Coffee industry: technology instead of marketing
Coffee drinkers have become more discerning since coffee capsules shook up the market. Companies are now responding: After relying on marketing for a long time, they are increasingly investing in innovation in their quest for the perfect cup of coffee.
The products being launched on the market today are increasingly based on new technologies, says Chahan Yeretzian, professor at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) in Wädenswil. In his eight years at the ZHAW, the scientist has built up an international competence center for coffee. For many years, research in the coffee industry led a shadowy existence. The industry was mainly based on clever marketing and packaging. Today, things are different. The processors are putting science at the heart of coffee, as Yeretzian says. Research and development are thriving in the sector, even if not a huge amount of money is being invested compared to the returns in the coffee industry.
The scientists in Wädenswil have secured numerous research contracts. They are working with roasting companies on ways to improve the grinding process and with coffee machine manufacturers on the extraction of coffee. The Zurich university is also investigating how the quality of the water affects the coffee, as Yeretzian explains. Capsule producers from South America, Australia and Europe are also among his customers. The ZHAW is also working with producers in Bolivia and India to improve green coffee. (SDA)
