Expert gives consumers tips on buying quality coffee

Executive director of the Brazilian Coffee Industry Association (ABIC), Celírio Inácio states that Brazil is the country with the highest per capita coffee consumption in the world, which demonstrates how important this drink is in the population’s daily lives.

“It’s a relationship of feeling, habits and demand for quality. Because there are so many brands, consumers need to be careful when choosing coffee, especially at the moment, when prices are very high,” he says.

The expert gives some tips that can help coffee consumers minimize the chances of making mistakes when purchasing the product.

• Avoid the “tourist brand” that appears and disappears from the point of sale from time to time;
• Beware of unknown brands without certifications;
• Beware of brands that have prices well below most;
• Buy from a supermarket that is responsible for offering certified products.

Inácio informs that if the criteria defined by law are met, the issue of quality becomes more subjective, depending on each consumer.

“Quality coffee is that which complies with legislation, with the required impurity standards and offering sensory notes above the minimum required. It is common for people to confuse quality with beverage styles. All coffees certified by ABIC have quality. What is best is a personal preference criterion.”

Furthermore, the Ministry of Agriculture claims that roasted and ground coffee may contain fraud that is difficult to detect with the naked eye. The ministry says that it is important for consumers to check whether the establishments that roast the coffee are registered with the Ministry of Agriculture.

Map Criteria

A disqualification of the 16 coffee brands by Mapa meets the criteria of an ordinance published in 2022. According to the standard, roasted coffee that has a foreign matter and impurity content greater than 1% is considered unfit for human consumption, with its commercialization prohibited.

According to the ordinance, foreign materials are bodies or debris of any nature, foreign to the product, such as grains or seeds of other plant species, sand, stones and clods, for example.

Impurities are extrinsic elements, such as husks, sticks and other debris that end up being collected with the coffee on the coffee plantation.