope
Test	What it establishes	Typical basis
Moisture	Water content against the contract ceiling	Agreed method and instrument
Water activity	Storage stability	Where specified; increasingly common on specialty
Screen analysis	Size distribution against the contracted screen	Percentage retained per screen
Defect count	Physical cleanliness against tolerance	Full defects per defined sample
Density	Bulk density for roast planning	Where specified
Colour and odour	Condition and absence of taint in the green	Visual and olfactory
Cup evaluation	Conformity to the approved sample	Multiple cups, blind where possible
Weight and bag count	Quantity against contract	At stuffing, with the seal recorded

Who inspects

Inspection arrangements
	Exporter’s own QC	Independent surveyor	Buyer’s representative
Cost	Included	Charged per inspection	Buyer’s cost
Independence	None claimed	Full	Aligned with buyer
Speed	Fastest	Requires scheduling	Requires travel or a local agent
Standing in a dispute	Limited	Strong	Strong for the buyer
Typical use	Routine lots, established relationships	New relationships, large volumes, LC terms	High-value or contentious parcels

These are not exclusive. Exporter QC on every lot plus independent survey on higher-value or first shipments is a common and sensible arrangement.

Timing and what it constrains

Inspection has to happen late enough that the coffee inspected is the coffee shipped, and early enough that a problem can still be fixed. In practice that means after final milling and before stuffing.

Practical sequence

Step 1
Final preparation
Milling to the contracted grade and screen completed.
Step 2
Pre-shipment sample drawn
To the agreed sampling method, from the milled parcel.
Step 3
Analysis and cupping
Physical analysis and cup evaluation against the approved sample.
Step 4
Buyer approval
Sample sent and approved, or waived by contract for routine repeat parcels.
Step 5
Stuffing
Weight, bag count, seal number recorded; loading photographed.

Writing the inspection clause

Who inspects: Named party or agreed surveyor
Sampling method: Explicit — proportion of bags, draws, compositing, final size
Tests and standards: Which tests, to which method, with which instrument
Point of determination: Origin, load port or arrival — for quality and for weight separately
Retained samples: Held by whom, sealed how, for how long
Tolerances: Permitted variance for each parameter
Consequence: Allowance, rejection, or independent re-determination
Cost: Who pays, including who pays for a re-determination

Our pre-shipment QC

See the workflow we run on every lot, and what a pre-shipment report contains.

Quality assurance

Frequently asked questions

What is pre-shipment inspection?

An inspection carried out after final milling and before container stuffing, verifying that the parcel matches the contracted specification. It normally covers sampling, physical analysis, cup evaluation and — at stuffing — weight and bag count.

Do I need an independent surveyor?

Not always. For established relationships and routine parcels, exporter QC plus a pre-shipment sample is usually sufficient. Independent survey is worth its cost on first shipments, large volumes, letter-of-credit transactions and high-value lots.

How is a coffee sample drawn from a parcel?

With a probe or trier, taking multiple increments from a defined proportion of the bags at different depths. The increments are combined, mixed and reduced by an agreed method to the final sample size. The method should be in the contract.

What happens if the pre-shipment sample fails?

What the contract says. Common outcomes are re-preparation of the parcel, substitution of a conforming parcel, an agreed price allowance, or cancellation. Agreeing the consequence in advance is what stops a failed sample becoming a dispute.

Tell us the coffee you need

Lots can be specified by origin, region, process, grade, screen, moisture, defect tolerance, crop year and packaging. Send what you know and we will confirm what each origin realistically supports.

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