The 2nd International Coffee Convention 2024 (ICC2024), scheduled for October 17-18, 2024, in Mannheim, Germany, seeks to advance the discussions from the successful ICC2023 [1,2]. This year's convention, under the theme "Coffee in Transition," focuses on pivotal aspects shaping the future of the coffee industry. It provides a platform for sharing latest research, innovative ideas, and practical solutions across several critical topics:

• Future Landscape of Multiple Coffee Species: Addressing the reputation of "Robusta" (Canephora) and exploring other species like Racemosa and Stenophylla in light of the Nagoya Protocol.
• Coffee Production’s Environmental Footprint: Discussing deforestation policies, advancements in fermentation techniques, and enhanced processing methods.
• Advancements in Coffee Preparation and Business: Covering the entire spectrum from roasting techniques as well as brewing and extraction to achieving the perfect Café Crème.
• Coffee and Health: Investigating the nutritional impacts, health benefits, and substantiation of health claims related to coffee.
• Sustainable Utilization of Coffee By-Products: Identifying challenges and opportunities in the reuse of coffee by-products.

Participants will include academics, industry experts, and practitioners, contributing to a robust exchange of knowledge that aims to address both current challenges and future opportunities within the coffee industry. The conference will conclude with the presentation of the Kaldi Award to an individual or organization that has made a significant contribution to the coffee industry. The meeting is chaired by the following scientific committee:

• Dirk W. Lachenmeier (Chair) (CVUA Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Germany)
• Dr. María Dolores del Castillo (Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain)
• Massimiliano Fabian (Demus, Trieste, Italy)
• Dr. Adriana Farah (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
• Christophe Montagnon (RD2 Vision, Valflaunès, France)
• Steffen Schwarz (Coffee Consulate, Mannheim, Germany)
• Dr. Yves Zimmermann (Heilbronn University, Heilbronn, Germany

References

1. Lachenmeier, D.W.; Weller, P.; Farah, A.; Ablan Lagman, Ma.C.; Fabian, M.; Del Castillo, M.D.; Schwarz, S. Shaping the Future of Coffee: Climate Resilience, Liberica’s Rise, and By-Product Innovation-Highlights from the International Coffee Convention 2023 (ICC2023). Foods 2024, 13, 832, doi:10.3390/foods13060832.
2. Schwarz, S.; Lachenmeier, D.W. Preface of the International Coffee Convention 2023 (ICC2023). Proceedings 2023, 89, 29, doi:10.3390/ICC2023-14823.

In the European Union (EU), the labeling of coffee and coffee by-products adheres to comprehensive regulations aimed at ensuring product transparency and consumer safety. According to Regulation (EU) 1169/2011, the mandatory particulars that must appear on coffee labels include the name of the food, the net quantity, the date of minimum durability, and the name and address of the food business operator. For coffee by-products classified as novel foods—those not recognized within the EU prior to 1997—additional stipulations under Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 require a rigorous approval process. This process involves a safety assessment and the possibility of a simplified notification procedure if the product has a history of safe use outside the EU. The already approved novel coffee by-product ingredients such as coffee leaves and cascara (dried coffee cherry pulp) must also adhere to specific labelling requirements, which dictate precise naming conventions and usage categories that align with safety standards and consumer information needs. These detailed labeling requirements are pivotal for maintaining the integrity of coffee products sold within the EU, ensuring that all items, from traditional coffee to innovative coffee by-product-based ingredients, meet the highest standards of safety and consumer information. This article describes from a practical perspective the labeling standards for coffee and coffee by-products, and points out challenges in the implementation of the regulations.

It all began with coffee seeds that crossed the Red Sea. It continued with seeds smuggled out of Yemen in various directions. One of the cultivars producing the most expensive coffees in the world went from Ethiopia to Tanzania, Kenya, Costa Rica and finally Panama, where it would become famous. Who would have thought that the main genetic solution to the devastating Coffee Leaf Rust disease would come from an unlikely natural cross between two species introduced from Africa to a little-known island in South-East Asia? It is these numerous and uncontrolled movements of plant material that have shaped the genetic improvement of the Arabica coffee plant. It is highly likely that the present and future challenges facing the coffee sector will require new exchanges of plant material. We can already see that species that could be of interest in tackling climate change are still in their African native habitat... They will have to be studied and tested in different environments... Will they be able to do this ethically and in compliance with international regulations?

During coffee roasting, temperatures exceeding 200°C induce chemical reactions such as the Maillard reaction, altering the beans’s chemical and sensory properties. This leads to positive and negative changes, including the formation of chemical process contaminants such as acrylamide. Acrylamide exposure involves risks to consumers, emphasizing the need for its control during food processing. Strategies to reduce acrylamide during coffee roasting involve managing precursor levels in the raw materials (reducing sugars and asparagine), adjusting processing conditions (time and temperature) and utilizing different roasting technologies. Additionally, alternative methods to eliminate acrylamide after roasting have been explored. However, there is limited information regarding the bioaccessibility of acrylamide in coffee, particularly understanding the behavior of the contaminant once coffee is ingested. This aspect is crucial for accurately assessing the real risk associated with acrylamide exposure. In this context, the acrylamide bioaccessibility in different instant soluble coffees and coffee substitutes made from cereals and chicory were assessed, investigating furthermore the potential influence of mixing with milk on the bioaccessibility. Following in vitro digestion of the samples using the International Network of Food Digestibility and Gastrointestinal Health (INFOGEST) protocol, acrylamide bioaccessibility ranged between 73-90% (soluble coffees) and 78-99% (coffee substitutes). An increase in acrylamide bioaccessibility in instant chicory when samples were mixed with milk was observed, but not in the remaining samples. These results underscore the importance of exploring the interactions between acrylamide and food matrix components, as they influence its availability during the digestive process and, consequently, the final risk of exposure to the contaminant.

Coffee byproducts, such as coffee leaves, are components of the coffee plant that remain underexplored. In recent years, driven by efforts from both the public and private sectors to pursue circular economy goals, there has been a resurgence of interest in coffee leaves for producing new products and diversifying the coffee supply chain. It is well known that coffee waste is a source of bioactive compounds and secondary metabolites, that find in the food and beverage sector various applications to produce functional food ingredients and nutraceuticals. Recently, coffee leaf infusions have been approved as novel food in the European Union, demonstrating the feasibility of marketing coffee leaves. To support their potential applications, it is essential to thoroughly understand the chemical composition and phytochemical profile of the byproduct to guide future investigation. Omics techniques can be used to support the valorization process, collecting a large amount of information from a complex matrix allowing the use of coffee byproduct as extraction material for the discovery and recovery of functional compounds. The simultaneous extraction of polar and non-polar fraction and the subsequent application of liquid chromatography coupled with high- or low-resolution mass spectrometry techniques, allows the simultaneous identification and quantification of several compounds through a holistic approach. Moreover, through the application of chemometrics on the spectral information it is possible to highlight the main similarities or differences of the batch that could change according to their origin or the post-harvest process as well as discover new molecules with bioactive properties. The application of omics techniques provides support for the reintegration of coffee by-products back into the production chain, reducing the impact on the environment, providing new business opportunities for farmers and companies.