The wastes of coffee bean processing for utilization in food: a review

A few million cubic tons of waste are generated annually as a result of coffee processing. As a beverage, coffee in itself is a rich source of melanoidins, phenolic compounds, and other phytonutrients which confer a wide range of health benefits. These wastes generated every year are usually discarded as landfill mass, mixed with animal fodder, or incinerated. Coffee wastes, due to their high content of tannins and caffeine, can degrade the soil quality and induce carcinogenicity when mixed with animal fodder. This review aims to identify the potential of coffee silver skin and spent coffee grounds, both generated as a result of the roasting process and instantization processes. Coffee husk and coffee flour are also well-known for their excellent bioactive roles. The proximate composition of coffee silverskin indicates a rich dietary fibre source and finds wide applications in bakery and other allied food products. This process could generate a value-added product and alleviate the disposing quality of remnant spent coffee grounds. Companies are exploring novel ideas of producing coffee flour obtained from drying and milling of coffee cherries for applications in day-to-day food products. Coffee and coffee waste combined with its high concentration of fibre, colorant pigments, and antioxidant compounds, has immense potential as a functional ingredient in food systems and needs to be explored further for its better utilization.

Automated summary

A large amount of waste is generated annually from coffee processing, containing valuable compounds that can benefit health but also have negative effects when disposed of improperly. Companies are exploring innovative ways to utilize coffee waste and create value-added products.