Dubai – Qahwa World
Researchers have developed a new method that can help identify the country of origin of coffee by analyzing its aromatic compounds. The approach combines gas chromatography with artificial intelligence (AI) to create chemical fingerprints capable of distinguishing coffees from different producing regions.
Volatile compounds play a major role in shaping coffee’s aroma and flavor. These compounds are responsible for many of the subtle sensory notes found in brewed coffee and are often discussed in professional coffee competitions and sensory evaluations.
Scientists are now exploring how these same compounds can also serve as indicators of geographic origin.
According to a report highlighted by Chromatography Online, researchers from Italy and the United States conducted a study that will be published in the Journal of Chromatography. The team analyzed 32 roasted coffee samples provided by the Italian coffee company Illy.
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The samples represented several major coffee-producing countries: five from Brazil, six from Colombia, and seven each from Ethiopia, Guatemala, and India.
Instead of focusing on specific chemical markers, the researchers created what they describe as an “untargeted fingerprint.” This approach generates a comprehensive chemical profile of each coffee sample, allowing both known and unknown volatile compounds to contribute to the identification process.
To build these fingerprints, the scientists used two-dimensional gas chromatography, a technique that separates and measures numerous volatile compounds present in roasted coffee. The analysis produced detailed visual maps showing the distribution and intensity of these compounds.
These chemical maps were then analyzed using computer vision, a form of artificial intelligence designed to interpret visual patterns in complex datasets. By combining the results from samples originating from the same country, the researchers created composite templates representing typical volatile compound patterns for each origin.
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When additional coffee samples were compared with these templates, the system was able to identify their country of origin based on their chemical signatures.
The researchers note that the study has certain limitations, as factors such as coffee variety and post-harvest processing methods may also influence the volatile compounds present in roasted coffee. Further research may be needed to determine how these variables affect the reliability of the origin templates.
Despite these limitations, the findings could offer new tools for the coffee industry. In addition to helping verify origin, the technology may contribute to more objective assessments of coffee characteristics based on measurable chemical properties.
While traditional cupping remains the primary method for evaluating coffee quality, analytical techniques such as gas chromatography combined with artificial intelligence could provide complementary scientific insights into coffee composition and origin.
