“Really Raw” Standard: New Seal indicates “real” raw food products to consumers

The Raw Food Association e.V. has launched its own seal for raw food products. It is called "really raw" and is, according to the association, the first independent raw food certification in Europe.

"With the new "really-raw" quality seal, we as producers and traders guarantee real raw food," explains Winfried Holler, board member and co-founder of the Raw Food Association. Because there are no legal rules prescribing what can be called raw food, the members have been pursuing the goal of establishing binding and uniform quality standards in plant-based raw food since the association was founded three years ago. With the introduction of the seal, they seem to have come another step closer to achieving this goal.

Holler's company, the vegan and raw food mail-order company Keimling Naturkost, was one of the first companies on the market to be certified with "really-raw". According to information on the association's website, other seal bearers are: Lifefood, Lunatic and Passionforfruit.

Quality criteria according to "really-raw" standard

• The food must contain only natural ingredients
• Cultivation and production must meet certified organic standards
• No heating above 45 °C, not even of individual ingredients
• Strict temperature control during transport and storage
• Gentle processing without denaturing the valuable biomolecules
• Active enzymes, micro- and macronutrients must be preserved to the maximum extent possible
• Traceability of harvesting, processing, packaging and transport
• Compliance with all criteria must be controlled and confirmed by an independent certification company