How Is Aroma Preserved in Coffee Packaging?
It takes time, work, and a lot of trial and error to roast coffee to reveal a rich and appealing aroma. However, once you've arrived, you must ensure that customers can enjoy it at home or in cafés, regardless of how long it takes to get there.
This is when the coffee packaging is useful. You can keep the aroma of your coffee long enough for customers to experience the same tasting notes that you list on the bag by employing the proper materials and features.
WHERE DOES THE AROMA OF THE COFFEE COME FROM?
The aroma coffee is the scent we get when roasted coffee beans release their volatile flavor compounds, and it's most commonly used to describe the smell of brewed coffee (dry coffee's corresponding phrase is "fragrance").
While the word "fragrance" is frequently linked with smell alone, the aroma of a coffee is often what we can taste when we drink it.
This is due to the fact that the human tongue can only identify a limited number of basic sensory flavors (bitterness, sweetness, and mouthfeel, for example). As a result, your sense of smell is responsible for many of coffee's more nuanced flavor components.
The fragrance precursors are formed throughout the roasting process, notably during the Maillard reaction, to produce the flavor components we recognize in aroma coffee. When this happens, a large amount of aromatic chemicals is released; some of them are pleasant, while others are not.
The aroma of a coffee and how much it has faded is frequently used as a freshness indication. Simply simply, the fresher the bean is, and (generally) the better it tastes, the more aromatic chemicals it contains. Although the release of volatile components in coffee occurs naturally, certain environmental variables might hasten the process, causing the scent to dissipate faster.
Methanethiol can also be utilized as a freshness indicator. Methanethiol is a strong chemical in and of itself, but it also functions as a flavoring ingredient in coffee, masking unpleasant odors. When ground coffee is left out in the open, methanethiol levels drop within one day, and 70% of the methanethiol is gone in three weeks."
One of the most prevalent reasons that coffee's aroma disappears is exposure to air, or oxidation. I'm talking about coffee aroma when I say chemical freshness, because coffee aroma is made up of chemicals found in coffee beans. As a result, loss of chemical freshness translates to scent loss, oxidation, or alteration.
The oxidation process in coffee packaging is also accelerated by higher temperatures. Some of coffee's more sensitive volatile chemicals, such as methanethiol and butane2,3dione, are lost faster as a result of this (often associated with butter, caramel, fruit, and other sweet tasting notes).
Furthermore, while coffee beans should be stored in a cool, dry location, they should not be frozen. Condensation causes moisture to form in the beans when they are defrosted, lowering their quality and dissolving some of their volatile chemicals. It's preferable to keep it a few degrees below room temperature.
HOW DOES PACKAGING AFFECT THE AROMA OF COFFEE?
To protect the aroma of roasted coffee beans, one layer is rarely enough. Different materials are required to defend against moisture, oxygen, sunshine, heat, and other variables.
Aluminum's efficiency as an inner layer in coffee packaging. When compared to plastic, paper, and other porous options, it was revealed that this was the best efficient oxygen barrier. Aluminum is also a moisture-resistant material.
The aluminum coffee packaging layers that are mass-produced, on the other hand, might be costly. As a result, metallized films are frequently used to replace them (polymer films coated with a thin layer of aluminum).
Some researchers and packaging makers are also working for more sustainable choices that can be readily bio-degraded or reintroduced into the supply chain. Packaging with fewer layers has a lower environmental impact and, as a result, has a lower carbon footprint during manufacturing.
LOCK YOUR COFFEE BAG
The next step is to fill and seal your bags after you've picked the proper packing. If coffee packaging is not properly sealed, it can oxidize, resulting in dissatisfied customers. Once a roaster has decided on a bag, there are a variety of options available. "Hand or foot sealers, automatic sealers, direct heat sealers, impulse sealers, vacuum sealers, and more are all available.
Sealing equipment can be costly, therefore we recommend and choose based on the amount of your roastery, your desired speed and efficiency, and the shape and opening type of the coffee packaging you use. With multi-layered side-gusseted bags, for example, a standard hand impulse sealer could be difficult to use.
Most consumers choose resealable coffee packaging to preserve freshness and accessibility. Ziplock, Velcro zippers, tin ties, and tear notches are among the reusable seal alternatives available. The optimum option may again be determined by the structure and size of the coffee bag, as well as your particular preferences.
Aroma is a crucial component of coffee flavor. It has a direct correlation with the flavor and freshness of roasted coffee.
However, maintaining the scent of your coffee from external variables such as oxidation, moisture build-up, and temperature can be challenging. Specialty coffee drinkers seek out complex and subtle flavor profiles. One of the most important responsibilities of effective coffee packing is to preserve them.
Roasters can make better packaging selections if they understand how aromatic chemicals are created and what causes them to vanish. Effective coffee pouches will allow you to bring the scents from your roastery to home brewers and baristas equally.