National foreword

This British Standard is the UK implementation of ISO 6670:2025. It supersedes BS ISO 6670:2002, which is withdrawn.

The UK participation in its preparation was entrusted to Technical Committee W/-, Miscellaneous Standards.

A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on request to its committee manager.

Contractual and legal considerations

This publication has been prepared in good faith, however no representation, warranty, assurance or undertaking (express or implied) is or will be made, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by BSI in relation to the adequacy, accuracy, completeness or reasonableness of this publication. All and any such responsibility and liability is expressly disclaimed to the full extent permitted by the law.

This publication is provided as is, and is to be used at the recipient’s own risk.

The recipient is advised to consider seeking professional guidance with respect to its use of this publication.

This publication is not intended to constitute a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.

Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal obligations.

This British Standard was published under the authority of the Standards Policy and Strategy Committee on 31 December 2025.

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 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 rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a) patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not constitute an endorsement.

For an explanation of 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 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 6670:2002), which has been technically revised.

The main changes are as follows:

the terms and definitions have been updated;
the marking content has been updated;
the procedure of Annex A has been updated.

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.

1 Scope

1.1

This document specifies a sampling method for a consignment of instant coffee, shipped in 10 package units or more.

This document is applicable to cases which have inner linings of moisture-resistant material hermetically sealed because of the hygroscopic nature of instant coffee and which are in package units greater than 10 kg net mass, typically up to 50 kg. This document is also applicable to units of more than 50 kg, usually called “big bags” or “supersacks”. The cases are generally made of cardboard of appropriate strength and the big bags are made of suitable plastic material.

1.2

This document is also applicable to the selection and preparation of a sufficiently representative sample of the consignment, which is intended:

to serve as a basis for an offer for sale;
for examination to verify that the instant coffee to be offered for sale satisfies the producer’s sales specification;
for examination to determine one or more of the characteristics of the instant coffee for technical, commercial, administrative and arbitration purposes;
for retention as a reference sample for use, if required, in litigation.

1.3

This document is applicable to all types of instant coffee, as defined in ISO 3509, contained in all types of units with liners, with the exception stated in 1.4.

1.4

For bulk density and particle size, this document is applicable to spray-dried powder and freeze-dried instant coffees only, as defined in ISO 3509, due to the intrinsic fragility of particles of agglomerated instant coffee, which leads to greater breakdown and headspace in the final packed units for the consumer.

2 Normative references

3 Terms and definitions

4 Requirements

4.1 Sampling personnel

4.2 Sampling conditions

5 Sampling equipment

5.1

5.2 Sample containers and packages.

6 Procedure

6.1 Taking increments

6.2 Preparation of samples

7 Packing and marking of samples

7.1 Precautions when packing samples

7.2 Marking

8 Sampling report

9 Precautions during storage and transport of samples

9.1

9.2

BS ISO 6670:2025

Instant coffee — Sampling method for bulk units with liners

Current

Published:

31 Dec 2025