Storage of Coffee

1. Steps in the processing / marketing chain where storage occurs:

Fig. 1 - Storage steps within the coffee chain

Harvest
Storage
Fresh cherries forbidden
Drying
Storage:
Dry cherries - Farm or
Dry parchment - Cooperative or
- Processor plant
Husking

At the farm Processor plant

Storage
at farm Storage in warehouses of:
Unsorted beans - Traders
- Processors
Sorting - Final procesors
Grading

Sorted beans
Export Warehouses of exporters

The diagram above gives a general view of the steps when coffee is stored, and
which type of coffee is stored depending of the structure of the coffee chain.
Even though the actual situation varies considerably within and between
countries, this diagram highlights that fact that storage often occurs at several
points along the coffee chain.

Storage operations are important from the point of view of ochratoxin A (OTA)
prevention and quality assurance. The ‘time’ element involved in storage
operations provides an opportunity for microbiological and biochemical processes
to lead to quality deterioration if conditions of storage – particularly temperature
and relative humidity – permit.

Prevailing climatic conditions in most coffee producing countries – high

temperature and humidity – mean that poor storage management is an
important factor to be considered in preventing OTA contamination of coffee.

Storage conditions, including both facilities and practices, are often worse when
storage occurs in upstream steps by small-scale farmers and traders. Those who
are responsible for promoting safe handling of coffee throughout the chain must

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be aware of where the main problems lie, and advise on realistic and holistic
approaches to address them.

2. Poor Moisture Management During Storage: Implications for fungal

growth and general quality loss

This section reviews a few published studies showing the impact of ‘high’
moisture storage on fungal development and general quality deterioration.

In one laboratory study1, small batches of coffee were ‘conditioned’ at a range of

relative humidities (RH) at 26°C. Once the target RH was reached, changes in
selected quality factors were monitored over a period of 200 days. The coffee
equilibrated at 92% RH showed a rapid increase of defects and loss of cup quality
during the period of equilibration even before the actual start of the storage
period. Quality losses in samples equilibrated at 72% and 82% RH, in terms of
physical defects and cup quality, were also evident within 50 days of storage.
Coffee stored at RH less than 70% were stable for all measured quality criteria.

Another study2 reports the evolution of fungi during storage as follows:

ƒ Fungal community (in CFU/g of beans) increased by 1700 times in 6 days

at a RH of 95%, 400 times in 16 days at a RH of 90%, 6 times in 37 days
at a RH of 80% and 5 times in 100 days at a RH of 75%. The community
remained stable at a RH of 60 %;
ƒ At highest relative humidities (90 and 95%), Aspergillus versicolor and
Aspergillus ochraceus prevail whereas Aspergillus niger growth slows
down.

Palacios-Carabrera et al. (2004)3 report that OTA production occurs very rapidly
and large quantities of OTA were already present at the 39th day on artificially
contaminated beans held at levels of RH above 80%. With un-inoculated beans,
a small amount of OTA was produced after 90 days. This study concludes that
the relative humidity in the overwhelmingly important factor influencing risk of
OTA production in stored coffee where OTA-producers are present.

1
Dos Santos A.C., Hahn D., Cahagnier B., Drapron R., Guilbot A., Lefebvre J., Multon J.L., Poisson
J., Trentesaux E. 1971. Etude de l'évolution de plusieurs caractéristiques d'un café Arabica au
cours d'un stockage expérimental effectué à cinq humidités relatives différentes. Café Cacao Thé
vol. 15 (4), p. 329-340.
2
Multon J.L., Poisson J., Cahagnier B., Hahn D., Barel M., Dos Santos A.C. 1974. Evolution de
plusieurs caractéristiques d'un café Arabica au cours d'un stockage expérimental effectué à cinq
humidités relatives et quatre températures différentes. Café Cacao Thé. vol.18 (2), p. 121-132.
3
Palacios-Cabrera H., Taniwaki M.H., Menezes H.C., Iamanaka B.T. 2004. The production of OTA
by Aspergillus ochraceus in raw coffee at different equilibrium relative humidity and under
alternating temperatures, Elsevier Ltd, p. 531-535.

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3. Good Storage Management:

3.1. Receiving coffee into storage

An important recommendation for safe storage is to ensure that products

accepted into storage are sufficiently dry (for coffee beans this is around 11-
12.5% mc on a dry weight basis). In several countries regulations guide and limit
the maximum moisture content of coffee in the domestic marketing chain. The
moisture content of dry cherry might be slightly higher – between 12-13.5% -
without supporting mould growth and ochratoxin formation (see also:
‘Relationship between moisture content and water activity (Aw) in different forms
of coffee’ [.pdf], found in the Support Documentation area of this Section).

Given the importance of this

Moisture content of different forms of coffee
consideration, it is important that
corresponding to a Aw of 0.80
operators within the coffee
marketing chain be able to
Confidence interval
Types of coffee determine whether coffee is at an
± 5% ± 1% acceptable level of moisture. This
means that they must have
Robusta in cherries ≈15,7 ≈14,0 access to appropriate moisture-
measuring equipment and
Arabica in cherries ≈15,6 ≈14,7 technical support to ensure that
Robusta in parchment ≈14,9 ≈13.7 the measurements are being
made correctly (this is discussed
Arabica in parchment ≈15,0 ≈13,8 in further detail in Chapter 14
(‘Determination of moisture
content’) of the article ‘Hygienic coffee drying’ [.pdf], found in the Support
Documentation area of this Section of the training resource).

Other important factors to be checked when receiving dry coffee into storage
are:

ƒ Acceptable levels of extraneous materials: in the case of green bean

storage, the presence of husk material could be an important source of
OTA-producing mould that might grow and produce toxin if storage
conditions allow. The initial level of mould contamination should be kept to
a minimum.
ƒ Insect infestation: apart from direct quality loss due to elevated levels of
insect damaged beans, there is a risk that the activity of insects and other
pests can lead to increased moisture in the storage area generally, or in
localised spots, where mould growth and mycotoxin production might then
be supported.

Criteria for accepting coffee into storage should be

clearly defined and actions to be taken when
incoming coffee does not meet requirements
(rejection, cleaning, etc).

Fig. 2 - Inspection of incoming coffee before

acceptance into storage

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3.2. Preventing re-wetting of coffee during storage

The moisture content of foods in dry product storage is not static: there is
moisture exchange between the product and the surrounding air. During storage,
the coffee seeks to establish equilibrium with the air in the warehouse, so that it
will take up or release water from/to the surrounding atmosphere depending of
the degree of ‘dryness’ of the coffee and the relative humidity of the air.

This fact must be considered in establishing good storage management practices,

especially seeing that many coffee-producing countries are hot and humid at
least part of the year.

Apart from passive uptake from the surrounding air, re-wetting of coffee might
be due to other sources such as ingress of water from rain or other sources, or
from respiratory activity of insects or other pests. Studies have been undertaken
to better understand the phenomena of water adsorption and desorption in
coffee during storage, so as to support sound advice to various stakeholders on
good storage practices.

3.2.1. Storage at farm or small trader level

These very small-scale operators generally do not have ‘ideal’ storage facilities.
In some cases they may have access to cooperative or community storage
structures, but generally they utilise simple existing structures for storage of
their products. Often the facilities are poorly ventilated with no exhaust fans or
any other means of controlling the relative humidity of the storage air. A study4
in Cameroon showed that moisture content of coffee stored in bags, initially at
13%, increased up to 15% after 3 months storage in warehouses of small
traders. In a small storage trial in Côte d’Ivoire under the global coffee project,
where bags of dry coffee cherry were placed in a small trader’s storage room,
moisture levels rose from about 12% to almost 18% within 4 months.

One strategy for minimising quality deterioration during storage at this level is to
promote shorter storage times at this stage of the chain. Government policies
and buying policies of downstream operators in the private sector can influence
this practice. It is still necessary to provide guidance on the optimising storage
on-farm or at small traders. Guidance on some key issues is given below.

Should coffee be stored in the form of dry cherry, parchment or green bean?

Storage trials that were carried out during the global coffee project did not
demonstrate any differences in internal contamination with OTA-producing fungi
or in levels of OTA in the coffee bean when coffee was stored as dry cherry,
parchment or green bean for up to one year. The form in which the coffee is
stored – if the coffee is adequately dry – does not seem to affect OTA
contamination. Notably the cherry husk has been found to be highly
contaminated with OTA-producing mould and pre-formed OTA. However, in the
intact dried cherry, where re-wetting is prevented, the presence of contaminated
husk does not lead to contamination of the bean. In fact, the presence of the

4
Sauda. 1957. Etude sur le stockage des cafés et cacaos à Douala (Cameroun) Café Cacao Thé
vol. 1 (1), p. 10-17.

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husk or the parchment – may provide a physical barrier against contamination of
the bean. A possible exception could be the storage of dried split cherry, where
physical damage to the bean could increase the likelihood of contamination from
the husk.

What type of bags should be used to store coffee?

Jute bags are preferred for coffee storage as they allow transmission of water
vapour. Woven polythene bags are also widely used, though, while they still do
allow some gaseous exchange with the external environment, it is more difficult
for humid air from within the bag to escape. Impervious plastic bags should not
be used to store coffee.

Apart from the question of water vapour transmission, there is also a potential
problem of cross contamination associated with bags used to store coffee.
Farmers and small traders often re-use bags that previously contained fertilizer,
animal feeds or other farm inputs. Adequate care must be used to eliminate any
opportunity for contaminating the coffee with hazardous materials.

Simple guidance on storage practice

Even with non-ideal storage structures, simple storage management practices

can reduce potential problems:

ƒ In cases where the surrounding air is at high RH, build tight-fitting stacks
of coffee bags, to minimise moisture exchange with the air. If the
surrounding air is dry (RH<78%) then the stacks of coffee should facilitate
as much as possible passage of air;
ƒ Bags should piled on pallets or similar structures to prevent re-wetting
from the floor and to permit better air circulation;
ƒ Bags should be piled away from walls to avoid re-wetting by condensation;
ƒ Storage area should be well ventilated;
ƒ Hazardous or odorous materials should not be held in the vicinity of the
coffee storage area.

3.2.2. Dedicated coffee storage facilities

Coffee storage may be in bulk or in bags. We will not be discussing exhaustively

here the merits or demerits of either type of storage, but we will outline
considerations for either type of storage that have an impact on the safety of and
suitability for coffee.

Bulk coffee storage

In some cases, operators choose to store coffee in bulk rather than in bags. The
choice of bulk storage may be based on a range of factors including: reduced
storage space requirements; reduced labour costs in bagging and unbagging
coffee; compatibility with systems of bulk containerization; levelling of moisture
content in batches of coffee. Some consideration of bulk storage that can
influence the quality and safety of coffee are discussed below.

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Bulk storage in silos

Poorly designed or located silos can create quality problems. In closed, non-
aerated silos that are exposed to temperature variations, movement of moisture
within the mass of coffee may lead to the formation of ‘wetter’ zones.

One 15-month study5 utilised an air-tight metal silo which was placed outdoors
with no insulation. The average moisture content of the coffee beans at the start
of the storage period was 11.3% wb. At the end of the storage period, the upper
layer of coffee beans was completely covered with mould and had a moisture
content of 17.5%. This movement of moisture within the silo was due to the
heating of coffee in the metal silo during the day which led to warm, moist air
rising to the top of the silo. This re-distribution of moisture creates ‘wet zones’
within the silo where mould growth and mycotoxin formation is possible.

However, silos do offer opportunities for better control of moisture during

storage:

ƒ The surface which is exposed to surrounding atmosphere is smaller with a

silo, so in humid environments, water uptake from surrounding air can be
minimised;
ƒ Ventilation systems can be installed in silos to blow air through the coffee.
Silos are often equipped with fans which can blow air through the coffee at
a speed of 3 to 5 m/min. If air blown through the silo is at a very high RH,
it would re-humidify the coffee. In cases where coffee has been over dried,
some degree of re-humidification may be intentional. More often, the
concern is to limit re-uptake of water, and it is therefore important to
monitor the RH of the air with a hygrometer. Only when the RH of the air
is below 70%, should it be blown through the silo. When necessary, air
can be heated to reduce its relative humidity before blowing it through the
coffee;
ƒ Silos can be constructed of insulating materials that protect against
unwanted temperature variations or located within storage areas that
protect from direct exposure with external environment.

Buchelli et al. (1998)6 report on changes in

moisture content and water activity of green
coffee beans stored in bulk silos (air-
conditioned, aerated and non-aerated) or in
bags over an 8-month period in Thailand.
The initial moisture content of the coffee
was 13%. Moisture content in the aerated
silo was stable over the storage period.

Fig. 3 - Metal silos for green bean storage with

aeration systems in an enclosed storage area

5
Wilbaux R., Richard M., Hahn D. 1971. Essai de stockage de café vert en silo métallique
hermétique. Café cacao Thé vol. 15 (3), p. 221-234.
6
Bucheli, P., Meyer, I., Pittet, A., Vuataz, G., and Viani, R. 1998. Industrial storage of green
robusta coffee under tropical conditions and its impact on raw materials quality and ochratoxin A
content. J. Agric. Food Chem. 46, p. 4507-4511.

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While the evolution of moisture content in the coffee stored in the non-aerated
silo was similar to that in the bags. In these cases there was a significant
increase in moisture to about 14.8% during the rainy period, which decreased
again to about 13% thereafter.

Guidance on management of bulk stores and on the design and construction of

silos for on-farm bulk storage of coffee can be found in Chapters 9 and 10 of the
article ‘Hygienic coffee production’ [.pdf], found in the Support Documentation
area of this Section of the training resource. This guidance has been developed
to respond to the technical support needs of coffee farmers in Brazil, but much of
the information could be wider interest.

Other structures for bulk storage

When bulk storage is effected without the use of silos,

risk of moisture uptake or contamination through
contact with floors and walls of storage rooms must be
minimised. The Brazilian ‘thula’ is a good example for
storage in heap. The thula is a kind of wooden bin built
under a shelter or in warehouse. Wood provides good
thermal insulation to avoid condensation problems.
Ventilated wooden storage bins have also been used by
other producer countries.

Whatever the
material used in
the construction
Fig. 4 - Wooden bins
contructed for bulk of the storage
storage of coffee area, it is
essential that
the structure prevent entry of rain, be
well ventilated so as to avoid
condensation, and the floor be raised
above the ground so as to improve
insulation and protect against flooding. As
with any storage facility, cleaning,
maintenance and pest control Fig. 5 - Example of bad conditions for
bulk storage of dry cherry
programmes must be routinely
implemented if hygienic storage conditions are to be assured. Most of the
recommendations for good storage management in Section 4 below are relevant
to bulk storage.

Warehouses for bagged storage

Storage of coffee in bags is more common than bulk storage. For many coffee
handlers the initial investment required to install adequate facilities for bulk
storage is prohibitive.

With a good system warehouse management (marking of bags, record keeping

and physical organization of store area) the use of bags allows store managers to
handle different grades or types of coffee separately, and to identify eliminate
small units of coffee if problems are localised in a few bags.

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There is a limited capacity to manipulate the RH of air in coffee storage
warehouses. Costs associated with air-conditioning or dehumidification are
prohibitive for mainstream coffee marketing. It is essential that warehouses have
good ventilation so as to prevent condensation of water from humid air causing
localised re-wetting, or simply to remove humid air that may lead to generalised
moisture uptake by coffee in storage. Apart from features of the warehouse
structure (vents in roof and walls, exhaust fans, height of roofing) to facilitate
ventilation, also the organization of storage area (bags held on pallets, adequate
aisle spacing, spaces between stacks and walls) contributes to the free flow of air
and therefore in preventing mould and mycotoxin contamination. Good storage
management should include programmes for regular monitoring of RH in the
storage area and moisture in stored coffee. Action in the case of high RH in the
storage facility might be the turning on of extraction fans. Action in the case of
unacceptable moisture levels in the stored coffee might in some cases be re-
drying.

Protection against temperature fluctuations is important as has been discussed

with other forms of storage. The roof of the storage facility should minimise heat
transfer to the storage area. The storage area should be located away from and
be totally separated from other operations (such as artificial dryers) that could
lead to accumulation of hot, humid air around the stored product.

Prevention of re-wetting of bagged coffee in warehouses also involves ensuring

that rain or water from other sources does not enter the facility. The roof must
be regularly checked to ensure that it is in a good state of repair, other openings
– such as vents and doors – must be constructed in such a way as to prevent
entry of water. There should be adequate drainage around the facility to avoid
any risk of flooding.

Adequate cleaning and building maintenance programmes are an essential part

of preventing access and harbourage of pests which – if they are present in high
numbers – can lead to increase moisture in the storage area and can act as
vectors for microbiological (and chemical) contamination.

4. Overall Recommendations for Good Storage Management

For all storage systems, good store management aims to maintain the coffee
within the ‘safe’ range of moisture content over the required duration of storage,
to protect the product from damage by insects or other pests, and to prevent
cross contamination or new contamination from other sources. It also facilitates
identification and handling of coffee lots. An outline of key elements of good
storage practice is provided below.

Physical facility

ƒ High, insulated roofs with air vents minimise heat transfer to the storage
area and facilitate good ventilation;
ƒ Warehouses should be equipped with fans which extract the ambient air
inside the warehouse as required;
ƒ Storage area (walls and floors) should be constructed of impermeable,
smooth, easily-cleaned materials;

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 ƒ External surfaces should prevent entry of pests (well-fitting doors (< 0.5
cm space)); no cracks in walls; drains and vents appropriately covered;
ƒ There should be proper lighting in the storage area with protective
covering to prevent hazards from broken glass.

Organization of coffee stacks

ƒ Store coffee on pallets and away from walls to facilitate good ventilation
and avoid re-wetting through condensation;
ƒ Storage areas should be well demarcated to facilitate identification of
coffee lots and to ensure adequate spacing between aisles which
contributes to the overall ventilation in the facility and ease of handling of
coffee stores.

Avoiding problems of contamination and cross contamination (storage area/

bags)

ƒ Coffee husk has been shown to be an important source of OTA mould and
pre-formed OTA. Storage facilities should be away from coffee hulling,
grading and cleaning operations that could be sources of contamination;
ƒ Dry cherry, parchment and green bean should be stored separately;
ƒ Food-grade bags should be used for the storage of green coffee;
ƒ Clean, dry, odour-free silos should be used for bulk storage of coffee;
ƒ Fuel, pesticides, cleaning compounds and all other potentially harmful and
odorous products must NOT be stored in the coffee storage area.

Monitoring of condition of storage environment

ƒ Moisture control of stored coffee should be done on a regular basis for

taking corrective actions. Moisture meters should be regularly calibrated
by qualified personnel, at least once a year;
ƒ Hygrometers should be used to monitor RH in the storage area;
ƒ Periodic roof inspections are necessary to ensure that there is no possible
of leakage or pest entry through the roof;
ƒ Periodic facility inspection is necessary to ensure that gutters, ducts,
vents, etc. are clear;
ƒ Periodic facility inspection (internal and external) is necessary to ensure
that pest entry and harbourage are under control.

Immediate environs

ƒ The environs of the storage facility should be kept free of vegetation and
garbage that could encourage pests and other contamination vectors;
ƒ There should be periodic inspection of the immediate surrounding to
ensure that any sources of contamination are under control.

General management considerations

ƒ Coffee should not be accepted into storage unless it meets established and
documented minimum criteria (moisture content, extraneous material,
etc);

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ƒ Documented cleaning programmes must be routinely implemented for the
storage area and storage silos and records kept. Procedures for routine
cleaning in the storage area should be based on vacuum cleaning as it is
dry and minimises the spread of dust-borne contamination;
ƒ There should be a documented programme of pest control and records of
related facility checks. If fumigation treatments are used, procedures must
be clearly established and records rigorously kept;
ƒ There should be a system of stock rotation, and especially when storage is
in a humid area, storage time should be kept to a minimum;
ƒ Records of facility inspections, inspection reports and corrective actions
must be maintained.

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