Author: Qahwa World

In a recent study, alarming warnings have been sounded regarding the potential hazards linked to the commercialization of coffee’s health benefits. The study, featured in Coffee Intelligence, underscores the imperative to critically assess health claims associated with coffee products.

Over the past decade, extensive research has consistently linked moderate coffee consumption to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, and cognitive diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. A noteworthy revelation indicates that consuming one cup of coffee every six hours may even reduce the risk of contracting the coronavirus.

Coffee, recognized for its abundant bioactive compounds, antioxidants, and polyphenols, is increasingly hailed as a superfood renowned for fortifying and protecting the body. Cold brew has gained widespread popularity as a pre-workout drink, while black coffee has become a staple in the fitness community.

However, it is crucial to discern between the health benefits attributed to pure black coffee and the potential drawbacks introduced by additives. The surge in coffee’s popularity as a superfood has led to an influx of products containing artificial sweeteners, flavors, preservatives, emulsifiers, stabilizers, and artificial colors.

The study underscores previous findings revealing that 98% of 131 flavored hot drinks from major coffee chains exceeded three times the recommended daily sugar intake for adults, sparking concerns about the long-term health impact. With the global ready-to-drink coffee market poised to surpass $42 billion by 2027, there is a notable shift towards customizable beverages, significantly contributing to the industry’s growth.

This trend aligns with the broader discourse surrounding the infiltration of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) into global diets. In the UK, for example, 65% of the average diet consists of ultra-processed foods, a factor linked to obesity, cardiovascular disease, and various health-related issues.

The study affirms that leveraging the health benefits of coffee has become an effective marketing strategy for new products, especially given the heightened focus on health and wellness, particularly among Generation Z and younger millennials. Whether intentional or not, some new products are capitalizing on coffee’s well-established health reputation, potentially risking the tarnishing of coffee’s image as these products emerge as a new face of the industry.

Compounding concerns, health and wellness claims in the coffee sector remain entirely unregulated, providing brands ample latitude to make unverified assertions about their products without the need for research or studies to substantiate them. While acknowledging the need for comprehensive, well-funded research, it raises concerns about potential biases when research is funded by entities that stand to profit from promoting the health benefits of coffee.

This underscores the critical importance of exercising heightened scrutiny when confronted with health and wellness claims for new coffee products, especially until such claims are subject to more stringent regulation. Ultimately, the reputation of coffee itself is at stake, necessitating a cautious approach to protecting consumer confidence and well-being.

Healthcare workers can breathe a sigh of relief as a recent study, featured in The BMJ’s Christmas issue, dismisses the notion that hospital coffee machines contribute to the spread of diseases. The findings suggest that a general ban on these machines is unnecessary.

In the ongoing efforts to combat hospital-acquired infections, various items, including doctors’ ties and even hospital Bibles, have been scrutinized as potential breeding grounds for bacteria. Surprisingly, hospital coffee machines, despite frequent contact with numerous hands, had not been thoroughly investigated until now.

To address this gap in knowledge, German researchers conducted a comprehensive assessment of the microbial population in healthcare-associated coffee machines, focusing on the World Health Organization’s high-priority “ESKAPE” pathogens. These pathogens, resistant to many antibiotics, pose a significant threat, potentially leading to fatal infections.

Between October 31 and December 31, 2022, the researchers swabbed a total of 25 coffee makers, including fully automatic, capsule (e.g., Nespresso), and espresso machines. Seventeen machines were located in break rooms and offices at a university hospital, while eight were in staff members’ homes. All machines had been in use for at least a year, and none underwent special cleaning before sampling. Importantly, there were no ongoing disease outbreaks at any of the locations during the sampling period.

Swabs were taken from five specified sites on each coffee machine: the drip tray, the outlet, the buttons, the handle of the water tank, and the inside of the water tank. Microbial species were identified through cultures using spectrometry, with pathogens categorized as “medically relevant” and commensals as “atypical pathogens.” Gram type differentiation was used to distinguish positive or negative species.

Notably, microbial growth was found on every coffee machine, with hospital machines being approximately three times more heavily colonized than home machines. The majority of detected species were harmless commensals, and only a few medically relevant, non-antibiotic-resistant pathogens were identified.

The study emphasized the importance of following hand hygiene protocols, as 81% of medically relevant Gram-negative species were discovered in hospital coffee makers, primarily in drip trays, outlets, and water tank handles. Staphylococcus aureus, a potentially disease-causing Gram-positive species, was found in minimal instances, reinforcing the need for thorough hand hygiene.

The authors of the study expressed relief that, despite the potential for pathogen origin in nosocomial outbreaks, a widespread ban on coffee makers is unwarranted. Additionally, the study has prompted enhanced cleaning measures. The authors also raise intriguing questions about tea-related items in nations that favor tea, pondering whether teapots, kettles, and hot water spouts may serve as similar breeding grounds for bacteria and whether high temperatures in pots are sufficient to eliminate potential pathogens.

Like other people, the English love coffee. Estimates indicate that more than 80 percent of them visit cafés at least once a week to order their favorite coffee drink, and about 17 percent of them visit cafés on a daily basis, out of which 16 percent of them own a coffee maker at Home, so what are the most popular drinks they prefer and where do they come from?

Latte:

The UK’s most popular coffee type is a latte . the latte is generally a shot of espresso topped up with steamed milk and a layer of foam on the top.

While coffee has its roots in Africa and the Middle East, the concept of drinking milk with coffee was primarily a European invention, in practice since the 17th Century. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term “caffè e latte” (coffee with milk) was first used in English by the novelist William Dean Howells in 1867.

The latte story goes that coffee with milk was popular among American tourists in Italy who didn’t enjoy the bitter, rich flavors of Italian espresso and added large quantities of warm milk to make a sweeter drink.

It’s said they took the recipe back home with them, with the version of the latte we know today being standardized in Seattle, USA, in the 1980s. It has gone on to become one of the most popular coffee types in the world – but a word of warning if you fancy ordering one in Rome or Milan.

Cappuccino:

There’s not much difference between a cappuccino and a latte – both have the same ingredients, but it’s the quantities that change these drinks.

A cappuccino will have much more foamed milk than a latte and is considered a layered drink, often finished with chocolate or cinnamon powder on top.

While the name cappuccino comes from the Latin “caputium,” meaning hood or cloak, the drink’s origins actually come from Austria.

Coffee houses in Vienna pioneered the introduction of cream and sugar with coffee in the 18th Century. The color of the coffee resembled the color of the hooded robes worn by the Capuchin monks and nuns, and the German/Austrian variation of “kapuziner” was taken as its name.

Cappuccino versions were served across Europe from the 1930s onwards – although the drink at this time was typically espresso topped with whipped cream. As coffee machine technology improved, the version we know today was standardized, initially in Italy, before becoming popular as a ‘long’ coffee drink, meant to last, around the world.

flat white:

A flat white is an espresso-based drink that contains steamed milk.
It is made with a small amount of steamed milk and a thin layer of microfoam.

There is some debate about whether the flat white originated in Australia or New Zealand. Either way, it has been around down under since the 1980s. In the years since, it has popped up on menus in the US, UK, and elsewhere and is now a specialty café standard.

Americano:

As the name might suggest, we may have Americans to thank again for the invention of the Americano – the UK’s fourht most-popular coffee.

The drink – a shot or two of espresso, topped up with hot water – is believed to have been popularized by soldiers posted in Italy during World War Two.

It’s said that the American troops were looking for a different way to take their coffee. The local baristas came up with the option of diluting it with hot water in order to make the drink something they were more familiar with – the name Americano has stuck ever since.

The name Americano did appear in print some 20 years earlier though. Somerset Maugham’s collection of short stories, Ashenden: Or the British Agent, refers to his titular hero drinking an Americano in Naples, although we never find out what exactly the drink was.

Mocha:

While the word mocha is now synonymous with chocolate, particularly in coffee, it wasn’t always the case.

The name was taken from a variety of coffee grown in the Middle Eastern country of Yemen. The beans were named after the local Mokha port that they were shipped from.

People noticed an unusual chocolate taste to the coffee. As chocolate became more common in Europe, it began to be added to coffee to give it a sweeter taste and the mocha name was used.

Modern mochas come in many different varieties, ranging from latte-style coffees with chocolate powder or syrup added, to hot chocolates with a shot of espresso added.

Iced Coffee:

While only accounting for just under 4% of UK coffee sales in 2016, iced coffees and cold brews are becoming more and more popular around the world. A traditional iced coffee is brewed hot and poured over ice or very cold milk while a cold brew does as the name suggests – and is prepared entirely cold for a different flavor.