ISO 2451:2017

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 2451
Third edition
2017-11
Cocoa beans — Specification and
quality requirements
Fèves de cacao — Spécifications et exigences de qualité
Reference number
©
ISO 2017
© ISO 2017, Published in Switzerland
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, 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
Ch. de Blandonnet 8 • CP 401
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland
Tel. +41 22 749 01 11
Fax +41 22 749 09 47
copyright@iso.org
www.iso.org
ii © ISO 2017 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Preparation . 4
5 Requirements . 4
5.1 General requirements . 4
5.1.1 Odour . 4
5.1.2 Adulteration . 4
5.1.3 Living insects and other infestation . 4
5.1.4 Violet or purple beans . 4
5.2 Specific requirements . 4
5.2.1 Cocoa related matter . 4
5.2.2 Flat beans . 5
5.2.3 Foreign matter . 5
5.2.4 Moisture content . 5
5.2.5 Sieving . 5
5.3 Other quality characteristics . 5
5.4 Grade determination . 5
5.4.1 Classification for cocoa beans . 5
5.4.2 Substandard cocoa (applicable to Tables 1 and 2 only) . 6
5.5 Bean size . 6
6 Sampling . 6
7 Test methods . 7
8 Packaging . 7
9 Marking . 7
10 Test report . 7
Annex A (normative) Flowcharts. 8
Annex B (normative) Method for determination of the sieving .10
Annex C (normative) Method for determination of cocoa related matter, flat beans and
foreign matter .11
Annex D (normative) Method for determination of the bean count .12
Annex E (normative) Method for the cut test .13
Annex F (normative) Method for determination of moisture content (oven method) .14
Annex G (informative) Storage of bagged cocoa .16
Annex H (informative) Disinfestation .17
Annex I (informative) Procedure and flowchart for preliminary quality analysis .18
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
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 documents 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).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions 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 the following
URL: www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 34, Food products, Subcommittee
SC 18, Cocoa.
This third edition of ISO 2451 cancels and replaces ISO 2451:2014, ISO 1114:1977 and ISO 2291:1980,
which have been technically revised.
iv © ISO 2017 – All rights reserved

Introduction
The original International Standards on cocoa beans (ISO 1114, ISO 2291, ISO 2292 and ISO 2451) were
developed many years ago when cocoa production was largely within the control of governments of
cocoa producing countries. Accordingly, the quality regime for cocoa was embedded in the farm to port
supply chain process supported by marketing boards, which executed a regulatory and supervisory
function. Governments were more actively involved in the cocoa sector and therefore had a greater
interest in, and adherence to, these International Standards. With the progressive liberalisation of the
cocoa production process in many of the producing countries from the mid-1980s onwards, the interest
in updating the International Standards for cocoa was rather diminished and, at the same time, the
private sector in the international cocoa trade recognized there was a need to ensure that appropriate
International Standards were maintained within commercial contracts in order to meet trade and
industry requirements.
Consequently, this document seeks to integrate relevant parts of the above mentioned International
Standards and to adapt new rules and processes to ensure that the correlation between International
Standards and commerce is properly maintained.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 2451:2017(E)
Cocoa beans — Specification and quality requirements
1 Scope
This document specifies the requirements, classification, sampling, test methods, packaging and
marking for cocoa beans.
Recommendations relating to storage and disinfestation are given as a guide in Annexes G and H
respectively. Annex I is for informative purposes only and sets out a sampling procedure for preliminary
quality analysis which can be adopted by agreement of all interested parties.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 2292:2017, Cocoa beans — Sampling
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 2292 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
3.1
adulteration
alteration of the composition of a lot (3.18) of cocoa by any means whatsoever
3.2
bean cluster
two or more beans joined together which cannot be easily separated by using the finger and thumb of
both hands
3.3
bean count
total number of whole beans per 100 g determined under specific conditions
Note 1 to entry: The specific conditions and the test method are specified in Annex D.
3.4
broken bean
cocoa bean (3.5) of which a fragment (3.14) is missing, the remaining part being more than half of a
whole bean
3.5
cocoa bean
seed of the cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao Linnaeus)
Note 1 to entry: Commercially, and for the purposes of this document, the term refers to the whole seed, which
has been fermented and dried.
3.6
cocoa related matter
bean clusters (3.2), broken beans (3.4) and associated fragments (3.14) and/or pieces of shell (3.21) that
do not pass through the sieve (3.23)
3.7
contamination
presence of a smoky, hammy or other smell not typical to cocoa, or a substance not natural to cocoa,
which is revealed during the cut test (3.8) or physical inspection of a reference sample (3.22)
3.8
cut test
procedure by which the cotyledons of cocoa beans are exposed for the purpose of determining the
incidence of defective and/or slaty beans (3.25), and/or violet or purple beans (3.29), and/or the presence
of contamination (3.7) within a test sample (3.28)
Note 1 to entry: The procedure for the cut test is specified in Annex E.
3.9
defective bean
internally mouldy bean (3.20) and/or insect-damaged bean (3.17)
3.10
dry cocoa
cocoa beans (3.5) which
...