With the aim of seeking development alternatives for the benefit of Peruvian coffee growers, the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM), with the support of Concytec and the World Bank, has been developing research to evaluate the fermentation potential of microorganisms isolated from coir faeces, in order to use them in fermentation methods that improve the quality of cup coffee.
The ring-tailed coati is a small carnivorous mammal that lives in the forests of South America and the southern part of Central America. Their diet is based on fruits and vegetables and, according to this project, when they are fed with ripe coffee cherries, when the seeds are expelled in their faeces, they produce a coffee that is highly valued on the international market for its sensory quality.
“In a first stage, we were able to isolate and identify yeasts from the faeces of the coati related to the production of misha coffee. It should be noted that the study of the microflora from the digestive system of the coati needs to be carried out in greater detail since it is the starting point for the search for microorganisms with high technological potential that can be used for the production of specialty coffees,” said Waldir Desiderio Estela Escalante, the project’s principal researcher.
He also pointed out that this is the first time that this study is carried out in our country, the objective of which is to generate proposals for solutions to technological needs. The results generated will not only serve to design different systems and methodologies for coffee fermentation and thus improve the product, but will also allow them to compete in more demanding markets. “Our project will help place the coffee industry among the most innovative and will create our own technology for better quality control,” he emphasized.
This project is led by the UNMSM in the 2018 Applied Research and Technological Development Projects call, which is financed by Concytec, in agreement with the World Bank, through its executing unit Fondecyt.
Source: agraria.pe
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