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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.