Who we are & what we do
The rawfood sector is currently undergoing a huge development and growth but there is no clear definition or standard what “rawfood” really means and what is or what is not allowed during the production of rawfood.
In a fast-emerging market like the rawfood market, basic questions on quality and clear definitions arise on consumer as well as on manufacturer side. What is rawfood? What are the criteria for food being raw?
Nowadays there are many products which are referred to as rawfood even though they are not really raw. To avoid misleading consumers and to reliably meet their expectations an universal standard is necessary.
Rawfood Association has created the Certified Rawfood Standard ‘really-raw’ which gives uniform definition of the quality and accepted processing methods. All products certified with that standard are going through a strict quality control to assure compliance with the guidelines of the association before they are entitled to use the ‘really-raw’ logo.
What is raw food?
- Neither the manufactured, packed food nor any of the used ingredients shall be heated with temperatures above 45 °C during the whole post-harvest process, including processing, transportation and storage. The critical temperature is not the temperature of the surrounding, the air or the water, with which the product gets in contact, it is the temperature of the food itself.
- All products seeking certification must be certified according to EU organic regulations or according to national organic regulations approved for equivalence according Annex III (EC) No 1235/2008.
- All products including all ingredients of the products that shall be certified need to be of natural origin, meaning that they are free of chemicals, not produced synthetically, not processed using anything other than natural ingredients as solvents, not exposed to irradiation, not genetically engineered or containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
- Weight percentage of non-rawfood cannot exceed 3 % of the total product. Only non-rawfood products which are not available in rawfood quality are accepted. This percentage of food must be natural food as well, cannot be a main ingredient, and must be marked at the list of ingredients on the packaging.
Why raw food?
- to preserve pure taste
- to preserve maximum amount of valuable ingredients
- to support our body absorbing active enzymes, macro and micronutrients in their original form
- to promote a healthy and natural lifestyle
- because it is the most natural form of human consumption
What is the
really-raw
standard?
- Never heated above 45 °C
- Processing of all raw materials is done gently below 45°C
- Temperature controlled transport and storage conditions below 45°C
- Lowest loss of ingredients
- Only natural ingredients allowed
- Organic certified standard
- Standard controlled by an independent control body
- Traceability from farmer to consumer
- First certification for rawfood
Getting certified
Are you interested in getting your products certified? Please contact us and we are happy to give you further information about our standard and requirements for your product certification.
