STiR coffee and tea magazine

22 STiR coffee and tea / Issue 2, 2020 (April / May) Coffee Report: Dan Shryock Coffee Can Be Good For Your Bones, Study Says Most of us can't get the day going without our morning coffee. But have you ever considered if your java habit could be good or bad for your bones? A recent study looked at coffee and its relationship to bone health. The study, which looked at data on 564 people, found people who habitually drank coffee had higher bone mass density than non-coffee drinkers. "Three metabolites, in particular, were associ- ated with an increase in bone density in the population, and also, a decrease in the risk of fracture," said Chad Deal, M.D., of Cleveland Clinic, who did not take part in the study. Dr. Deal said the relationship between coffee and bone health has been studied before, and the results have been conflicting. Previous research has shown that the more caffeine a person drinks, the more calcium is excreted from the body. And since the main mineral component in bone is calcium, he said this could potentially create a calcium imbalance and inhibit bone formation. Dr. Deal suggests heavy coffee drinkers who have low bone mass have testing performed to check calcium excretion levels. The bottom line is, if you're a coffee drinker, you shouldn't be worried about its impact on your bone health. "For all those folks who drink lots of coffee and are concerned about the health effects of coffee, this is good news," he said. "It appears to show that coffee is, in general, probably good for bone health." Dr. Deal said a potential benefit from this research, comes from the identification of specific metabolites in coffee that are good for bone health. He said this opens the door for more possibilities when it comes to creating new drugs to help protect bone health in the future. Complete results of the study can be found in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. - Cleveland Clinic News Service COVID-19 Coffee Traders Watch Supply Chains There is growing concern among international coffee traders that the spreading COVID-19 pandemic may disrupt supply chains and trigger delays in the world's ports. Some traders are sending warnings to clients, according to a Bloomberg News report in late March. Volcafe Ltd. told its clients in a memo that logistical delays are expected to become "more widespread" in coffee- producing countries. Sucafina SA, meanwhile, advised its buyers to submit place orders as soon as possible, according to the Bloomberg report. The coffee and tea trades are not alone, however, as supply chains for many products are facing interruptions. There are reports of container shortages. Coffee traders also are keeping an eye on a possible labor strike in Brazilian ports. "In relation to vessel, truck, rail, or container deliveries we have seen some additional safety measures put in place in various countries," the Volcafe memo read according to Bloomberg. "We should highlight that there are already delays in some areas and we expect this to become more widespread throughout most major coffee origins." A Sucafina memo said the company is not expecting any shipment delays but cautions that the situation is "fluid and evolving." "This may be a good time to consider taking advance shipment of coffee you have on contract or think you might need in the near future," the company memo said. CHINA Starbucks Builds Roasting Plant Starbucks is investing $130 million to construct its first coffee roasting facility in China, an indication business is beginning to pick up following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic there, according to a Bloomberg News. The roasting operation is part of Starbucks' new coffee innovation development scheduled to open in 2022 in Kunshan, a city south of Shanghai. The project is reported to be Starbucks' largest production facility investment outside the United States and the first ever in Asia. The complex will encompass 80,000 square feet of space and include high-tech warehouses and a coffee roasting facility, reports indicate. The pandemic, originating in China, forced about 80% of Starbucks' 4,300 stores to close in early February. More than a month later, most of those stores were open and operating with increased safety measures. GUATEMALA Nespresso Finds Child Labor Nespresso, makers of coffee pods and brewing machines, discovered child labor at three Guatemalan farms in where it buys coffee, according to a Thomson Reuters Foundation report. The company, a Nestlè subsidiary, conducted its own investigation after a British television report in February said child labor occurred on farms selling to Nespresso. On confirming the report, Nespresso announced it was implementing a plan to prevent abuse in the future. Child labor was found at 3 of 374 coffee farms where Nespresso buys coffee in Guate- mala's central-southern Fraijanes region. "We have acted quickly not only to investigate the issue but also to implement immediate, concrete actions to address it," said Guillaume Le Cunff, chief executive of Nespresso, in a statement. Nespresso said it would double the number of agronomists it employs to monitor local farm conditions, improve a program providing safe spaces for children during harvest season, and increase education and awareness programs. It also will create a hotline for reporting suspected violations. Finally, Nespresso will stop buying coffee from the three farms until they provide evidence that they are comply- ing with International Labor Organiza- tion's child protection requirements, according to the foundation's report. ITALY La Marzocco's Piero Bambi Dies Piero Bambi, son of La Marzocco founder Giuseppe Bambi and a con- tributor to the company for decades, passed away March 22 in Florence, Italy. He was 86. "His love for espresso, and the technical expertise that he inherited from his father led him to achieving significant technological innovations in an aim for the best result in the cup," the company said in a statement. "While deeply tied to Italian tradition and ingenuity, Piero was open to any culture that could instill new concepts concern- ing espresso coffee, a beverage which he considered to be magical."

• Cover