Food-KopiLuwak-sidebar

Food-KopiLuwak-sidebar

JP/ /

Don't worry, it's safe to drink kopi luwak

Elvera N. Makki
Contributor/Houston, Texas

Have you ever plucked up the courage to drink kopi luwak, a
coffee made from luwak (civet) feces? Is it safe?

"Yes, it is" said Adjunct Professor Massimo Marcone, a food
scientist from the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

"Although the beans have passed through the luwak's digestive
system, my test shows that the bacterial count is lower for kopi
luwak than it is for regular coffee. This is an unusual finding,
but one that has been subject to a battery of scientific tests."
he added.

Marcone studied kopi luwak for two years. He traveled to
Indonesia in 2003 and returned about a month a go for additional
research.

"As a food scientist, I'm skeptical that anything that has had
contact with feces is safe," said Marcone. "But tests revealed
that the kopi luwak beans had negligible amounts of enteric
(pathogenic) organisms that are associated with feces."

In fact, the luwak beans for sale are quite clean. Locals in
Indonesia, who collect the beans, wash them thoroughly under
running water after collection, which dislodges bacteria.

He also discovered that the "berry" or endocarp surrounding
the bean, was not completely digested by the luwak; hence, it
must be removed during processing.

Included in his research was whether or not beans passing
through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of the luwak affected the
flavor of the beans, making them uniquely different to regular
ones.

So, together with other members of his department, he
completed a series of tests on kopi luwak beans and compared them
with Colombian beans, which were used as a control.

First, they examined if there were any color differences
between unroasted samples of the two beans. Using a colorimeter
-- an instrument that detects color differences -- they found
that the kopi luwak beans had more red and yellow tones, whereas
the control beans were more greenish in color.

Then, the surfaces of the two beans were examined using a
scanning electron microscope. The kopi luwak beans were found to
be smoother than the control, indicating that the gastric acids
and/or enzymes of the luwak were exfoliating the surface of the
bean, explained Marcone.

Pitting was also observed on the surface, and the next step
was to determine if acids and enzymes penetrated the kopi luwak
beans, affecting them in some way or other.

Electrophoresis -- a method that "fingerprints" proteins --
was used to determine differences in the protein content of kopi
luwak and control beans. The kopi luwak beans were found to be
lower in total protein, meaning that proteins were partially
broken down and leached out during their travels through the
luwak's GI tract.

This has the potential to affect the flavor and aroma of the
beans because, as we may all be aware, proteins are responsible
for much of the flavor, particularly bitterness. Since kopi luwak
beans have less protein, they may produce a less bitter coffee,
which, for some, gives it a premium taste.

Analysis of the volatile compounds also responsible for flavor
and aroma also showed that they were significantly different than
the control sample, further indicating the potential for coffee
made from kopi luwak to have a different flavor to ordinary
coffee.

It's also believed that the fermentation process inside the
luwak's digestive system could impart a unique flavor to the
coffee: "More tests need to be completed, though, to determine if
a genuine flavor difference is present."

In the coffee industry, wet processed or fermented coffees are
known to have a superior flavor to dry-processed coffee. "When
coffee berries are processed through the digestive track, they
undergo a type of wet processing due to acidification in the
stomach and fermentation due to the natural intestinal
microflora."

"The exceptional kopi luwak flavor could be due to the type of
wet process the beans undergo in the luwak's digestive tract," he
said.

On his last trip to Indonesia, Marcone was stationed in Padang
(West Sumatra) but the plantation he visited was in North
Sumatra.

He met a few people, including the owner of the plantation who
had collected over 70 kilograms of the beans this year, and he
also enjoyed collecting his own kopi luwak.

If the plantation owner he met was the same person who dealt
with the U.S. specialty coffee importer LJ Cooper Co., it must be
very good news for the company that the beans are finally about
to be shipped.

Neither Cooper nor Marcone revealed the contact details of the
plantation owner to me or anybody else -- or the exact place
where the luwak beans were found.

That is probably understandable as confidentiality is what
matters most, considering over-exploitation of the luwak might
occur if the name and place were disclosed.

How the luwak eat the reddest, ripest berries, and the time at
which they relieve themselves, occurs naturally. People intent on
maximizing profit could jeopardize that process. They may start
to breed luwak, something that has to be avoided from the start.
If that were to occur, there would be no more exclusivity.

Marcone took home some of the beans for additional research
purposes. "I might publish another paper, especially if there are
any new findings. But it will surely take time and need more
research," he said.

In the pictures:
(Kopi Luwak Researcher 1) - Looking for luwak feces. Dr. Marcone
explored the North Sumatra jungle to support his research on kopi
luwak

Kopi Luwak Researcher 2 - Looking for baby luwak -- they usually
emerge at night.