The analysis
The laboratory analysis of green and roasted coffee is concerning the fundamental parameters controls to guarantee the product quality and the conformity with the food standards in force.
The analysis usually concerns:
- The caffeine content in roasted coffee's blends, to assure a constant content in the product;
- The caffeine content in decaffeinated coffee, that must not exceeded 0,10% in the roasted product according to the law , or other limits required by the customer;
- The Ochratoxin A content, a fungal metabolite harmful for the health, that must not exceeded 5 ppb (parts per billion) in roasted coffee and 10 ppb in instant coffee;
- The residue of dichloromethane in decaffeinated coffee, set by the European Union to a maximum-limit of 2 ppm (parts per million) in roasted coffee;
- The humidity value, maximum 13 % in green coffee and not higher than 11% in green decaffeinated coffee. These limits avoid the stock products not to go mouldy;
- Various controls about green coffee: impurities and imperfections; defects classification;
- Various controls about roasted coffee: Delta-5-Avenasterol, ashes; solvent residue for decaffeinated coffee; impurities and imperfections of roasted coffee;
- The heavy metals: it can be naturally present, according to various sources, lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, nickel and copper;
- Microbiological analysis: inspection about possible contamination of moulds and yeasts, bacterial charge, Escherichia Coli and Staphylococcus Aureus, during the products packing;
- Jute polluting agents;
- Coffee's samples after containers arrive in the port of Trieste or about the harbor's warehouse packing goods;
- The coffee classification according with the chart of the country of origin to prove the compliance with declared quality or degree;
- Cup tasting to check the roasted blends' quality or the presence of imperfections or foreign tastes about coffee.
