Importing Organic hops are specific. It’s not like importing tires, importing… sugar, or even imported organic sugar: organic hops have their requirements. clean. Let us explain!

There are 3 Key points: what concerns hops, what concerns the organic, which concerns the distributor.

Regarding hops

As you You probably know that, in order to be placed on the market, hops (in cones or pellets) must comply with certain specifications. These specifications include, in particular reference to the percentage of seeds that the hops contain, to the amount of debris the organic matter it contains (branches, leaves), its moisture content…

A hop producer who wishes to sell their hops rather than use them for personal consumption must have them analyzed and obtain a certificate— this has nothing to do with organic certification; conventional hops are subject to the same requirements —attesting that they meet the quality standards to be sold as hops . Yes, ladies and gentlemen, hops must be “Certified Hops” to be placed on the market!

Therefore, when you buy hops from abroad, you must be able to certify that the hops you are importing meet the quality criteria required in the EU. For this purpose, accredited bodies issue a CERTIFICATE OF EQUIVALENCE . This document is essential for importing hops into the European Union (EU) and its number must be indicated on your invoice when you purchase hops. TRACEABILITY! Therefore, for each import of hops (organic or not), an Equivalence Certificate is required.

On the invoices we issue, you will find the Equivalence Certificate number that was issued for each imported hop.

Regarding organic products

It’s necessary knowing that even if all countries do not have exactly the same specifications charges for organic farming, international agreements exist for to consider that organic farming in certain countries can – provided that all Compliance and traceability requirements – being sold as organic in space community.

As in Europe, organic hop producers abroad must be certified organic – this is indeed an organic certificate – which is issued to them following the analysis of their production .

As far as we are concerned, these organic certificates must be issued by an EU-recognized body. In other words, some bodies may be authorized to issue organic certificates in their own country, but if they are not legitimate in the EU, then for import purposes, it is, again, not compliant. You need the proper paperwork, and the right kind—TRACEABILITY! If the organic certificates are issued by EU-recognized bodies, then yes, organic products from most countries in the world can be sold as organic in the EU.

We check the organic certificates of our suppliers BEFORE purchase, they are also reviewed by our certifying body every time HOPSTORE is inspected .

Regarding the distributor

Your humble supplier then 😉

Not everyone is authorized to import organic food products into the EU as they please. To do so, one must be recognized: 1. As a legitimate EU actor , responsible for verifying, collecting, and archiving all the required import documentation; 2. As a legitimate organic actor , certified organic. TRACEABILITY! •• To import organic hops into the EU, one must have obtained authorization to do so.

HOPSTORE is authorized to import organic hops into Europe. We import the organic hops from the US and New Zealand ourselves, which we then offer in our shop.

In short

Compliance and traceability are the key principles governing the import of organic hops into Europe. Your supplier guarantees proper importation into the European Union and the organic traceability of the hops they offer .

It is your responsibility to ensure that no documents are missing, that no document has been issued by a body not recognized in the EU, that all certificates are up to date, etc. Otherwise, if something is found to be non-compliant at any point— for example, upon entry into the EU or, worse, once the goods have been sold —your supplier will be held responsible, and this has significant consequences. If the defect is related to the import procedure, the products should not even have been placed on the market; if it is a defect related to organic certification, the hops can simply be downgraded. So, just as you depend on your suppliers’ certificates for your own (and they themselves depend on their suppliers’ certificates for theirs… TRACEABILITY!), the consequences for your business should not be underestimated. You must import your organic hops through trusted distributors.

That’s perfect, we’re here for you! 😉

Leia and JS