Coffee labels are incomplete. Here is the information we should read
Coffee on supermarket shelves lacks important information about the product. Deficiencies also reported by Report
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In the episode of ‘Report’ aired on Rai 3 on Sunday 9 February 2025, entitled ‘Family-size ground coffee’, the programme explored the issue of coffee sold in supermarkets, highlighting how product labels offer generic and insufficient information. I will now explain in detail what was said and what can be done to improve the situation.
Coffee labels
One of the main criticisms that emerged concerns the lack of basic information that can guide the consumer, first of all on the botanical species of the coffee and where it comes from. On the packages, the indications of the botanical species are limited to the words ‘100% Arabica’ or, in the case of a blend with Canephora, to an undefined presence of the Robusta variety, without specifying the percentages and geographical origins. In most cases there is no indication of the flavour of the product except, in some cases, a generic indication of the intensity indicated with a number on a scale varying from company to company.
There is no unambiguous standard to help distinguish the intensity between a pure Arabica and a blend with Robusta, making it difficult for the buyer to really understand what he is buying. This lack of information leaves consumers in uncertainty, preventing them from making informed choices based on the quality of the product and their own taste preferences.
The vacuum ’tile’ is an already ‘old’ coffee
Another aspect that few people are aware of is the difference between the different packaging systems for ground coffee. The traditional vacuum pack, known as ’tiling’, requires the coffee to be completely degassed before packaging. This process ensures the tightness of the vacuum pack but implies that the coffee has already lost most of the carbon dioxide and volatile aromas that were produced during roasting, resulting in a coffee that is already old at the time of purchase.
Furthermore, if degassing was done under ambient atmosphere conditions, the coffee will also be rancid as the oils in it have been in contact with the oxygen in the air for as long as degassing took place. In contrast, packages equipped with a one-way valve or overpressure cans are far better at preserving quality as they allow the coffee to continue to release gases after roasting without compromising the integrity of the package, keeping the aromas intact and prolonging the freshness of the product.
How to store coffee at home
Finally, journalist Bernardo Iovene addressed the issue of home coffee storage, which is a further focus of attention. In the broadcast he clearly stated: ‘Coffee should be kept at a low temperature, in the fridge or freezer. The reason is simple: roasted coffee contains about 10 per cent oils, these are vegetable fats that go rancid quickly in contact with oxygen. Therefore, once the packet or jar of coffee has been opened, the most effective way to slow down oxidation is to store it at a low temperature, ideal conditions considering also that roasted coffee basically has no water that can freeze.
A change of mentality
Report highlighted how weak the communication on the label to the consumer is, roasters should start being more transparent and detailed about the information on their products. Clear information on countries of origin, indication of the percentages of the botanicals and varieties used in the blends, mention of the roasting colour which directly influences the intensity of the aromas and bitterness in the drink, together with useful tips for better preservation would allow consumers to make more informed choices, going beyond a simple evaluation of the price or the words ‘100% Arabica’.
Currently, those in front of the supermarket shelf may associate better quality with simply a higher price, but without adequate information and a good ability to recognise the quality of the flavour in the cup, it is difficult to verify this correlation.
So what to do? We all start phoning and emailing the roasters of the coffees we buy complaining about the lack of information on the label and asking for product specifications: when it was roasted, how the degassing was done, the percentages of the botanical species, the countries of origin of the coffees, details on the roasting colour and the flavours of the drink.
