Speaker
Summary
Coffee is the most widely consumed beverage worldwide and has major economic relevance. Ensuring its quality, safety and authenticity requires reliable analytical methods, which depend on well-characterized reference materials. Certified reference materials (CRMs) provide metrological traceability and support method validation. Given their importance, Brazil has been developing CRMs to strengthen analytical reliability in the coffee sector.In 2018, at the Radioisotopes Laboratory of CENA/USP, a certified reference material of organic coffee beans (CRM-Agro C1007a – Café Verde) was produced within a postdoctoral research project. The material was developed for multi-elemental analysis to support studies on nutritional composition, quality, safety and authenticity, addressing a specific demand from the Brazilian coffee sector. Coffee samples of the Catuai Vermelho (IAC 99) variety were collect ed in Ibiraci, Minas Gerais state, and chemically characterized by neutron activation analysis (NAA), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The material was prepared in accordance with ISO Guide 35, encompassing grinding, sieving, sterilization, storage and characterization steps. Physical profiling included particle size distribution and residual moisture, while chemical evaluation comprised homogeneity and stability tests. The reference material showed a residual moisture of 4.14 ± 0.14 % and a particle size below 175 µm, ensuring uniformity. Reference values were assigned based on the determination of Br, Ca, Co, Cs, Fe, K, Na, Sc, Sb, Rb and Zn by NAA; P, S, Ca, K and Mg by ICP OES; and B, Ba, Co, Cu, Mn, Rb and Sr by ICP-MS. Homogeneity within-bottle and between-bottles was confirmed for all elements, with relative standard deviations below 5 % for appropriate sample masses (10-100 mg for NAA; 50- 200 mg for ICP OES and ICP-MS). Stability testing confirmed that the reference values remained consistent for all determined elements, indicating the material’s robustness over time and its suitability for long-term analytical use. The CRM demonstrated uniform elemental composition, suitable particle distribution and low moisture, ensuring analytical reliability. The green coffee bean reference material exhibited consistent physical and chemical properties, providing a reliable tool for multi-elemental analysis, quality control and research applications in the coffee industry.
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