Coffee Production and Trade

Hygiene considerations in coffee production and processing

Agricultural production systems are complex, and involve multiple potential interactions between the biological ecosystem and various processing parameters and methodologies.

Fungal activity in a commodity production and processing system results from a natural host system interacting with pressures that arise from the impact of technologies applied by man to produce the end product - in this case green coffee.

Understanding this interaction, and evaluating where in the coffee chain hygiene considerations are most acute, is central in any effort to reduce ochratoxin A (OTA) in coffee.

However, understanding the interactions in the coffee production system presents a major challenge, be it from mycological, socio-economic or practical perspectives. Within the two generic processing systems (dry and wet processing) there are numerous specific and contingent practices - quite apart from climatic and geographic variations.

At the heart of the project has been this endeavour - to try and understand the relevance and significance of these various phenomena, and to assess their risk in relation to OTA production, be it in the orchard, during processing or whilst coffee is being transported or stored.

The training tool 'Good Hygiene Practices along the coffee chain' being developed under the project explores these issues in more depth, and provides detailed support material drawing on the findings of the global project.