Lactic acid bacteria: What coffee industry should know?

Publication date: Available online 17 July 2019Source: Current Opinion in Food ScienceAuthor(s): Gilberto V de Melo Pereira, Alexander da Silva Vale, Dão Pedro de Carvalho Neto, Elisângela SM Muynarsk, Vanete Thomaz Soccol, Carlos R SoccolDuring coffee processing, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from multiple ecosystems (water, native soil, air, and plant) find in the cherry pulp a rich environment for their development. They utilize pulp substrate as a source of carbon and nitrogen to produce significant amounts of lactic acid. This natural fermentation is purposely used by coffee growers to promote an efficient removal of the mucilage layer adhering to the fruits, prior to storage and transport of the coffee beans. Besides lactic acid, LAB metabolism produces a variety of compounds from the utilization of citrate and the catabolism of amino acids. Recent studies have demonstrated that these metabolites have a complementary function in the formation of taste and flavor precursors of coffee beverages. However, the possibility of improving coffee quality by the use of LAB has largely been ignored. This review considers the importance of LAB associated with coffee processing, exploring their diversity, metabolism and influences on coffee quality. The selection of appropriate LAB strains, alone or in combination with yeasts, is a promising research line in a near future, leading to new perspectives on coffee quality.

Source: Current Opinion in Food Science - July 18, 2019 Category: Food Science Source Type: research