Sugar, Spice, and Nothing Nice? The ways in which coffee flavorings affect us

Do you enjoy your coffee tasting as little like coffee as possible? Are you a fan of the latest-and-greatest varieties of coffee? Do you prefer to not pronounce the drink you brew (or have brewed for you) in the morning? Well then take a look at just what goes into making the perfectly crafted cup o’ joe -or at least that’s what your taste buds may say. There are somethings you’d never expect to find in your coffee- but there are also natural ways to maintain a rich flavor.

Basic Roast

Before we get into the complexities of coffee flavoring, we must first understand where the exotic names come from and how the perfect bean is achieved. There are several main roasts of coffee, including: American, Viennese, Italian, French dark, and Espresso black. Within these roasts, the most common bean to be used is the Arabica bean because of its low level of acidity and bitterness. The Arabica bean was also the earliest species to be cultivated, and is highly regarded today to be the most prized bean. The process of roasting beans determines the depth of flavor of the coffee, with dark roasts having more flavor. If a roast is too dark, the flavor added will be overpowered by the bitter taste of the beans, but if the roast is too light, the flavor added will overpower the taste of the coffee itself. For this reason, the best roast to be flavored is a medium to brown roast (1).

Soak It Up

In order to add flavoring to coffee beans, the beans are placed in a large metal drum that rotates so that the flavoring is evenly distributed among the beans. The flavorings that are typically added to coffee consist of both natural oils and synthetic flavor chemicals. Natural sources tend to be vanilla, coca, nuts, berries, cinnamon, clove, and chicory, whereas the chemicals include compounds such as dimethyl and dimethylprizane, and can contain up to 80 other compounds. These flavorings are added after roasting and cooling the beans- if the flavoring is added at a high temperature, the flavor compounds can be destroyed. The average ratio of flavoring is 2.7 pounds of flavor for every 100 pounds of coffee, and the flavoring can either be added as an oil or a dry substance (the moisture of the beans will promote the transfer of color and flavor)(1). One issue that can be associated with the flavoring of coffee is that it allows for lower-quality beans to be used. By implementing the flavors, the less-refined taste of a low-quality bean can be masked (6).

Danger in Consumption

So what’s the problem with flavoring coffee? The issue stems from the chemical compounds used to add the flavor itself. Using natural flavor additives poses no risk, and is encouraged as we’ll later see, but the other ways in which beans are flavored have questionable origins. Some of the key chemical compounds found in coffee flavorings are also present in pharmeceuticals and, more dangerously, the substance used to aid in the de-icing of airplanes. This compound is known as propylene glycol and is used to combine the flavoring compounds and the coffee beans themselves (2). The Centers for Disease Control recognizes that this compound can be hazardous and adversely affect the renal, respiratory, and dermal organ systems, yet the Food and Drug Administration calssifies it as “generally recognized as safe” (3).

Hazards of Production

Some of these risks are more present when dealing with the substance in pure form, and is evident by complaints filed by the employees who are directly involved in the flavoring process of coffee. Some employees complained of physical ailments, such as congestion, rash, and headaches (4). Additionally, the smell of the flavoring compounds can remain on the employees for days following their exposure- it’s even possible to smell the residual flavoring odor outside (2). When some companies, such as Hunter Bay, learned of these harsh side affects and the potential to ultimately affect the consumer, they completely changed their roasting and flavoring practices, resorting to more natural methods (4).

Solutions

On the Job with Barista, Ashley McCormish

One of the ways in which you can combat the artificial flavoring is by purchasing coffee that has been brewed in a responsible manner. Another alternative is to flavor the coffee yourself using all-natural methods, either by storing the beans with natural sources of flavor or by adding natural flavor extracts to coffee that’s already been brewed.

Responsibly Brewed

Many smaller coffeehouses today are adopting more responsible roasting, flavoring and brewing methods. As mentioned above, places such as Hunter Bay have developed ways in which they are still able to produce flavored coffees. By promoting all-natural additives, the breweries are still able to maintain the personalized flavors of coffee, yet without the adverse effects of artificial additives (4). Ways in which this can be achieved include using beans that are naturally more flavorful, such as a fruity Ethiopian bean or chocolatey Brazil bean (2). The roast itself can also contribute or detract from the flavoring, as it develops the natural coffee flavor, and natural compounds, such as vanilla, coca, nuts and berries can enhance the flavoring.

Make Your Own or Flavor at Home

Many of the natural flavorings that some coffeehouses are transitioning to can also be found and utilized at home. If you brew your own coffee, you can take the original beans and store them along with spices, such as nutmeg, cinnamon, or cloves. In this scenario, the flavoring will become more pronounced each day as the beans spend more time with the spices. Additionally, you can add the spices to the coffee grounds themselves before brewing. This is especially useful when looking for a simple, natural and calorie-free way to add flavor, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom. Finally, you can use extracts to either make your own syrups at home, or add directly to your drink itself. By simmering water and sugar, adding spices and herbs, adding spices and herbs as desired, you can create a syrup that can be use over the course of several brews. Directly adding extract to your cup, such as a few drops of plant oil or essential oils, provides an immediate, natural flavoring that can vary from cup to cup (5).