APHIS – USDA Form

The Alcohol Content Statement is a Brand signed letter or statement that includes third-party analysis confirming the validity and accuracy of a product’s alcohol content claims.

It enables buyers to make informed decisions about products they plan to purchase; In markets where Alcoholic beverages are regulated, the statement informs buyers how to market products within legal compliance and may be required for exporting.

The COA is a third-party analysis document confirming that a product has undergone particular types of microbiological testing and includes the test’s results.

It is required for all products listed on the Grovara Marketplace.

If new products are added to a catalog, corresponding COAs must be submitted to Grovara via the platform.

It is typically required by the destination country.

The Distribution or Authorization Letter is a brand signed document authorizing a buyer to be an official distributor of the brand’s products.

It demonstrates a buyer’s authorization to sell a product.

Product Flat Labels are high resolution images of product packaging or labeling without any folds. An example would be the flattened final point of sale packaging or an individual product packaging.

They are used by the buyer to register a product in the destination country to demonstrate that ingredients meet the standards of the country’s regulations.

The Gluten-Free Certificate is a third-party analysis document confirming the legitimacy of a product or brand’s gluten-free, manufacturing processes and claims and ensuring a product meets strict standards for gluten-free safety.

It enables buyers to make informed decisions about products they plan to purchase; The certification proves the validity of the claim and may be required for exporting.

A Heavy Metal Statement is a third-party analysis document with the results of a product’s testing for heavy metals.

It confirms to authorities that metals such as arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury are non-existent or safe levels.

The Ingredient Percentages/Breakdown is a document on Brand letterhead providing the percentage (approximate ranges) of each ingredient used in a product.

It enables Buyers to make informed decisions about products they plan to purchase, and is a registration requirement for many foreign government agencies. For labeling purposes in some markets, Buyers may request alternative documents for ingredients such as: sugar, stevia, cocoa, etc.

The Manufacturing Arrangement Letter is a document provided by a brand on the brand’s letterhead stating the relationship between the brand, their manufactures and the exporting partner (Grovara).

It is used by buyers to verify the relationship between brands and related parties (e.g. manufacturers, packers, etc.).

A Manufacturing Flow Chart is a diagram describing the manufacturing process for all product lines.

It demonstrates to authorities and other stakeholders the processes used to produce a product.

A Pasteurization Exemption Letter is a Brand signed letter or statement stating why a product that may typically pasteurized is not pasteurized (e.g. kombucha).

In markets where pasteurized products are closely regulated, the letter may be requested in addition to any pasteurization information in the brand’s quality statements to educate unfamiliar markets on why a product does not require pasteurization and affirming its safety for consumption.

The Quality Statement is a Brand or manufacturer signed document verifying a brand’s or product’s compliance with product safety regulations. At a minimum it must include a manufacturing flow chart, the certification method, and summary of the HACCP plan.

It is commonly accepted as an alternative to the Manufacturing Certificate.

A Technical Sheet is a document containing information about a product’s production process, food safety details, and allergens (should include product name, country of origin, shelf life, and ingredients).

Buyers and legal authorities require Technical Sheets to provide baseline information, characteristics, shelf life, and basic ingredient information.

The APHIS – USDA Affidavit document from a brand regarding animal products in goods, physically submitted to the appropriate USDA – APHIS Endorsement office.

It supports the creation of the APHIS – USDA Form.

The APHIS – USDA Form can be produced by Grovara Shipment specific form filled out by brand and authorized by USDA Endorsement. It must include lot codes, expiration dates and production dates.

It confirms that animal products have been inspected by the USDA and are of traceable origin.

The CFS is a certification that a product is able to be legally sold or distributed without restriction and affirming it is manufactured in the country of origin and fit for consumption.

It is required when transporting foods into international markets.

The COI is a form generated by the EU Traces Program after a shipment is registered, it is then submitted to the brand’s organic certifier to be signed and stamped and is then sent to the buyer.

It ensures that an imported organic product is in compliance with applicable European laws.

An Invoice is an order specific, physical document affirming a purchase and stating its value as well as stating the terms of sale (payment terms and incoterms).

It is used for product shipment and customs clearance at destination country.

An Organic Transaction Certificate is a document attesting that the USDA standards for a product are aligned with the destination country’s standards; NOP Transaction Certificates are for exports to countries that have established an organic equivalence with the U.S.

It verifies that the product can be sold as “organic” in the destination country.

The Packing List is a document stating a description of products in a shipment as well as the HTS code, production dates, expiration dates and weight of the shipment.

It verifies shipment weight, quantity and dimensions for shippers.

The Phytosanitary Exemption Letter is a document stating that a shipment can be exempt from plant quarantine inspection and treatments, offers no risk and is safe for human consumption.

It is requested if it is a requirement to register a product in the destination country.

The Shelf Life or Best-By Date is product expiration information provided by a brand’s warehouse upon shipment.

The dates are often needed before a buyer will confirm purchase of the order.

A Shipper’s Letter of Instruction is a document identifying a product’s origin country shipper (Grovara) and consignee (purchaser) name and address, shipper tax ID, ultimate destination signee/buyer, product HTS code, all marks, and description of products in the shipment.

It is requested by carriers and logistics partners for export documentation purposes.

The Sugar Re-Export Form is a Mexico/US MCA Trade Agreement document stating the percentage of sugar in a product.

It is for transparency on sugar quantity in accordance with the agreement.

It is a certification that items are produced or manufactured in such a way that no dairy or dairy byproducts were used as ingredients.

The Dairy-Free Certificate enables buyers to make informed decisions about products they plan to purchase. The certification proves the validity of the claim and may be required for exporting.

The Fair-Trade Certificate is a certification that confirms that a product meets rigorous environmental, economic and social standards.

It enables buyers to make informed decisions about products they plan to purchase. The certification proves the validity of the claim and may be required for exporting.

A Halal Certificate is a certification issued by an appropriate chamber and legalization by the consulate of the destination country guaranteeing that a product meets requirements of Islamic law.

It enables buyers to make informed decisions about products they plan to purchase. The certification proves the validity of the claim and may be required for exporting.

The Keto Certificate is a certification that a product’s ingredients meet the standards of the Ketogenic diet.

It enables buyers to make informed decisions about products they plan to purchase. The certification proves the validity of the claim and may be required for exporting.

A Kosher Certificate is issued by a certification agency confirming that a product’s ingredients, derivatives, production facility, tools, machinery, and actual manufacturing process have no trace of non-kosher substances.

It enables buyers to make informed decisions about products they plan to purchase. The certification proves the validity of the claim and may be required for exporting.

A Quality Certificate is a comprehensive certification that validates food safety and quality management in manufacturing.

It certifies that the manufacturer is fit to produce and manage food products and in compliance with all local and federal laws.

The Non-GMO Certificate is a certification that a product has completed a comprehensive third-party verification compliance with non-GMO product standards.

It enables buyers to make informed decisions about products they plan to purchase. The certification proves the validity of the claim and may be required for exporting.

An Organic Certificate is a certification that a product adheres to strict production, handling and labeling standards and has successfully completed the organic certification process.. It must include certificate and summary plan; The certification must include the USDA Organic seal and summary plan.

It enables buyers to make informed decisions about products they plan to purchase. The certification proves the validity of the claim and may be required for exporting.

An OSPS is a document containing a full list of a brand’s certified organic products and related information as well as the anniversary date of the document’s production.

It accompanies some organic certificates, and it is not requested on its own.

The Paleo Certificate is a certification that a product’s ingredients meet the standards of the Paleo diet.

It enables buyers to make informed decisions about products they plan to purchase. The certification proves the validity of the claim and may be required for exporting.

A Plant-Based Certificate is a certification that confirms a product contains only ingredients derived from plants that include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds and/or legumes.

It enables buyers to make informed decisions about products they plan to purchase. The certification proves the validity of the claim and may be required for exporting.

A Vegan Certificate is a certification guaranteeing that a product has not been made using animal products or byproducts, that animal testing was not performed with the product, and that no animal-derived GMOs have been included in the product.

It enables buyers to make informed decisions about products they plan to purchase. The certification proves the validity of the claim and may be required for exporting.

The Import File is a Grovara document that collects relevant brand and product information.

It ensures the efficient and accurate input of data into the Grovara Platform.

The Manufacturing Form is a Grovara document that collects relevant brand information related to contact information, billing, shipping contacts, and locations.

It ensures buyers have access to valid brand information, in a single location.

The Best Seller Information is considered a Brand’s five most popular or top selling SKUs.

It is a Grovara Brand Profile Page feature that enables buyers to make informed decisions about products they plan to purchase.

It is an image file of the front and of the back of a product.

It is used to display the product on the Grovara Marketplace.

The Nutrition Facts Panel is a label that provides detailed information about a food’s nutrient content, such as the amount of fat, sugar, sodium and fiber it has per serving.

An image of the Nutrition Facts Panel is required as part of the export registration process.

The Product Sell Sheet is product information in a visually appealing, branded format.

It is a Grovara Brand Profile Page feature that enables buyers to make informed decisions about products they plan to purchase.

The Product Specs and Pricing document is a Grovara .csv or .xls document generated by the platform from a brand’s pricing sheet and includes the following information: SKU, Item UPC, Case UPC, Pop Box UPC, Name, Unit Price (USD), Case Price (USD), Quantity per Case, Size, Size UOM, Inner Pack, Quantity of Units Per Inner Pack, Total Units Per Master Case, Unit Length, Unit Width, Unit Height, Unit Dimensions UOM, Unit Weight, Unit Weight UOM, Unit Package Type, Case Length, Case Width, Case Height, Case Dimensions UOM, Case Weight, Case Weight UOM, Case Cubic Meter, Pallet TI, Case Package Type, Pallet HI, Pallet Weight, Pallet Weight UOM, Pallet Height, Pallet Dimensions UOM, Pallet Cubic Meter, Container 20, Container 40, Shelf Life, Shelf Life Pickup, Storage Requirement, HTS, Temperature Min, Temperature Max, Temperature UOM, Country of Origin, and Best Seller.

It makes relevant product information directly available to buyers via a Brand’s Marketplace profile page.

A Sales Presentation is a document highlighting the unique and special selling features of a brand and its products.

It is a Grovara Brand Profile page feature that enables buyers to make informed decisions about products they plan to purchase. The Grovara Sales Team uses the presentations to promote brands and products to aligned buyers.

On the Grovara Platform it can be found under the button called, “Brochure One.”

The Statement of Origin is a document identifying a product’s country of origin.

It informs the creation of a Certificate of Origin.

Grovara has an exclusive international partnership with SPINS, through which Grovara obtains consumer analytics data.

For each brand on the marketplace, Grovara provides SPINS data on the brand’s Year-Over-Year sales, Year-Over-Year growth dollars, and category ranking. Grovara updates this data quarterly.

NOTE: If a brand falls within more than one category, the category with the highest sales is referenced for the category rank and the brand’s gross sales is referenced for the YOY sales.

The SPINS data is used by buyers to obtain market insights and gain a richer understanding of a brand.

The “Case Cost” is the wholesale price of a case of goods at which Grovara purchases the goods from the Brand.

The “Case Price” is the price a case of goods is listed for on the Grovara Marketplace. It is a 17.65% markup (15% margin) on the Case Cost.

Registration Documents

Buyers present these documents to their import regulatory agency to ensure the Brand can be successfully sold in-country.

• Alcohol Content Statement
• Certificate of Analysis (COA)*
• Distribution/Authorization Letter
• FLAT Images/Product Images
• Gluten Free Certificate*
• Heavy Metal Statement
• Ingredient Percentages/Breakdown*
• Manufacturing Arrangement Letter
• Manufacturing Flow Chart
• Technical Sheet/Product Spec Sheet
• Pasteurization Statement
• Quality Statement

Missing any of these documents may result in the Brand being unable to be sold in-country.

NOTE: Exemption letters are not acceptable alternatives to these documents.

Shipping Documents

Documents that follow a specific shipment/product order from pick-up to delivery.

• APHIS – USDA Affidavit
• APHIS – USDA Form
• Certificate of Health/Free Sale (CFS/COH)
• Certificate of Inspection (COI)
• Certificate of Origin (COO)
• Invoice
• Letter of Ineligibility for Phytosanitary Certificate
• Organic Transaction Certificate (TC)
• Packing List
• Shelf Life
• SLI (Shipper’s Letter of Introduction)
• Sugar Re-Export Form

Claims Documents

Claims documents verify various health and safety claims.

• Halal Certificate
• Keto Certificate
• Kosher Certificate
• Manufacturing Certificate (GMP/SQF/HACCP)
• Non-GMO Certificate
• Organic Certificate
• Organic Summary Plan/List (OSPS)
• Paleo Certificate
• Vegan Certificate

Documentation regulations and requirements change frequently and vary widely between countries, among categories and even by ingredients. Due to the dynamic nature of the trade documentation environment, not all documents are requested from all Brands and some documents may require varying lead times to obtain.

The Grovara Supply Chain experts adhere to the regulations of the dynamic trade documentation environment.

Documents are procured in five possible formats, each representing a unique process.

• Digital A document that is provided in digital format.

• Hard Copy An original document that is provided by the Brand, Grovara, or third party to the Buyer if requested.

• Signed & Company Stamped A document that can be requested in digital or hard copy format. It is provided by and signed by the Brand or company and contains the Brand or company stamp.

• Notarized An original, hardy copy document that is signed by at least one involved party before a notary public, includes authentication (stamp) by notary public affixed to the document.

• Legalized Also known as apostilled. An original, hardy copy document that has been signed and notarized then signed and authenticated by the appropriate filing office (e.g. US Department of State).

Through the Grovara Platform, Brands maintain their export documents directly and at-will. The Grovara Document Manager advises Brand Users on what documents to procure and when. Brand Users can update, edit, add and remove documents; after which, the Grovara Document Management team will review and confirm the documents in 3 – 5 business days.

The Document Manager is capable of automatically informing Brands of when their documents are about to expire. It is recommended that Brands enable Export Registration Documentation notifications.