A buyer at a bakery in PoznaΕ, Poland, has two quotes for the sunflower seeds that top its rye bread. One supplier is 9% cheaper. Both send a four-page food specification sheet. The cheaper one gives moisture as “typically 6%”, lists Salmonella as “absent”, mentions a shared line with sesame only in a footnote and carries a version date from three years ago. The buyer has no science degree and the technical manager is away until Monday. Most of what matters on those four pages can still be read, questioned and summarised by a careful non-scientist, as long as the final approval stays with the technical team.
In short
- A food specification sheet (spec) is the agreed, written description of what an ingredient, packaging material or finished product must be, and it forms part of the buyer-supplier contract.
- Most specs share the same sections: identity, composition, allergens, physical and chemical limits, microbiological limits, sensory description, packaging, storage and shelf life, and legal and certification status.
- Every measured property needs a target with a tolerance, or a maximum or minimum. “Typical” describes the past; it is not a limit.
- A microbiological limit means little without the organism, the amount tested (for example “not detected in 25 g”), the method and, ideally, the sampling plan.
- Non-scientists can spot missing sections, vague wording and mismatches; approving a supplier or a spec remains the technical team’s job.
What is a food specification sheet?
A food specification sheet is the agreed, written description of what an ingredient, packaging material or finished product must be. It sets measurable requirements, and once both parties sign it, it forms part of the contract: a delivery that falls outside it can be rejected.
There are three common types. A raw material specification describes what a supplier must deliver to you. A finished product specification describes what you promise your customer. A packaging specification covers materials that touch or protect food. ISO 22000:2018 expects a business to document the characteristics of its raw materials and end products as input to hazard analysis, and GFSI-benchmarked certification schemes expect current specifications to be in place.
A specification is not a certificate of analysis. The specification states what every delivery must meet; a certificate of analysis (CoA) reports the test results for one batch. You need both, and each CoA should be checked against the spec.
What sections does a food specification sheet contain?
Most specifications contain the same eight sections, whatever the product; only the order and layout vary.
| Section | What it tells you | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Identity | Product name, description, supplier code, country of origin | It matches the quote and purchase order exactly |
| 2. Composition | Full ingredient list, including sub-ingredients and percentages | No surprise ingredients; compound ingredients broken down |
| 3. Allergens | Allergens present as ingredients, and those possible through cross-contact | Every priority allergen for your markets is addressed; cross-contact explained |
| 4. Physical and chemical limits | Moisture, pH, water activity, salt, Brix, particle size, foreign matter | Each has a target and tolerance, or a maximum or minimum, with units |
| 5. Microbiological limits | Organisms tested and the maximum levels allowed | Organism, limit, amount tested and method all stated |
| 6. Sensory description | Colour, odour, flavour, texture | Specific enough to reject a bad delivery |
| 7. Packaging, storage and shelf life | Pack type and size, labelling, storage conditions, shelf life | Shelf life given with storage conditions and a start point |
| 8. Legal and certification status | Compliance statements, certificates, issue date, version, signatures | Certificate current and covering this product; spec dated and signed |
For allergens, the Codex General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods (CXS 1-1985) was revised in 2024. Its priority list now covers cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, sesame and specified tree nuts, and sulphites at 10 mg/kg or more must be declared. Many countries add others, such as soy, mustard or celery, so check your national legislation for every market you sell into.
How do you read targets, tolerances and limits?
A target is the value the supplier aims for, a tolerance is the allowed range around it, and a maximum or minimum is a hard limit that no delivery may cross. “Salt 1.5% Β± 0.2%” means any result from 1.3% to 1.7% is acceptable; “Moisture maximum 8.0%” means 8.1% is out.
Words such as typical, approximately and average describe what usually happens, not what is guaranteed. A spec that says moisture is “typically 6%” gives you nothing to reject a wet delivery against, so ask for a maximum, and check that every figure has units.
Worked example
A flour specification reads “Moisture 12.0% Β± 0.5%”. A 20 tonne delivery arrives with a certificate of analysis showing 12.8%.
Step 1, is it in specification? The acceptable range is 12.0 β 0.5 = 11.5% to 12.0 + 0.5 = 12.5%. At 12.8% the delivery is out of specification.
Step 2, what does it cost? Compared with the 12.0% target, the flour carries 0.8 percentage points more water:
20,000 kg Γ 0.008 = 160 kg of extra water
That is 160 kg of water bought at the price of flour, and 160 kg less dry flour to bake with.
Step 3, why does it matter beyond cost? Higher moisture shortens storage life and raises the risk of clumping and mould. The technical team decides whether to reject it or accept it under concession (a documented one-off acceptance); your job is to flag it.
What do the lab terms on a specification mean?
These terms cover most specifications. You need to know what they mean, not how to measure them.
| Term | Plain meaning | Where you will see it |
|---|---|---|
| pH | Acidity on a 0 to 14 scale; 7 is neutral and lower numbers are more acidic | Sauces, dairy, drinks, pickles |
| Water activity (aw) | How much of the water is free for microbes, from 0 to 1.00; most bacteria need above about 0.91 | Dried, baked and intermediate-moisture foods |
| Brix (Β°Bx) | Dissolved solids, mostly sugar, as a percentage by weight | Juices, syrups, jams |
| cfu/g | Colony-forming units per gram: a count of live microbes able to grow on a test plate | Every microbiological limit |
| Total viable count (TVC) | A general count of live bacteria, used as a measure of hygiene and quality, not safety | Raw materials, ready-to-eat foods |
| Enterobacteriaceae, E. coli | Indicator organisms: high counts suggest poor hygiene, faecal contamination or under-processing | Most foods |
| Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes | Pathogens, usually specified as “not detected” in a stated amount such as 25 g | Nuts, seeds, spices, chocolate, ready-to-eat foods |
| ppm or mg/kg | Parts per million: 1 milligram per kilogram | Sulphites, preservatives, contaminants |
| ppb or Β΅g/kg | Parts per billion: 1 microgram per kilogram | Mycotoxins such as aflatoxins |
| Peroxide value | A measure of early fat oxidation, the first stage of rancidity | Oils, nuts, seeds, fried snacks |
| Detection limit | The lowest amount a test method can reliably detect | Any “not detected” result |
“Not detected” is not the same as zero. “Salmonella: not detected in 25 g” means the test found none in that portion, not that the whole lot is free of it, which is why the number of samples matters as much as the result.
How do you read microbiological limits and sampling plans?
A microbiological limit should state the organism, the maximum allowed, the amount of food tested and the number of samples. Many specifications use the n, c, m, M notation developed by the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF), which Codex also uses when it sets microbiological criteria.
- n is the number of sample units tested from the lot.
- m is the level that separates acceptable from marginal results.
- M is the level above which any single result rejects the lot.
- c is the maximum number of sample units allowed between m and M.
A two-class plan has only m. “Salmonella: n = 5, c = 0, not detected in 25 g” means five 25 g units are tested and all five must be negative.
Worked example
A seed specification sets E. coli at n = 5, c = 2, m = 10 cfu/g, M = 100 cfu/g. The five results are: below 10, 20, 40, below 10 and 15 cfu/g.
No unit is above M = 100 cfu/g, so there is no automatic rejection. Three units (20, 40 and 15 cfu/g) fall between m and M, but c allows only two. The lot fails.
Had the results been 20, 40, below 10, below 10 and below 10 cfu/g, only two units would sit between m and M, c = 2 would be met, and the lot would pass.
What red flags should a non-scientist look for?
A structured ten-minute read catches most gaps that cause commercial and safety trouble. Do it before you pass the spec to the technical team.
- Check the issue date, version and signatures. An unsigned spec, or one several years old, may not describe what the supplier makes today.
- Compare identity and composition with the quote. A new origin, an extra sub-ingredient or a carrier such as wheat flour in a seasoning can change allergens, cost and labels.
- Read the allergen section twice: once for ingredients and once for cross-contact. A shared line with peanut, sesame or tree nuts matters even if the ingredient does not contain them.
- Look for vague words where numbers should be: typical, approximately, average, absent, low.
- Check every microbiological limit for organism, limit, amount tested and method.
- Check that the shelf life has storage conditions and a start point. “12 months” means little without “stored below 20 Β°C, dry, from date of production”.
- Check certification: a current certificate, for example under a GFSI-benchmarked scheme, whose scope covers this product. “Working towards certification” means no independent audit has been passed yet.
- Compare the spec with what your sales team and labels promise. If the pack says “free from”, the spec must support it.
Turn each concern into a precise question. “What is your maximum moisture?” gets a better answer than “Is 6% OK?”
Who approves a food specification, and what is your role?
The technical team approves specifications and suppliers, usually through a documented supplier approval procedure and change control. Change control is the formal process for reviewing any change to ingredients, suppliers, recipes, packaging or claims before it happens.
Your role is to read, compare and question, not to approve. Buyers, planners, account managers and finance staff often see a new spec first; listing the gaps when you hand it over speeds up the review. A supplier’s certificate shows that a system was audited; it is not approval to use that supplier. Reading specs and lab reports is covered in the first module of Food Science for Non-Scientists, and supplier approval, traceability and recall are explained from the factory side in Food Technology for Non-Technical Professionals.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a specification and a certificate of analysis?
A specification states what every delivery of a product must meet: its composition, limits, allergens and shelf life. A certificate of analysis (CoA) reports the test results for one particular batch. The CoA is checked against the specification when goods arrive. A CoA without an agreed specification tells you what was found, but not whether it is acceptable.
What does “not detected in 25 g” mean on a specification?
It means the laboratory tested a 25 g portion for the named organism, usually Salmonella or Listeria monocytogenes, and did not find it. It does not prove that the whole batch is free of that organism, because contamination can be patchy. Confidence comes from the number of samples tested, set by the sampling plan, and from the supplier’s process controls.
What is a tolerance on a specification?
A tolerance is the allowed variation around a target value. “Salt 1.5% Β± 0.2%” means any result from 1.3% to 1.7% is acceptable. Tolerances exist because no process hits exactly the same number every time. Very wide tolerances can hide poor process control, so compare tolerances between suppliers, not just their targets.
How often should a food specification be reviewed?
There is no single international interval. Review a specification whenever the recipe, supplier, site, process, packaging or relevant legislation changes, and on the fixed cycle that your certification scheme or internal procedures set. Check the issue date and version of every spec you receive; a document several years old should prompt a request to confirm it is still current.
Should a specification list “may contain” allergens?
Yes. A good specification states allergens present as ingredients and, separately, any allergens handled on the same line or site, with the controls in place. Codex guidance on precautionary allergen labelling says “may contain” statements should follow a risk assessment rather than be used as a blanket disclaimer, so ask the supplier what assessment supports any such statement.
Next step. Food Science for Non-Scientists teaches the vocabulary behind specifications and lab reports, including pH, water activity, cfu, log reductions and detection limits, then applies it to allergens, labels, shelf life and HACCP in plain language. It ends with a proctored final assessment and an ASC certificate, and you can see all eleven food science and technology courses if you want to go further.
Sources. Codex Alimentarius Commission: General Principles of Food Hygiene, CXC 1-1969 (revised 2020); Principles and Guidelines for the Establishment and Application of Microbiological Criteria Related to Foods, CXG 21-1997; General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods, CXS 1-1985 (Codex Alimentarius). ISO 22000:2018, Food safety management systems (ISO). ICMSF, Microorganisms in Foods 7: Microbiological Testing in Food Safety Management (Springer). Global Food Safety Initiative benchmarking requirements (GFSI).
This article is general guidance only and is not a substitute for the applicable standard, legislation or the advice of a qualified food safety professional.