MILAN, Italy — The Coffee Science Foundation (CSF) and Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) have launched a new research project exploring the impact of physical defects in green coffee on sensory attributes, aroma formation, and green bean composition. This project, led by researchers at the Coffee Excellence Center at ZHAW, aims to revisit and evaluate relevant defects detailed in the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Green Coffee Classification System (GCCS) and the new Coffee Value Assessment (CVA). Though the SCA’s Green Coffee Classification System and other coffee classification systems have existed for more than a century, this is the first research project seeking to provide robust scientific evidence to inform a green coffee standard.
“Current standards are based on tradition, not science”, says Peter Giuliano, Executive Director of the Coffee Science Foundation, “We’re excited to have the opportunity to change that.”
“We aim to define new data-based criteria to evaluate how presence of physical defects impacts a coffee’s quality,” says Samo Smrke, Deputy Head of Coffee Excellence Center (CEC) at ZHAW.
The research will focus primarily on the sensory properties but will also feature chemical analysis through which the researchers hope to determine the causes of the defects, and possible health risks (if any) associated with defective beans.
“We want to understand how many green coffee beans of a physical defect have an actual perceptible effect on the cup,” says Sebastian Opitz, Head of Green Coffee and project manager at the CEC, “Based on sensory data that we will obtain from a larger group of cuppers and laypeople, we hope that we will eventually be able to estimate the sensory thresholds for the different defects.”
Coffee samples for the project will be sourced by a team at the Universidad Surcolombiana Neiva, led by Professor Nelson Gutierrez Guzman. These samples will be sorted into lots containing either pure defects or no defects, so that sensory and chemical researchers can accurately dose and measure the impact of each defect.
Financial support and project guidance are provided by the Coffee Science Foundation, with investment from the Specialty Coffee Association. As the research arm of the SCA, the Coffee Science Foundation is committed to advancing scientific understanding of coffee and secure its future through research, knowledge building, and outreach.
“We are thrilled to embark upon this unique research project.” explains Giuliano, “It’s a way that we can use science to make coffee, and coffee standards, better for everyone.”
For more information about this project and how to get involved with the Coffee Science Foundation visit coffeescience.foundation.
About Coffee Science Foundation
The Coffee Science Foundation (CSF) is a support organization of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) that serves as the research arm of the SCA. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the understanding of coffee and securing its future through research, knowledge-building, and outreach.
The CSF is a unifying force that drives collaborative, pre-competitive, and scientifically rigorous research that benefits the entire coffee community, including the coffee-consuming public. The results of CSF-managed projects are then disseminated to the global coffee community at events, through publications, and coffee education programs.
About the Specialty Coffee Association
The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) is the largest global coffee trade association dedicated to making coffee better by fostering a global coffee community and supporting activities to make specialty coffee a thriving, equitable, and sustainable endeavor for the entire value chain.
Through collaboration and progressive approaches, it supports the industry through research, standards, education, and events. Working around the world, the SCA elevates worldwide standards, providing value and connectivity to the growing global community.
