Urban Barcode Research Project Team Detecting Adulteration in Coffee
Program:
Urban Barcode Research Project
Year:
2021-22
Research Topic:
Food fraud
Taxonomic Group Studied:
Plants

Project:

Adulteration in Coffee
Students:
Dylan Greenberg, Ariana Khan
Institution:
Mount Sinai,
Mentors:
Rafael Fenutria

Abstract:

The price of Arabica coffee is higher than Robusta coffee as Arabica is associated with more desirable organoleptic properties and Robusta varieties are easier to cultivate. There are financial incentives for diluting high-quality Arabica beans with the cheaper Robusta beans. This practice of adulteration is especially difficult to detect once the coffee beans have been ground and roasted. Detection of these adulterations is important to the ability of the food and beverage industry to source high-quality products. To measure the accuracy of the advertised percentage of Arabica beans in the label of coffee bean packages we will use DNA barcoding.

Poster:

DNA Barcoding Poster
View team poster (PDF/PowerPoint)

Team samples: