Effectsof roasting, extraction and freeze-concentration of specialty coffee from Linares (Nariño, Colombia) on flavor-related compounds and cup quality

Abstract

El café se ha convertido en una de las bebidas mas consumidas a nivel mundial. Con un mercado en continuo crecimiento y sofisticación el mercado el café genera un gran impacto a nivel económico, social y cultural.En las últimas décadas, la industria ha sufrido un cambio pasando de considerarseun producto básico “commodity” a ser un producto de especialidad, cada vez más diferenciado y con mayor agregación de valor. En este contexto, los consumidores están buscando diferentes cafés que destaquen su origen, procesamiento post-cosecha, compromiso ético, y sostenibilidad socio-ambiental. La “gourmetización” del café se ha extendido a segmentos antes considerados marginales como las bebidas listas para beber (RTD), queincluyen los cafés preparados por extracción en frio (cold brew), infusiones con nitrógeno. Como resultado, actualmente el mercado de café evidencia una fuerte creciente tendencia hacia productos Premium, personalizados, convenientes, y funcionales.

Coffee has become one of the most consumed beverages worldwide, with a market system showing continuous growth and sophistication and thus having great impacts at the economic, social, and cultural levels. In recent decades, the industry has undergone a change from a basic commodity product to a specialty product that is increasingly differentiated and has greater added value. In this context, a growing share of consumers are looking for different coffees that present specific attributes, such as their origin, postharvest processing, ethical commitment, and socioenvironmental sustainability. The “gourmetization” of coffee has trickled down through supply chains to create market segments previously considered marginal, such as ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, which include coffees prepared by cold brew, and related infusions with nitrogen. As a result, the coffee market is currently showing a strong growing trend towards premium, personalized, convenient, and functional products. The taste and aroma of coffee cups result from a long and complex chain of transformations. At origin, coffee beans develop a set of chemical compounds influenced by factors associated with genetics, the environment, and management during production and postharvest processes. The quality of green coffee beans then depends on these factors and the presence of chemical compounds that serve as the basis for the formation of the typical flavor and aroma of coffee in the roasting stage. During the preparation of coffee, many of these compounds are extracted, and adjustments to the extraction variables will determine the compounds that reach the final drink, thereby affecting its overall sensory profile. Extraction is also a process that can be used to obtain beverages that are sold packaged, such as coffee by-products or concentrated extracts. Due to the complex transformations that occur in coffee, it is vitally important that the technologies used in the production of these beverages preserve the quality and integrity of the product. Freeze-concentration is one such technology that helps reduce the amount of water in food products, and it has a minimal impact on the functional and flavor characteristics.