Mobile NIR spectroscopy solution measures caffeine content and moisture of coffee beans.
Smaller roasting plants in particular benefit from improved quality assurance and can respond more closely to customer requirements.
trinamiX, a wholly owned subsidiary of BASF, now offers coffee roasters the possibility to better monitor and control the purchasing and refining process of coffee beans. Many factors influence the roasting result and thus the coffee experience. These include variety, growing region, quality class, but also storage, transport and numerous processing and refinement steps. The caffeine content and moisture content of the beans are of particular interest - they can be determined quickly and easily with the mobile near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy solution from trinamiX.
Mobile NIR spectroscopy enables small roasting plants to carry out professional analyses on site
The determination of the caffeine content and residual moisture is subject to a complex analytical process. In contrast to large roasting plants, small businesses that want to determine the respective content in their creations cannot use their own laboratory capacities. trinamiX now provides them with the appropriate tool. "With the NIR spectroscopy solution from trinamiX, I have considerably more possibilities to ensure the quality of the coffee," explains Dr. Steffen Schwarz, renowned coffee expert and founder of the coffee training and research centre Coffee Consulate. "For example, the residual moisture can be measured quickly and easily and the roasting profile can be adjusted accordingly. The information on the caffeine content enables the roaster to fine-tune his coffee composition even more precisely to different taste profiles. This knowledge provides security and allows especially small roasting plants to "produce the perfect product again and again".
Better quality control also along the supply chain
The application range of NIR spectroscopy is not limited to roasting. With appropriate measurements, the moisture content of the beans can be documented and tracked throughout the supply chain - from harvesting to transport and storage. In this way, critical phases can be closely monitored and countermeasures can be taken in good time. "A high water content not only means high weight with a lower yield, but also poses a risk of mould," explains Patrick Hellberg, Manager Business Development Spectroscopy Solutions at trinamiX. "With our technology, dealers and warehouse staff can quickly measure on site how much moisture is contained in the product and thus plan more accurately".
In the future, further parameters will be added to the NIR spectroscopy solution. "We are currently working on making it possible to determine acidity and helping roasters to offer more digestible coffee," says Patrick Hellberg. "Together with Dr. Schwarz as an expert, we are expanding our processes even further in order to support our customers even better in the future".
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