1. Conference Overview

The 2nd International Coffee Convention 2024 (ICC2024), scheduled for 17–18 October 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 the 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:

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

2. Scientific Program

The program of ICC2024 starts with a welcome address by Vanúsia Nogueira, the Executive Director of the International Coffee Organization (ICO).The scientific program of ICC2024 comprises the following eight thematic sessions, including 32 oral presentations. Additionally, the program includes a think tank session with two round table discussions and eight virtual presentations in a bonus session available exclusively on Sciforum (https://sciforum.net/event/ICC2024 (accessed on 11 October 2024)).

• Session 1: Future Landscape of Multiple Coffee Species (Session Chair: Steffen Schwarz)

• Genetic Material Exchange: Key for the Past, Present and Future of Coffee Cultivar Improvement (Christophe Montagnon);
• Beyond the Orthodoxy: An Overview of the Potential of ‘Other’ Coffee Species for Crop Use and their Associated Challenges (Aaron P. Davis);
• Wild Coffea Species: A Modern Genomic Approach to Unravel Variations for Future Cultivated Coffee Improvement (Romain Guyot, Laura Gonzalez, Rickarlos Bezandry);
• Advancing Coffee Genetic Resource Conservation and Exchange: Global Perspectives and Strategies from the ICC 2024 Satellite Workshop (Sarada Krishnan, Steffen Schwarz, Dirk W. Lachenmeier, Christophe Montagnon).

• Session 2: Coffee Production’s Environmental Footprint and Addressing EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) (Session Chair: Massimiliano Fabian)

• A New Approach to Detecting Deforestation (Mark Furniss, David Browning);
• EUDR Coffee Check: A Tool to Support the Coffee Sector to Become Compliant with European Union Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR) (Pia Rothe, Ilknur Celik Schoreels, Phuntsho Phuntsho, Jan Henke);
• Deforestation Regulation Open Platform (DROP): An AI-Driven Open-Source Platform for Economically Sustainable Coffee Production and European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) Compliance (Mirko Ilowski);
• The Kajve Initiative: Establishing a Holistic Intervention Model for Prosperous Smallholder Livelihoods and Sustainable Supply Chains (Filippo Maggioni, Rosa Inés Gonzalez Torres, Elisabeth von der Ohe);
• Pathways to Achieving Net Zero in Coffee Agriculture: Long-term Strategies for Emission Reductions (Wisse ten Bosch, Simon Fox).

• Session 3: Advancements in Coffee Preparation and Business: A Journey from Roasting to the Perfect Café Crème (Session Chair: Dirk W. Lachenmeier)

• Freshly Roasted Coffee Re-Evaluated: A Pilot Study on the Impact of Post-Roast Maturation on Sensory Experience (Yves Clément Zimmermann, Steffen Schwarz);
• Enhancing Competitiveness of Coffee Growers in Ituango, Colombia, through Science, Technology, and Innovation: “The Coffee Grower’s Laboratory Initiative” (Marcela Martínez Castaño, Luis Esteban Pérez Pérez, Deisy Johana Gómez Quintero, Cecilia Gallardo Cabrera, Juliana Rojas Gallardo, María Alexandra Quirama Rivera, Gabriela Sánchez Betancur, Edilson Alexis Zapata Uribe, Claudia Patricia Posso Carvajal, Diana María Tabares Guevara, Andres Julián Tobón Agudelo, Juan Camilo Zambrano Sánchez, Juan Camilo Lopera Idarraga);
• Regional Variations in Italian Coffee Culture: Historical Influences and Contemporary Preferences for Robusta-Arabica Blends (Mariano Peluso);
• From Bean to Cup: Innovations in Liberica Coffee Processing and Market Development in Sarawak, Malaysia (Kenny Wee Ting Lee).

• Session 4: Coffee and Health: Exploring the Nutritional Impacts, Benefits, and Health Claim Substantiation (Session Chair: Maria Dolores del Castillo)

• Designing Coffee for Health (Adriana Farah);
• Coffee Components and By-Products for Brain-Gut Axis Health (Raquel Abalo);
• Unveiling the Risk of the Coffee Consumption Associated with the Presence of Acrylamide–A Study on Its Bioaccessibility (Marta Mesias, Cristina Delgado-Andrade, Francisco J. Morales);
• Decoding Coffee Cardiometabolic Potential: Structure-Health Function Relationships (Filipe Manuel Coreta-Gomes).

• Session 5: Coffee in Transition (Session Chair: Steffen Schwarz)

• Coffee Challenges 2024 (Massimiliano Fabian);
• Managing Cancer Risk from Very Hot Beverages: Influence of Brewing Temperature on Sensory Characteristics of Coffee (Dirk W. Lachenmeier, Jéssika Morgado, Alessandro Maia, Adriana Farah);
• The Need of Coffee Companies for Disruption to Stay in the Market (Holger Preibisch).

• CEO Think Tank Session: Brewing the Future (Session Chair: Yves Zimmermann)

• Round-Table Discussion #1. CEOs Coffee Machines;
• Round-Table Discussion #2. CEOs Roasters.

• Session 6: Sustainable Utilization of Coffee By-Products: Challenges and Opportunities (Session Chair: Adriana Farah)

• 5S Instant Cascara for a Sustainable Health (Maria Dolores del Castillo);
• Repurposing Fresh Coffee Husk into High-Nutritional-Value Fruit Spreads (Catalina Acuña-Gutiérrez, Anne Schlösinger, Alice-Jacqueline Reineke, Víctor M. Jiménez, Tania Chacón-Ordóñez, Oscar Acosta, Joachim Müller);
• Evaluation of Coffee Cherry Flour as a Functional Ingredient in Pastries (Alice-Jacqueline Reineke, Kristin Stadelmeyer, Catalina Acuña-Gutiérrez, Víctor M. Jiménez, Tania Chacón, Oscar Acosta, Joachim Müller);
• Coffee Leaves Valorization Through a Metabolomic Approach (Davide Rovelli, Ada Nucci, Bianca Serito, Chiara Dall’Asta).

• Session 7: Advancing Fermentation Techniques, Enhancing Processing Methods, and Green Bean Treatment (Session Chair: Christophe Montagnon)

• Metabolomic Profiling of Cultured-Yeast and Spontaneously Fermented Coffees (Catherine Kiefer, Steffen Schwarz, Sascha Rohn, Philipp Weller);
• A New Post-Harvest Process of Upgrading Coffea canephora (Robusta) Coffee Beans (Ernest George Mhlanga);
• Mass Transfer of Dichloromethane from EU Retail Roast and Ground Decaffeinated Coffee into Prepared Beverages (Massimiliano Max Fabian, Oliver Süße-Herrmann, Gregory McGaffin, Johannes Hielscher).

• Session 8: Coffee Research: From Screening Methods to Sensory Profiles (Session Chair: Dirk W. Lachenmeier)

• Non-Target Screening Approaches in Coffee Research–Opportunities and Challenges (Stefan Bieber, Thomas Letzel, Philipp Weller);
• Multi-Omics and Sensory Analysis of Coffea canephora: Assessing the Impact of Roasting Speed on Safety and Energy Efficiency (Sara Triachini, Pier Paolo Becchi, Terenzio Bertuzzi, Ettore Capri, Mario Gabrielli, Luigi Lucini, Fosca Vezzulli);
• Mozambioside Degrades During Coffee Roasting into Newly Identified Pyrolysis Compounds with Lower Activation Thresholds for Bitter Receptors (Coline Bichlmaier, Antonella Di Pizio, Maik Behrens, Roman Lang);
• Determination of Chlorogenic Acid, Caffeine and Antioxidant Capacities in Turkish-Style Coffee Bean Samples (Haydar Özpınar, Johanna Rebekka Morche, Harshadrai M. Rawel);
• Democratizing Coffee Genetics: Outcomes of the “Coffee Genetic Discovery” Project (Christophe Montagnon, Bianca Serito).

• Virtual Bonus Session: Regulatory, Safety, and Quality Aspects of Coffee and Coffee By-Products

• Caffeine Crystal Growth on Roasted Coffee Beans Misidentified as Biological Spoilage (Francisco Velazquez Escobar, Reem Rushidan, Amer Ba Shuaib);
• Surveillance of Unregulated Caffeine Health Claims on Coffee and Other Foods–A Market Analysis (Katharina Höfflin, Veronika Kurz, Yvonne Köder, Kristina Schmied, Verena Bock, Ann-Kathrin Kull, Dirk W. Lachenmeier);
• Valorizing Coffee Grounds: Bioactive Compounds and Innovative Technologies for Industrial By-Product Utilization (Jamal Ayour);
• Comprehensive Update on European Union Labeling Standards for Coffee and Its By-Products (Ann-Kathrin Kull, Dirk W. Lachenmeier);
• Navigating Climate Challenges: Strategic Spatial Modelling as a Proposal to Prepare for Coffea canephora var. Robusta Plantations in Colombia (Diego Alejandro Salinas-Velandia, William Andres Cardona, Carlos Eduardo Gonzalez Orozco, Gustavo Alfonso Araujo Carrillo4, Jarrod Kath, Eric Rahn, Vivekananda Mittahalli Byrareddy);
• Acrylamide Levels and Associated Health Risks in Traditional Arabic Coffee Roasts (Carmen Breitling-Utzmann, Steffen Schwarz, Dirk W. Lachenmeier);
• Towards a Crowdsourced, Digital Coffee Atlas for Sustainable Coffee Farming (Emma Krischkowsky, Onur Bal, Colin Beyer, David Miller, Manuel Walter, Kirstin Kohler);
• Smart Forests: Leveraging AI-Remote Sensing to Combat Forest Degradation and Carbon Loss in Ethiopian Coffee Landscapes (Michelle Kalamandeen, Katja Weyhermueller, Johannes Pirker).

References

1. Lachenmeier, D.W.; Weller, P.; Farah, A.; Ablan Lagman, M.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. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
2. Schwarz, S.; Lachenmeier, D.W. Preface of the International Coffee Convention 2023 (ICC2023). Proceedings 2023, 89, 29. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]

Proceedings: Schwarz, S.; Lachenmeier, D.W. Preface of the International Coffee Convention 2024 (ICC2024). Proceedings 2024, 109, 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/ICC2024-17349

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 labeling 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.

Proceedings: Kull, A.-K.; Lachenmeier, D.W. Comprehensive Update on European Union Labeling Standards for Coffee and Its By-Products. Proceedings 2024, 109, 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/ICC2024-17350

It all began with Arabica coffee seeds that crossed the Red Sea from Ethiopia to Yemen. It continued with seeds smuggled out of Yemen in various directions. Gesha, 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—Coffea canephora and Coffea arabica—introduced from Africa to the little-known Timor island in Southeast 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, for instance, C. racemosa, C. stenophylla, C. zanguebariae, are still in their natural African habitat. They will have to be studied and tested in different environments. A new wave of genetic material exchange will be needed from their natural habitat or domestication center to various coffee-producing countries from various Coffea species. This will first be so for agronomic research and then for actual production. However, in the 21st century, it is fortunately compulsory to perform this ethically and in compliance with international regulations. The coffee scientific community needs to be prepared and aligned.

Proceedings: Montagnon, C. Genetic Material Exchange: Key for the Past, Present and Future of Coffee Cultivar Improvement. Proceedings 2024, 109, 15. https://doi.org/10.3390/ICC2024-17967

During coffee roasting, temperatures exceeding 200 °C induce chemical reactions such as the Maillard reaction, altering the beans’ 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 for eliminating acrylamide after roasting have been explored. However, there is limited information regarding the bioaccessibility of acrylamide in coffee, particularly in 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. In addition, we further investigated the potential influence of mixing with milk. Following the in vitro digestion of the samples using the International Network of Food Digestibility and Gastrointestinal Health (INFOGEST) protocol, acrylamide bioaccessibility ranged between 73 and 90% (soluble coffees) and 78 and 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.

Proceedings: Mesias, M.; Delgado-Andrade, C.; Morales, F.J. Unveiling the Risk of Coffee Consumption Associated with the Presence of Acrylamide—A Study on Its Bioaccessibility. Proceedings 2024, 109, 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/ICC2024-17968

Coffee by-products, 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 in the 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, which have various applications in the food and beverage sector for producing 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 by-product to guide future investigations. 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 by-products as extraction materials for the discovery and recovery of functional compounds. The simultaneous extraction of polar and non-polar fractions 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 in 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.

Proceedings: Rovelli, D.; Nucci, A.; Serito, B.; Dall’Asta, C. Coffee Leaves Valorization through a Metabolomic Approach. Proceedings 2024, 109, 3. https://doi.org/10.3390/ICC2024-17973