See Full Document Text
Official Journal EN
of the European Union L series
2024/601 16.2.2024
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2024/601
of 14 December 2023
laying down rules for the application of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament
and of the Council as regards the certification of hops and hop products and related controls
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013
establishing a common organisation of the markets in agricultural products and repealing Council Regulations (EEC)
No 922/72, (EEC) No 234/79, (EC) No 1037/2001 and (EC) No 1234/2007(1), and in particular Article 90a(6), first
subparagraph, point (c), and Article 91, first paragraph, points (b), (d) and (g), thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 repealed and replaced Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007(2). Regulation (EU)
No 1308/2013 lays down rules on marketing standards for hops and the certification of hops and empowers the
Commission to adopt delegated and implementing acts in that respect. In order to ensure the smooth functioning of
the application of marketing standards and the certification for hops and hop products in the new legal framework,
certain rules have to be adopted by means of implementing acts. Those acts should replace the relevant
implementing provisions of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1850/2006(3), which is repealed by Commission
Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/602(4). References to the repealed Regulation should be read in accordance with
Annex II to that Delegated Regulation, which provides for a correlation table.
(2) Article 77(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 provides that products of the hops sector harvested or prepared
within the Union are to be subject to a certification procedure which guarantees that they meet minimum quality
requirements. In order to ensure a uniform application of the certification procedure in the Member States, it is
necessary to specify when and where the certification procedure should take place and who should bear the cost of
it, as well as what constitutes proof of certification. Rules should also be put in place for cases where the packaging
of hops or hop products is changed after certification.
(3) In order to ensure traceability, hop should be marketed in sealed packages, which should bear markings concerning
the description of the product, the variety, the harvest year and the unique reference number of the consignment,
which must be identical to the reference number of the certificate issued in accordance with Article 77(1) of
Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 for the consignment in question.
(4) Rules for establishing reference numbers should be laid down to allow the identification and ensure traceability of
each consignment. To ensure this, the reference number should contain information about the Member State of
certification, the certification centre who issued the certificate, the harvest year and the unique reference number
attributed to the consignment. Apart from their unique reference number, certificates for hops and hop products
should contain a minimum list of characteristics describing the product. To ensure the traceability of hop products,
the reference numbers of the certificates for the input products and in case of a blend of input products, the
percentages of hops of each variety and/or hop growing region used, expressed in hop cone equivalent, should also
be listed on the certificate of the final product.
(1) OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 671, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/1308/oj.
(2) Council Regulation (EC) No 1234/2007 of 22 October 2007 establishing a common organisation of agricultural markets and on
specific provisions for certain agricultural products (Single CMO Regulation) (OJ L 299, 16.11.2007, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/
eli/reg/2007/1234/oj).
(3) Commission Regulation (EC) No 1850/2006 of 14 December 2006 laying down detailed rules for the certification of hops and hop
products (OJ L 355, 15.12.2006, p. 72, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2006/1850/oj).
(4) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/602 of 14 December 2023 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the
European Parliament and of the Council as regards the marketing standards in the hop sector and repealing Commission Regulation
(EC) No 1850/2006 (OJ L, 2024/602, 16.2.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2024/602/oj).
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(5) To ensure traceability of hops as from the harvest stage, each consignment of unprepared hops should be given an
identification number, which should appear on the certificate issued for the prepared hops. It should be specified
that certified unprepared hops may only be turned into hop products in a closed operation circuit and that no other
additives than hot water extract prepared from hops and glucose syrups for the standardisation of hop extracts may
be used in this process.
(6) Given that the alpha acid content of hops is naturally decreasing over time, a deadline for the certification of hop
cones should be set, giving Member States the possibility to set an earlier date. A written harvest declaration should
be drawn up and signed by the producer for each consignment of unprepared hops presented for certification.
(7) Rules should be laid down concerning the methods for taking samples and for checking compliance with the
minimum marketing requirements for hop cones laid down in Annex I to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/602.
(8) To ensure the high quality of hop products, rules should be laid down to ensure that only certified inputs can be used
for their production. This can be achieved either by the presence of representatives of the competent certification
authority or by the technical layout of the processing plant.
(9) As far as hop-processing plants are concerned, they should provide the competent certification authority with all
information related to the technical layout of the processing plant and the measures put in place to ensure that in
the case of hop powder, hop powder with higher lupulin content, extract of hops and mixed hop products, the
alpha acid content of those products is not lower than that of the hops from which they have been prepared. Rules
for the records to be kept by processing plants for each batch of hop product should be established to allow
traceability of each input product to the final hop products.
(10) To ensure the good functioning of the certification of hop products, Member States should appoint competent
certification authorities responsible for carrying out the necessary controls and establishing manuals of procedures
with a view to guarantee a minimum quality and full traceability of the certified hops and hop products. The
competent certification authority should approve certification centres that can carry out certification of
hops and/or hop products, allocating a code number to each of them which will be part of the unique reference
number of each certificate they issue.
(11) Minimum requirements for approved certification centres, as well as a minimum frequency for their control through
on the spot checks carried out by the competent certification authority should be established.
(12) The high quality and good reputation of products of the hops sector is due to the traceability of the certified
products from unprepared hops to the final hop product. Therefore it is important that the certification authority is
authorized to withdraw the approval of a certification centre in case of incorrect entries into a certificate issued by
them or a neglect of the notification obligations towards the certification authority. Approval should be withdrawn
for at least 12 months and only be re-established on request by the applicant if the certification authority is satisfied
with the remedial action taken.
(13) To ensure full traceability, the information concerning the certificates issued for hops and hop products needs to be
centralised at national level. To minimise the administrative burden, the Member States should be allowed to lay
down the form and manner in which that information shall be notified to them.
(14) In order to facilitate the communication of information from the Member States to the Commission on all relevant
aspects of the certification system for products of the hops sector, rules should be laid down concerning the
content, timing, frequency and deadlines of the notifications as regards this scheme. For the proper management of
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the hops sector, it is appropriate to provide that all notifications from the Member States to the Commission
required in accordance with this Regulation should be made in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation
(EU) 2017/1183(5)and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1185(6).
(15) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for the Common
Organisation of the Agricultural Markets,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
SECTION 1
INTRODUCTORY PROVISIONS
Article 1
Definitions
The definitions provided for in Article 3 of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/602 shall apply to this Regulation.
SECTION 2
CERTIFICATION OF HOPS AND HOP PRODUCTS
Article 2
Certification procedure
1. The procedure for the certification of hop cones falling under CN code 1210 10 00covered by Part VI of Annex I to
Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 and hop products falling under CN codes 1210 20and 1302 13 00covered by Part VI of
Annex I to that Regulation pursuant to Article 77 of that Regulation shall be carried out before the product is placed on
the market and consists of an analysis of the consignment in question.
2. In order to be certified, hop cones shall comply with the minimum marketing requirements set out in Annex I to
Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/602. Hop products shall meet the requirements laid down in Article 77(2) of Regulation
(EU) No 1308/2013 in order to be certified and it shall be ensured that they are derived entirely from hops meeting the
minimum marketing requirements. Certified hops and hop products shall be accompanied by a certificate issued in
accordance with Article 77 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013.
3. The certification procedure shall be carried out in the Member State in which the hops are grown for hop cones and
in which the hop product is produced for processed hops and hop products.
4. The certification procedure shall take place at the farm or at certification centres under official surveillance.
(5) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/1183 of 20 April 2017 on supplementing Regulations (EU) No 1307/2013 and (EU)
No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to the notifications to the Commission of information and
documents (OJ L 171, 4.7.2017, p. 100, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2017/1183/oj).
(6) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1185 of 20 April 2017 laying down rules for the application of Regulations (EU)
No 1307/2013 and (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards notifications to the Commission of
information and documents and amending and repealing several Commission Regulations (OJ L 171, 4.7.2017, p. 113, ELI: http://
data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2017/1185/oj).
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5. The costs of the certification shall be borne by the operators subject to it, save where Member States decide otherwise.
6. The marking appearing on each sealed package and the certificate which shall accompany the hop product shall
constitute proof of certification.
7. If, after certification, the packaging of hops or hop products is changed, with or without further processing, the
product shall be subject to a new certification procedure. However, where a change of packaging is carried out under
official surveillance without any processing of the product, the certification procedure shall comprise only of the marking
of the new packaging and the entry on the original certificate of this marking and the mention ‘change of packaging’.
Article 3
Marking and sealing
1. Marking of packages in accordance with Annex I shall be carried out after sealing under official surveillance, on the
unit of packaging in which the product is to be marketed. The reference number shall be the same for all packages in a
consignment and shall correspond to the unique reference number of the certificate for that consignment, established in
accordance with Annex II.
2. Each package shall bear at least the following markings in one of the official languages of the Union:
(a) the description of the product including the mention ‘prepared hops’ or ‘unprepared hops’, as the case may be;
(b) the variety or varieties;
(c) the year of harvest;
(d) the unique reference number of the certificate issued in accordance with Article 4.
These markings shall appear in legible, indelible characters of uniform size.
3. In the case of hops from experimental strains in the course of development and produced by a research institute on its
own premises or by a producer on behalf of such an institute, entries referred to in paragraph 2, first subparagraph, point
(b), may be replaced by a name or number identifying the strain in question.
Article 4
Certificate
1. Each certificate shall be given a unique reference number made up of the codes designating, in accordance with
Annex II, the Member State, the code number allocated to the certification centre, the year of harvest and the reference
number given to the relevant consignment by the certification centre.
2. In the case of hop cones, the certificate shall include at least the following entries:
(a) the description of the product including the mentions ‘seeded hops’ or ‘seedless hops’, as appropriate, and ‘prepared
hops’ or ‘unprepared hops’, as the case may be;
(b) the unique reference number of the certificate for the consignment;
(c) the net and/or gross weight of the consignment;
(d) the hop production area;
(e) the variety;
(f) the mention ‘seeded hops’ or ‘seedless hops’, as appropriate;
(g) the year of harvest;
(h) the entry listed in Annex III in at least one of the official languages of the Union.
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In the case of hops from experimental strains, the entries referred to in the first subparagraph, point (e), may be replaced by
a name or number identifying the strain in question.
3. In the case of hop products, the certificate shall include at least the following entries:
(a) the description of the product;
(b) the unique reference number of the certificate of the consignment;
(c) the net and/or gross weight of the consignment;
(d) the unique reference number of the certificate(s) of the hops used;
(e) the variety or varieties of the hops used;
(f) the production area(s) of the hops used;
(g) the year of harvest;
(h) the place and date of processing;
(i) the entry listed in Annex III in at least one of the official languages of the Union.
4. Where hop cones of different varieties and/or production areas are blended to be transformed into a hop product, the
certificate accompanying the product must state the percentage weight of each of the different hop varieties and production
regions used in the blend.
5. If hop products are used in combination with hop cones for the manufacturing of hop products, or if different hop
products are used, the percentage of each input product shall be stated on the certificate, based on the weight of the hop
cones that were used for the preparation of the input products.
6. The unique reference numbers of the certificates issued for the input products used in the blend shall be mentioned
next to the product.
Article 5
Common certification requirements for hops and hop products
1. An identification number shall be given to the consignment of original unprepared hops before preparation. This
number shall appear on the certificate issued for the prepared hops.
2. Hop products produced from certified unprepared hops may be certified only if the preparation took place within a
closed operating circuit.
3. With the exception of hot water extract prepared from hops and glucose syrups for the standardisation of hop
extracts, only certified hops and hop products shall enter the closed operating circuit. They shall enter only in the state in
which they have been certified.
SECTION 3
ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR HOPS
Article 6
Unprepared hops presented for certification
1. For hop cones, certification shall take place not later than 31 March of the year following the year of harvest. Member
States may set an earlier date.
2. Every consignment of unprepared hops presented for certification shall be accompanied by a written harvest
declaration signed by the producer giving the following data:
(a) the producer’s name and address;
(b) the place of production;
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(c) the variety;
(d) the year of harvest;
(e) the parcel reference in the land register or an official equivalent thereof;
(f) the number of packages in the consignment.
3. The harvest declaration provided for in paragraph 2 shall accompany the consignment of hops until the certificate is
issued.
Article 7
Verification of the minimum quality criteria of unprepared hops
1. Compliance with the minimum marketing requirement relating to the moisture content of the hops laid down in
Annex I to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/602 shall be checked by representatives of the competent certification
authority applying one of the methods described in section B of Annex IV to this Regulation and must give results within
two standard deviations. In the event of a dispute, compliance shall be checked by the method described in section B, point
1, of Annex IV to this Regulation.
2. Compliance with minimum marketing requirements other than the moisture content shall be checked in accordance
with normal commercial practice.
However, in the event of a dispute concerning the extraneous matter content, the method described in section C of
Annex IV shall be used.
3. For the purpose of the control methods referred to paragraphs 1 and 2, samples shall be taken and treated in
accordance with the method described in section A of Annex IV. Samples shall be taken, in each consignment, from at
least one package in ten and, in any case, from at least two packages in a consignment.
SECTION 4
ADDITIONAL CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR HOP PRODUCTS
Article 8
Safeguards during the production of hop products
1. Hop products may only be certified if representatives of the competent certification authority are present at all times
when the processing is taking place. The representatives of the competent authority shall supervise the processing at every
stage, from the opening of the sealed package containing the certified hops or certified hop product to be processed to the
completion of packaging, sealing and marking of the final hop product.
2. The presence of representatives of the competent certification authority when processing is taking place is not
required as long as it can be assured by technical means, approved by the competent certification authority, that the
provisions of this Regulation are respected.
3. Hop products may only be certified if, before changing to a different batch in a processing system it has been ensured
that the processing system is empty, at least to the extent necessary to avoid that the elements of two different batches are
mixed.
Article 9
Information and record keeping by processing plants
1. The operators of hop-processing plants shall provide the competent certification authority with all information
related to the technical layout of the processing plant, as well as the measures in place to ensure the respect of the
requirement laid down in Article 77(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013.
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2. The operators of hop-processing plants shall keep exact records concerning the mass throughput of hops processed.
For each batch of hops to be processed records shall be drawn up which contain details of the weights of the input products
and of the processed product obtained.
As far as the input products are concerned, the records shall furthermore contain the unique reference number of the
certificate for all hop consignments involved and the variety and production region of the hops. If hops from more than
one variety or production region are used in the production of the same batch, the respective shares of their weight must
appear in the records.
As regards the processed product, the variety and production region shall also appear in the records, or, if the processed
product is a blend, the composition by varieties and/or production regions. All weights may be rounded off to the nearest
kilogram.
3. Records of the mass throughput shall be signed by representatives of the competent certification authority as soon as
the processing of a batch has been completed. They shall be kept by the operator of the processing plant for at least 3 years.
SECTION 5
CERTIFICATION AUTHORITIES AND CERTIFICATION CENTRES
Article 10
Competent certification authority
1. Member States shall appoint competent certification authorities and ensure that the necessary controls and manuals
of procedures are in place, with a view to guaranteeing a minimum quality of the certified hops and hop products, the
respect of the requirement laid down in Article 77(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 as well as traceability of the hops
and hop products at consignment level.
2. The competent certification authority shall approve certification centres allowed to carry out certification of
hops and/or hop products and allocate a code number to them in accordance with point 1 of Annex II.
Article 11
Approval and control of certification centres
1. The competent certification authority shall approve certification centres, having a legal personality or sufficient legal
capacity to be subject, under national legislation, to rights and obligations, and ensure that they have adequate facilities to
carry out the necessary sampling, analytical, statistical and recording tasks.
2. On the basis of a risk analysis, at least once per calendar year, the competent certification authority shall carry out
random on-the-spot checks of certification centres in order to verify compliance with paragraph 1. The effectiveness of
risk analysis parameters used in previous years shall be assessed on an annual basis.
Article 12
Withdrawal of approval
1. The competent certification authority shall withdraw the approval of a certification centre if it finds that in the
preparation of hop products non-permitted components have been used, or that the components used do not conform to
the entries in the certificate as provided for in Article 4(2) and (3), and if this is imputable to the certification centre
concerned, or if the certification centre neglects the notification obligation referred to in Article 13 or submits incorrect
notifications.
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2. Approval may not be restored for a period of at least 12 months following the date of withdrawal. On request of the
certification centre from which approval was withdrawn, approval may be restored after that period if the certification
authority is satisfied with the remedial action taken.
SECTION 6
NOTIFICATIONS
Article 13
Notification to the competent certification authority
The information concerning the certificates issued for hops and hop products shall be centralised at national level.
Member States shall lay down the form and manner in which this information shall be notified to them by the certification
centres.
Article 14
Notifications to the Commission
1. Member States shall notify to the Commission, by 30 June each year at the latest, of:
(a) a list of their hop production areas;
(b) the names and addresses of their competent certification authorities;
(c) a list of the certification centres on their territory and the code numberallocated to each certification centre.
2. The notifications to the Commission referred to in paragraph 1 shall be made in accordance with Delegated
Regulation (EU) 2017/1183 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1185.
3. The removal of a certification centre from the national list shall be notified to the Commission without delay.
Article 15
Publication of lists
The Commission shall ensure that the list of hop production areas and the list of certification centres and their code
numbers are updated regularly and available on the website of the Commission.
SECTION 7
FINAL PROVISIONS
Article 16
Entry into force
This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the
European Union.
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This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 14 December 2023.
For the Commission
The President
Ursula VON DER LEYEN
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ANNEX I
MARKING OF PACKAGES REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 3
Packages shall be marked as follows, depending on the type of package:
(a) for hop cones put up in bales or ballots:
— printing on the package, or
— printing on adhesive seal;
(b) for hop powder in packets:
— printing on the packet, or
— printing on adhesive seal;
(c) for hop powder or hop extract in containers:
— printing on the container,
— printing on adhesive seal or stamping into the container;
(d) for sealed packages containing a consignment of packets or containers of powder or extract:
— printing on the sealed package or the adhesive seal, and
— printing on each packet or container of powder or extract in the sealed package, or on its adhesive seal.
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ANNEX II
COMPOSITION OF THE UNIQUE CERTIFICATE REFERENCE NUMBER REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 4
1. CERTIFICATION CENTRE
A number in three digits between 000 and 099 allocated by the certification authority of the Member State.
2. MEMBER STATES CARRYING OUT CERTIFICATION
BE for Belgium
BG for Bulgaria
CZ for Czechia
DK for Denmark
DE for Germany
EE for Estonia
EL for Greece
ES for Spain
FR for France
HR for Croatia
IE for Ireland
IT for Italy
CY for Cyprus
LV for Latvia
LT for Lithuania
LU for Luxembourg
HU for Hungary
MT for Malta
NL for the Netherlands
AT for Austria
PL for Poland
PT for Portugal
RO for Romania
SI for Slovenia
SK for Slovakia
FI for Finland
SE for Sweden
3. YEAR OF HARVESTING
The last two figures of the year of harvesting.
4. UNIQUE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
Each certification centre shall give distinct, consecutive numbers to the consignments they certify.
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5. IDENTIFICATION OF THE CONSIGNMENT
The unique reference number given to the consignment by the certification centre (for example 012 BE 23 170225).
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ANNEX III
ENTRIES REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 4(2), FIRST SUBPARAGRAPH, POINT (h), AND ARTICLE 4(3), POINT (i)
in Bulgarian: Сертифициран продукт – Регламент за изпълнение (ЕС) 2024/601
in Spanish: Producto certificado – Reglamento de Ejecución (UE) 2024/601 de la Comisión
in Czech: Ověřený produkt – Prováděcí nařízení Komise (EU) 2024/601
in Danish: Certificeret produkt – Kommissionens gennemførelsesforordning (EU) 2024/601
in German: Zertifiziertes Erzeugnis – Durchführungsverordnung (EU) 2024/601 der Kommission
in Estonian: Sertifitseeritud toode – Komisjoni rakendusmäärus (EL) 2024/601
in Greek: Πιστοποιημένο προϊόν – Εκτελεστικός κανονισμός (ΕΕ) 2024/601 της Επιτροπής
in English: Certified product – Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/601
in French: Produit certifié – Règlement d’exécution (UE) 2024/601 de la Commission
in Croatian: Certificirani proizvod – Provedbena uredba Komisije (EU) 2024/601
in Irish: Táirge deimhnithe – Rialachán Cur Chun Feidhme (AE) 2024/601
in Italian: Prodotto certificato – Regolamento di esecuzione (UE) 2024/601 della Commissione
in Latvian: Sertificēts produkts – Komisijas Īstenošanas regula (ES) 2024/601
in Lithuanian: Sertifikuotas produktas – Komisijos įgyvendinimo reglamentas (ES) 2024/601
in Hungarian: Tanúsított termék – A Bizottság (EU) 2024/601 végrehajtási rendelete
in Maltese: Prodott Iccertifikat – Regolament ta’ Implimentazzjoni tal-Kummissjoni (UE) 2024/601
in Dutch: Gecertificeerd product – Uitvoeringsverordening (EU) 2024/601 van de Commissie
in Polish: Produkt certyfikowany – Rozporządzenie wykonawcze Komisji (UE) 2024/601
in Portuguese: Produto certificado – Regulamento de Execução (UE) 2024/601 da Comissão
in Romanian: Produs certificat – Regulamentul de punere în aplicare (UE) 2024/601 al Comisiei
in Slovak: Certifikovaný výrobok – Vykonávacie nariadenie Komisie (EÚ) 2024/601
in Slovenian: Certificiran pridelek – Izvedbena uredba Komisije (EU) 2024/601
in Finnish: Varmennettu tuote – Komission täytäntöönpanoasetus (EU) 2024/601
in Swedish: Certifierad produkt – Kommissionens genomförandeförordning (EU) 2024/601
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ANNEX IV
METHODS REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 7
A. SAMPLING METHOD
The following procedure shall be used to take samples of hop cones for determining the moisture content and, where
applicable, the extraneous matter content:
1. Sampling
(a) Packed hops
A weight of hops proportional to the weight of the package shall be taken from the number of packages specified
in Article 7(3). Enough samples shall be taken to ensure that there are enough cones to be representative of the
package.
(b) Hops in a loose pile
Take equal portions from five to ten different places in the pile both at the surface and at various depths to
constitute a sample. Place the sample in the container as soon as possible. To avoid rapid deterioration, the
quantity of hops must be sufficiently large to be highly compressed when the container is closed.
The sample must weigh at least 250 gram.
2. Mixture
The samples must be carefully mixed to be representative of the consignment.
3. Sub-sampling
After mixing, take one or more representative samples and place them in a waterproof, airtight container such as a
metal box, a glass jar or a plastic bag, except where only the extraneous matter content is to be checked.
4. Storage
Except during transport, samples must be stored in a cold place. Care should be taken to allow the samples to return to
room temperature inside the container before opening for examination or analysis.
B. METHODS FOR CHECKING THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF HOPS
1. Method (i)
Samples for moisture content must not be ground. They should be exposed to the air only for the minimum time
necessary for their transfer from the container to the weighing vessel (which must have a lid).
Apparatus
Balance sensitive to 0,005 grams.
Drying oven electrically heated and thermostated to 105 to 107 °C (the efficacy of the oven should be checked by the
copper sulphate test).
Metal dishes 70 to 100 mm in diameter, 20 to 30 mm deep and provided with well-fitting lids.
Ordinary desiccators, suitable for accommodating the dishes and containing a desiccant such as indicator silica gel.
Method
Transfer 3 to 5 grams of hops to a dish and close the lid before weighing. Weigh as quickly as possible. Remove the lid
and place the dish in the oven for one hour exactly. Replace the lid, place the dish in a desiccator to cool for at least 20
minutes and then weigh the dish.
Calculation
Calculate the loss of weight as a percentage of the original weight of hops. The maximum deviation for individual
estimation is 1 %.
14/15 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2024/601/ojEN
OJ L, 16.2.2024
2. Method (ii)
Method using either an electronic weighing machine which dries the hops with infra-red rays or hot air, or an electric
measuring apparatus, which registers on a scale the degree of humidity of the sample taken.
C. METHOD FOR CHECKING THE EXTRANEOUS MATTER CONTENT
1. Determination of the leaf, stalk and waste content
Sieve five 100 gram samples (or one 250 gram sample) using a 2 to 3 mm sieve. Collect the lupulin, waste and seeds
and separate the seeds by hand. Place the samples on one side. Transfer the contents of the 2 to 3 mm sieve to a 8 to
10 mm sieve and sieve again.
The hop cones, leaves, stalks and extraneous matter are collected by hand from the sieve while cone leaves, seeds,
lupulin, waste and some leaves and stalks pass through. All this is sorted by hand and divided into the following groups:
(a) leaves and stalks;
(b) hops (cone leaves, hop cones and lupulin);
(c) waste;
(d) seeds.
Whereas it is extremely difficult to separate the waste and the lupulin precisely it is possible, using a sieve with a mesh
size of 0,8 millimetres, to determine approximately the relative proportions of the waste and the lupulin.
When estimating the proportion of lupulin, it should be taken into account that the density of the lupulin is four times
greater than that of the waste.
The various groups are weighed and the percentage which each group represents in the weight of the original sample is
determined.
2. Determination of the seed content
Place a 25 gram sample in a metal container with a lid and heat in a drying oven for two hours at 115 °C in order to
neutralise the sticky resin.
Wrap the dried sample in coarse cotton cloth and rub vigorously or beat mechanically in order to detach the seeds from
the hops. Separate the dried and finely fragmented hops from the seeds with a grinder or a 1 mm metal sieve.
Separate any items remaining with the seeds using either a sloping surface covered with emery paper or any other
method which gives the same result, i.e. retains the stems and other matter and permits the seeds to roll off.
Weigh the seeds and determine the percentage of seeds relative to the weight of the original sample.
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2024/601/oj 15/15