Vietnam: 9 additional requirements when importing cashews into the Northern European market

First, quality requirements. The quality of cashew kernels is determined by the percentage of defective products, by quantity or weight and by their size, shape and color. Specific requirements for cashew quality are established in a number of standards. The most widely applied standard in Europe is that established by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Similar but slightly different standards have also been developed by several producing countries such as India, Brazil, Vietnam, Tanzania, Kenya and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Second, food safety requirements, although food safety certification is not mandatory under European law, have become mandatory for most European food importers. Most European buyers will require certification recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). For cashews, the most popular certification schemes, all accredited by GFSI, are: International Featured Standards (IFS); British Retail Consortium Global ...