Re: Kits or Sets, coffee service Item 73725 Staff Contact: Allison L. Austin Telephone (703) 838-8864 austin@nmfta.org Proponent: Commodity Classification Standards Board Present Classification Provisions Item Description Class FOODSTUFFS GROUP: subject to item 72000 72680 Coffee, NOI, Tea, NOI, or Herbal Tea, see Note, item 72681, flavored or unflavored, sweetened or unsweetened, in bags, boxes or Packages 128, 1000, 1306, 2330, 2332, 2380 or 2414, subject to Items 170 and 171 and having a density in pounds per cubic foot of: Sub 1 Less than 1... 400 Sub 2 1 but less than 2... 300 Sub 3 2 but less than 4... 250 Sub 4 4 but less than 6... 150 Sub 5 6 but less than 8... 125 Sub 6 8 but less than 10... 100 Sub 7 10 but less than 12... 92.5 Sub 8 12 but less than 15... 85 Sub 9 15 but less than 22.5... 70 Sub 10 22.5 but less than 30... 65 Sub 11 30 or greater... 60 72681 NOTE Applies on coffee, green or roasted, ground or not ground. Applies on tea or herbal tea in tea bags or other than in tea bags. Also applies on instant, soluble, freeze-dehydrated or freeze-dried coffee, tea or herbal tea, or on coffee, tea or herbal tea in premeasured servings, with or without integral filter. 73725 Kits or Sets, coffee service, consisting of ground, roasted coffee in individual premeasured bags and paper coffee filters, with or without non-dairy creamer, sugar, stirrers, tea or hot chocolate in same shipping box... 100 2013 National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc. Subject 11, Page 1 of 5
Proposed Classification Provisions Item Description Class FOODSTUFFS GROUP: subject to item 72000 72680 Coffee, NOI, Tea, NOI, or Herbal Tea, see Note, item 72681, flavored or unflavored, sweetened or unsweetened, in bags, boxes or Packages 128, 1000, 1306, 2330, 2332, 2380 or 2414, subject to Items 170 and 171 and having a density in pounds per cubic foot of: Sub 1 Less than 1... 400 Sub 2 1 but less than 2... 300 Sub 3 2 but less than 4... 250 Sub 4 4 but less than 6... 150 Sub 5 6 but less than 8... 125 Sub 6 8 but less than 10... 100 Sub 7 10 but less than 12... 92.5 Sub 8 12 but less than 15... 85 Sub 9 15 but less than 22.5... 70 Sub 10 22.5 but less than 30... 65 Sub 11 30 or greater... 60 72681 NOTE Also applies on: instant, soluble, freeze-dehydrated or freeze-dried coffee, tea or herbal tea; coffee, tea or herbal tea in premeasured servings, with or without integral filter; or Coffee Service Kits or Sets, consisting of coffee in premeasured servings, with or without integral filter, and with or without non-dairy creamer, sugar or artificial sweetener, stirrers, tea, herbal tea or hot chocolate in same box. 73725 Kits or Sets, coffee service, consisting of ground, roasted coffee in individual premeasured bags and paper coffee filters, with or without non-dairy creamer, sugar, stirrers, tea or hot chocolate in same shipping box... Cancel; see item 72680 Analysis Research Project 1156 This proposal is based on information developed through Research Project 1156, which was initiated by the CCSB in February 2012 to investigate the transportation characteristics of coffee service kits or sets. During the course of research, 44 potential manufacturers or shippers of coffee service kits or sets and one trade association believed to represent those companies were sent commodity questionnaires in June, and for those that did not respond, again in August of 2012. From these mailings, two companies responded that they do not manufacture or ship these articles, and two companies provided some information. However, no usable information was received. The association contacted refused to accept the mailing. Subject 11, Page 2 of 5 2013 National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc.
History of Provisions Docket 766, Subject 16 (September 1976) was a proposal to establish specific provisions for ground roasted coffee in individual premeasured bags with paper coffee filters, at class 100, to account for mixed shipments of coffee and paper filters. Information on that record revealed a range in density from 6.80 to 10.21 pcf, with an average of 8.46 pcf. No significant handling, stowability or liability issues were identified. The proposal was approved as modified, and the provisions first appeared in Supplement 1 to NMF 100-D, effective April 2, 1977. As a result of action taken on Subject 3 of Docket 817 (October 1981), the provisions were canceled and reestablished under item 73725, for Kits or Sets, coffee service and broadened to embrace products often shipped with coffee and paper filters, including nondairy creamer and sugar. That proposal was approved as modified, and the provisions first appeared in Supplement 2 to NMF 100-I, effective May 22, 1982. They have remained substantially unchanged to the present. The current provisions of item 72680, naming coffee, tea or herbal tea, are the result of action taken on Docket 2010-1, Subject 5 (February 2010). That proposal sought to cancel the provisions of several items pertaining to coffee, tea or herbal tea with reference to item 72680, and concurrently amend item 72680 to apply on the various products and provide full-scale density-based classes. Information on that record revealed a range in density from 1.88 to 87.51 pcf, with an average of 10.72 pcf. No significant handling, stowability or liability concerns were reported. Approved as docketed, the provisions first appeared in Supplement 1 to NMF 100-AJ, effective May 1, 2010. It should be noted that the provisions of item 73725 were not considered on Docket 2010-1, Subject 5. About Coffee Service Kits or Sets When the provisions were established, coffee service kits or sets consisted of individual premeasured bags of ground roasted coffee and separate paper coffee filters. The coffee industry employed two standard methods of distribution: shipping directly to the office coffee service or food service markets; or forwarding the coffee to other companies to complete the kits or sets. However, through the years, the coffee industry has adopted more convenient, compact methods of production and distribution, resulting in changes in the composition of these products. Generally, in today s market, individual premeasured servings of ground roasted coffee are in integral filters (e.g. pods ) as shown in the example on the left. Other products included in the coffee service kit or set, such as sugar, non-dairy creamer and Coffee pods with integral filters stirrers, vary. Often, these products are packaged and used in the hospitality industry for in-room beverage service. 2013 National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc. Subject 11, Page 3 of 5
Transportation Characteristics Density Information of record for products reported to be moving under item 73725 includes 18 density observations culled from the CCSB Density Study 1. Densities range from 3.80 to 19.40 pcf, with a simple average density of 9.97 pcf. A frequency distribution is shown below. Frequency Distribution 60.00% 55.56% % of Figures in Interval 50.00% 40.00% 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 0.00% 11.11% 0.00% 0.00% 5.56% 5.56% 0.00% 11.11% 11.11% 0.00% 0.00% Density Intervals (pcf) Handling and Stowability Coffee service kits or sets are generally tendered in fiberboard boxes on lift truck skids or pallets. As with other food, care must be taken to avoid stowing the involved commodities with hazardous materials or other freight that may pose a contamination risk. However, no significant handling or stowability issues have been reported. Liability Coffee service kits or sets are not likely to damage other freight, but they may be damaged by freight with which stowed or by the elements. As with other perishable foodstuffs, these products require extra care or attention to avoid contamination. No value information was reported for coffee service kits or sets, and there is no indication of a claims problem. 1 The Density Study is part of an ongoing effort by the CCSB to collect information on actual shipments; it is not tied to any particular research project, nor does it target any particular product category. Carriers that choose to participate in the study periodically submit shipment data captured through their respective freight auditing programs. The data is identified by NMFC item, and only verifiable data points, which include the weight and the dimensions and/or cube of the shipping unit involved, are used. Subject 11, Page 4 of 5 2013 National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc.
Relationship to CCSB Policies and Guidelines CCSB policy calls for combining descriptions embracing related commodities in the interest of clarification and simplification. The intent of Docket 2010-1, Subject 5 was to cancel the provisions of several related coffee, tea and herbal tea items, and classify such articles under one item, with classes reflective of their transportation characteristics. While item 73725 was overlooked in the docketing of that proposal, that record included information on individual premeasured servings of coffee in integral filters (e.g. pods ). Given the evolution of products within the coffee industry, with added emphasis on convenient, compact methods of production and distribution, modern coffee service kits or sets generally include these pods or other premeasured servings. As such, they are comparable to products already embraced under item 72680. Additionally, products reported to be moving under item 73725 range in density from 3.80 to 19.40 pcf 2. This is well within the range of 1.88 to 87.51 pcf identified on the record of Docket 2010-1, Subject 5. While there are some stowability and liability concerns inherent when shipping perishable foodstuffs, they do not appear to significantly impact the transportability of these products. Based on the information of record, canceling item 73725 with reference to the fullscale density-based provisions of item 72680 would be within CCSB policy and the intent of Docket 2010-1, Subject 5 3. Concurrently amending Note, item 72681 in the interest of simplification and to clarify that the provisions also apply on coffee service kits or sets would be in keeping with CCSB policy as well. This proposal, as docketed, is in keeping with CCSB policy and precedent. 2 While 18 density observations were reported under item 73725, it is unknown if those shipments actually met the specific requirements (i.e. in premeasured bags and accompanied by paper coffee filters) of item 73725. 3 Item 72680 provides the CCSB s standard 11-subprovision density scale, which includes reference to Item (Rule) 170, the inadvertence clause, and Item (Rule) 171, the bumping privilege. 2013 National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc. Subject 11, Page 5 of 5