• PROCAFE
• History & statistics
• Botanical info & Cultivation
• Harvest & processing
  • Good harvest, all's well
  • Preparation
  • Quality control
  • Blending
  • Roasting
  • Packaging
  • Decaffeinated coffee
  • Soluble coffee
• Trade & consumption
• Preparation & recipes
• Statistics
• Didactic Material
• Mediacorner

Keep fresh

The oxygen in air quickly causes coffee to deteriorate and lose its aroma. In order to prevent this, the following packaging techniques are used:

Vacuum packaging
All the air in the pack is removed. This causes the contents of the pack to form a hard, compact mass, hence the trade term of "hard pack".

Vacuum packaging in a protective atmosphere
The contents ar packed in a process known as Modified Atmosphere Packaging, or MAP. The coffee remains loose and the package feels normal to the touch, hence the term "soft pack".

Freshly-roasted coffee beans produce carbon dioxide. A small valve allows this to escape, while preventing the entry of oxygen.

Packing plant