Abstract
Coffee is an important crop that assures a sustainable economy to farmers in tropical regions. A dramatic concern for coffee production is currently represented by climate change, which threatens the survival of Coffea arabica cultivation worldwide and imposes modifications of the agronomic practices to prevent this risk. The quality of coffee beans depends on optimized protocols of cultivation, ripe berries collection, and removal of the outer fruit layers by dry or wet processes and moisture reduction. Storage and shipment represent two steps where bean quality needs to be preserved by preventing fungal contamination that may impact the final product and form mycotoxins, mainly ochratoxin A. In this review, we describe the challenges faced by the coffee industry to guarantee quality from production to roasting and brewing. An overview of novel technologies, such as the application of starter cultures in fermentation and the exploitation of industrial enzymes in accelerating the process of flavour development in coffee beans, is given. Moreover, the results of studies on microbial populations on coffee and the differences found in fungi, yeasts and bacteria composition among the investigations, are summarized. In particular, this review describes new attempts to contain the development of mycotoxigenic fungi, through the application of antagonistic microorganisms such as S. cerevisiae. The new wave of specialty coffees, i.e., those with a cupping score higher than 85/100, is also presented. It is shown how, through careful coffee production methods and controlled fermentation processes, coffee producers may increase their income by assuring high standards of quality and high added value for the coffee experience sector.
Highlights
Coffee cultivation and first transformation represent an important source of income for many developing countries in the tropical regions of Middle and South America, Africa and Asia.Coffee crops are represented by three botanical species, and, among these, Coffea arabica(Arabica) makes up approximately 70% of the world’s coffee production [1]
Wet processing is applied to Arabica coffee beans and the mycobiota was highly influenced by (a) fermentation and (b) drying
The coffee industry relies on microbiology and fermentation processes to allow coffee beans to develop specific characteristics linked to the coffee variety, the process used, and the conditions in drying and storage
Summary
Coffee cultivation and first transformation represent an important source of income for many developing countries in the tropical regions of Middle and South America, Africa and Asia. The decreases in climatic suitability was predicted to be more intense at lower altitudes and high latitudes with a consequent production shift among the major regions of Arabica coffee cultivation [6]. Arabica coffee quality is strongly affected by temperature increases since, for optimum growth and taste, a temperature of about 18–21◦ C is required, while the exposure to temperatures of 23 ◦ C or higher can in most cases accelerate ripening of fruits and negatively affect the quality of the product [1]. Beyond harvesting high quality coffee cherries, the coffee industry and local producers rely on procedures for coffee bean processing, that may involve controlled fermentation, to obtain the desired characteristics, in terms of flavours, proteolysis and lipolysis, synthesis of volatiles such as aldehydes and chetones, free fatty acids and acidity (sour/citric) in the product Control on these processes is required to avoid spoilage by bacteria and undesired fungi, such as ochratoxin producing. This review illustrates the present and future challenges affecting the coffee production industry, especially the recently established specialty coffee section, and the technological approaches that coffee producers can put into practice in order to assure a high quality product and specialty grade coffees every year, including improvements in moisture avoidance, optimization of storage conditions and packaging
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