Post-harvest of coffee: factors that influence the final quality of the beverage

Abstract

Brazil is the world’s largest producer and exporter of coffee and the second largest consumer market. Brazil offer differentiated and high quality products to maintain its leading position in coffee production and export. However, Brazilian coffee has suffered some limitations in its commercialization in the international market, due to qualitative aspects. The development of taste and aroma is highly complex, since hundreds of chemical reactions take place at the same time, such as the breakdown of proteins, polysaccharides, trigonelline and chlorogenic acid, mainly in the roasting process. Then, it is necessary that, in addition to pre-harvest management, there are post-harvest practices that meet consumer demands regarding the final quality of the beverage. Studies on physical and chemical changes in the composition of coffee beans must continue to be performed in a comprehensive manner, since factors such as damage to coffee beans, drying methods, processing, storage time, type of packaging and chemical components are directly related to sensorial properties and thus define the quality of the beverage at this point of view. Thus, the objective of this review was to relate the physicochemical, biochemical and physiological characteristics of coffee beans after harvest with the quality of the product after roasting.