🍎 Food concentrates — organoleptic tests before and after preparation, checking the condition and labelling of packaging, presence of mechanical impurities and of storage pests and their remains; PN-A-79011-2

Food chemistry PN-A-79011-2

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. The “Scope” field of the PKN card of PN-A-79011-2:1998 (Polish version), in full, in our translation: “Given are: organoleptic test methods for food concentrates, checking the condition and correct labelling of packaging, checking for the presence of mechanical impurities, checking for the presence of storage pests and their remains”. The standard is sheet 2 of the PN-A-79011 series “Food concentrates — Test methods”; other sheets of this series appear in accreditation scopes for other determinations (e.g. sheet 7 — sodium chloride content by titration at AB 079 and AB 381) and are not the subject of this entry. We did not have the text of the standard — we do not know how it describes sample preparation, preparation of the concentrate, the point scale or the method of assessment.

AMENDMENTS. The card lists two amendments as additional elements: PN-A-79011-2:1998/Az1:2000 and PN-A-79011-2:1998/Az2:2008 (both in the Polish version). The “Scope” field of the card of amendment Az1:2000 (published 07-12-2000, 2 pages), in full, in our translation: “The organoleptic assessment of food concentrates by a scoring method before their preparation has been abandoned. Table 1 on the point scale for food concentrates has been redrafted. Two tables have been introduced, containing weighting coefficients (Table 2) and a verbal quality rating (Table 3)”. The “Scope” field of the card of amendment Az2:2008 (published 03-12-2008, 2 pages), in full: “A method for the determination of ferromagnetic impurities has been added”. Both amendment cards have no withdrawal note (read on 06.11.2026), KT 200. Since amendment Az1 the scoring assessment therefore concerns only the concentrate after preparation — and this is how the laboratories record it in their scopes: before preparation a descriptive test, after preparation a scoring or descriptive method.

STATUS (state of the PKN card on 06.11.2026). The card of PN-A-79011-2:1998 (Polish version) has no withdrawal note and no “Replaced by” field: published 07-01-1998, 5 pages, Food, Agriculture and Forestry Sector, KT 200 Food Concentrates, Starch and Dietetic Products, ICS 67.050; the card has no “Replaces” or “Adopts” fields — it is a national standard, not a translation of a European or international standard.

HOW MANY LABORATORIES AND IN WHAT FORM (copy of the accreditation scope database refreshed from the production server on 02.11.2026; query over all forms of the number 79011 with sheet 2 in the reference document fields). 10 records at 7 Polish laboratories: AB 1334, AB 381 (two), AB 452, AB 515, AB 518, AB 520 (two), AB 532 (two); the number does not appear in the scopes of Czech laboratories. Entries: “PN-A-79011-2:1998 + Az1:2000 + Az2:2008” in various spellings (AB 452, AB 518 — here with point 2.2), three separate references to the standard and both amendments (AB 1334), “PN-A-79011-2:1998+Az1:2000” (AB 532; AB 520 — with point 2.2), the standard alone with point 2.4 or 2.5 (AB 381) and “PN-A-79011-2:1998 z wyłączeniem pkt. 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5.1” (excluding points 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5.1) (AB 515). Both amendments are thus referred to by three laboratories, amendment Az1 alone by two, neither by two. There are more records than laboratories because the database splits the assessment before and after preparation (AB 520, AB 532) or impurities and pests (AB 381) into separate records; in the current PCA documents we read (AB 381 issue 29 of 10.06.2026, AB 452 issue 25 of 30.10.2025, AB 518 issue 26 of 10.06.2026, AB 520 issue 26 of 08.07.2026, AB 532 issue 24 of 03.07.2026) the standard appears 6 times in total — twice at AB 381, once in a single cell at each of the others. We did not read the documents of AB 1334 and AB 515. The “Laboratories” tab (“PN-A-79011-2”) shows 7 laboratories — the same 7 Polish ones (tab query on labcoda.pl, 06.11.2026).

WHAT THE LABORATORIES TEST (database copy and PCA documents, whole items). Organoleptic assessment: food concentrates — appearance, colour, odour before preparation (descriptive method) and appearance, odour, consistency, taste after preparation (descriptive method and 5-point method) (AB 452); food concentrates — appearance, colour, consistency, odour before preparation (simple descriptive test) and appearance, colour, odour, consistency, taste after preparation, range (1–5) points, scoring method (AB 532; likewise AB 520 with point 2.2: before — simple descriptive method, after — scoring method (1–5) points); dessert concentrates, gruels and porridges for children as foods for particular nutritional uses, and meal concentrates — organoleptic attributes before preparation (consistency, appearance; simple descriptive test) and after preparation (appearance and colour, odour, consistency, taste; scoring method) (AB 518, point 2.2); meal concentrate, drink and dessert concentrates, cereal coffee extracts and coffee drinks — organoleptic attributes before preparation (consistency, appearance, colour) and after preparation (appearance, colour, odour, taste, consistency), in the same item also instant coffee (appearance, colour, odour, solubility in water, clarity and colour of the infusion, taste and odour of the infusion), simple descriptive test (AB 1334). Impurities and pests: food concentrates — presence of mechanical impurities (point 2.4) and presence of storage pests and their remains (point 2.5), visual method (AB 381); presence of pests and their remains, visual method, excluding points 2.2, 2.3, 2.4 and 2.5.1 (AB 515). No item names checking the condition and labelling of packaging.

POINTS OF THE STANDARD IN THE SCOPES. The pattern of entries shows which point concerns what: point 2.2 stands with organoleptic assessment (AB 518, AB 520), point 2.4 — with mechanical impurities, point 2.5 — with pests (AB 381). AB 515 excludes points 2.2, 2.3, 2.4 and 2.5.1, i.e. keeps only part of point 2.5 of the standard. What point 2.3 concerns — no item says; between the organoleptic methods and mechanical impurities the card lists checking of packaging, but we do not draw a conclusion from the order alone.

WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. First — the state before and after preparation are two different assessments with different attributes (e.g. taste only after preparation); a result without stating which assessment it concerns is incomplete. Second — technique: some laboratories assess after preparation with a scoring method (1–5 points), others with a simple descriptive test; a point score from one laboratory and a description from another are not comparable. Third — edition: according to the card of amendment Az1:2000, the scoring assessment before preparation was removed, and the point scale (Table 1) was redrafted and supplemented with weighting coefficients (Table 2) and a verbal quality rating (Table 3); a point result calculated according to the 1998 wording without this amendment is only seemingly correct. All five laboratories with organoleptic assessment refer to amendment Az1. Amendment Az2:2008 (ferromagnetic impurities) is referred to by three laboratories, all for organoleptic assessment; the two laboratories testing impurities and pests (AB 381, AB 515) refer to the standard without amendments — the wording of their scopes does not cover the method added by amendment Az2. Fourth — scope of points: the laboratory that excludes points 2.2–2.4 (AB 515) does not perform organoleptic assessment or the test for mechanical impurities under this standard within its accreditation, although it has the standard in its scope. Fifth — the object: instant coffee stands in the same item as the concentrates (AB 1334), but we do not know whether the standard on concentrates covers it.

WHAT WE DO NOT STATE. We did not have the text of the standard (5 pages) or of the amendments (2 pages each) — PKN makes them available for a fee. We do not state the content of Tables 1–3 (point scale, weighting coefficients, verbal quality rating), the procedure for determining ferromagnetic impurities, the way the concentrate is prepared, the sample size, the point scale and its description, the number of assessors, the assessment conditions, the way impurities and pests are detected (e.g. sieves, magnification) or the assessment criteria. We do not know what point 2.3 concerns or how sub-points 2.5.1 and following differ. We did not check references to the standard in legislation.

Method principle

According to the PKN card, the standard gives organoleptic test methods for food concentrates, checking the condition and correct labelling of packaging, and checking for the presence of mechanical impurities and of storage pests with their remains. In accreditation scopes the organoleptic assessment is made before preparation of the concentrate (appearance, colour, odour, consistency — simple descriptive test) and after preparation (appearance, colour, odour, consistency, taste — 1–5 point scoring method or descriptive method), and impurities and pests — by a visual method. Amendment Az1:2000 removed the scoring assessment before preparation and added weighting coefficients and a verbal quality rating to the point scale, and amendment Az2:2008 — a method for determining ferromagnetic impurities (PKN cards of the amendments). Details of performance WE DO NOT STATE — we did not have the text of the standard.

Applications

• Food concentrates: meal, dessert, drink concentrates, cereal coffee extracts; in the scopes also gruels and porridges for children as foods for particular nutritional uses (AB 518)
• Organoleptic assessment before and after preparation — in the accreditation scopes of 5 Polish laboratories (AB 452, AB 518, AB 520, AB 532, AB 1334; two of them give point 2.2)
• Presence of mechanical impurities (point 2.4) and of storage pests and their remains (point 2.5) — visual method, in the scopes of 2 laboratories (AB 381, AB 515)
• Checking the condition and correct labelling of packaging — in the standard according to the PKN card; no such item in accreditation scopes

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-A-79011-2:1998

Title (PL)

Koncentraty spożywcze — Metody badań — Badania organoleptyczne, sprawdzanie stanu opakowań, oznaczanie zanieczyszczeń

Title (EN)

Food concentrates — Test methods — Organoleptic tests, checking the condition of packaging, determination of impurities

Step-by-step procedure

1. Choice of assessment and wording of the standard

   Establish whether the test covers organoleptic assessment (point 2.2), mechanical impurities (point 2.4) or pests (point 2.5) — points from the accreditation scopes — and whether amendments Az1:2000 and Az2:2008 are applied with the standard.

2. Assessment before preparation

   In accreditation scopes: appearance, colour, odour, consistency — simple descriptive test or descriptive method; since amendment Az1:2000 the standard no longer provides for a scoring assessment before preparation. Assessment conditions according to the standard — NOT STATED.

3. Assessment after preparation

   In accreditation scopes: appearance, colour, odour, consistency, taste — scoring method (1–5) points or descriptive method; in the standard with amendment Az1:2000 the point scale (Table 1), weighting coefficients (Table 2) and verbal quality rating (Table 3). Method of preparation and content of the tables — NOT STATED.

4. Impurities and pests

   In accreditation scopes: presence of mechanical impurities and of storage pests and their remains — visual method; amendment Az2:2008 added a method for determining ferromagnetic impurities. Procedure — NOT STATED.

5. Result

   Result separating the assessment before and after preparation and stating the points of the standard and the amendments. PN-A-79011-2:1998 — without a withdrawal note (state of the PKN card on 06.11.2026).

Required equipment and apparatus

Health and safety (OHS)

• Taste assessment after preparation — the assessors consume the sample; requirements of the standard for preparation and assessment — WE DO NOT STATE
• SUBSTANTIVE NOTE: a point score (1–5) and a descriptive result are different techniques — they are not compared without stating the technique

Frequently asked questions