IMA Coffee Hub marrying quality coffee and sustainability

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Big or small, coffee companies throughout the supply chain are prioritising sustainability. IMA Coffee Hub highlights how its roasting and packaging technologies can improve energy efficiency while maintaining quality.

For most forward-thinking companies, choosing to operate more sustainably is not only an environmental choice but also an economic strategy. Reducing consumption, minimising waste, and promoting more responsible production can shrink costs and grow sales and profits.

Nicola Panzani, CEO of IMA Petroncini and Commercial Director of IMA Coffee Hub, an Italian manufacturer of complete coffee processing and packaging solutions, observes both large and small roasters are embracing sustainability. He notes that larger businesses are focusing on large-scale investments while smaller operations are leaning into more localised and flexible solutions.

“The importance of focusing on quality, sustainability, and traceability in production processes is growing, especially with large-scale productions,” says Panzani.

“Large-scale operations are increasingly asking to reduce energy waste, adopt eco-friendly packaging materials, and ensure the highest standards of quality throughout their production chains.”

Panzani believes digitalisation plays a crucial role in this transition by providing advanced tools for monitoring and optimising every step of the process – from sourcing raw beans to roasting and packaging.

“Through data-driven insights, it is now possible to enhance efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and ensure sustainability is not sacrificed for scale,” he says.

“At IMA Coffee Hub, we are committed to helping coffee producers of all sizes adopt these sustainable practices, ensuring quality eco-friendly solutions. Digital innovation is at the heart of the coffee production process, today and in the future.”

The main challenges large roasters face when trying to make their businesses more sustainable, according to Panzani, are integrating sustainability into their daily operations, optimising resources, reducing environmental impact, and meeting growing consumer expectations without compromising economic competitiveness.

“This requires not only investment in advanced technologies but also continuous commitment to responsible supply chain management and process improvement, balancing economic efficiency and environmental impact,” he says.

“Roasting is an energy-intensive process. Roasteries must therefore invest in advanced technologies to reduce energy consumption, such as heat recovery systems. These not only reduce energy use but also address the challenge of reducing carbon dioxide emissions and managing industrial waste responsibly. Environmental regulations are becoming stricter and companies must adapt to new laws by investing in advanced treatment systems for exhaust gases.”

Over the past year, IMA Coffee Hub has been working on several key innovations aimed at enhancing the energy efficiency of its roasting technologies while also preserving a high-quality product.

“We have been working on developing a modular hybrid roasting technology for large-scale production by combining the traditional gas heating system with a secondary heating source. This approach is based on the demand of a higher level of process customisation, which enables our customers to find the optimal balance between energy efficiency and operational cost reduction, all while ensuring a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions,” says Panzani.

“The use of both energy sources gives us the flexibility to fine tune the roasting process, achieving greater efficiency without compromising the quality of the roast.”

Additionally, IMA has focused on advancing its heat recovery systems, particularly for its smaller roasting machines. Panzani says by optimising the thermodynamic cycle, IMA’s machinery can capture and reuse more of the heat generated during roasting, which significantly reduces energy consumption.

“We are also developing a roasting system based on a new thermal heating principle. This innovative system enhances thermal exchange efficiency, providing roasting results that are comparable to traditional gas systems but with the added benefit of improved energy performance. This approach not only reduces energy usage but also contributes to a cleaner, more sustainable process,” he says.

As well as monitoring and reducing energy use and emissions, roasters must also review their product range’s impact on the environment, including packaging materials used to maintain and transport the coffee.

“Shifting to more sustainable packaging materials, such as biodegradable or recyclable ones, without compromising product shelf life and quality is a challenge,” says Panzani.

“Large roasteries must find packaging solutions that are cost efficient while also meeting consumer sustainability demands. However, the transition process can be complex and expensive if they don’t have the right partner.”

In recent years, IMA says it has dedicated significant efforts to improving technological solutions that meet the demands of an increasingly complex market and evolving regulations on packaging materials and waste management. At the IMA OpenLab, its network of technological laboratories where daily tests and studies on new packaging materials are conducted, the team have developed new packaging technologies that accommodate a wide range of materials for all types of coffee packaging – from bags to capsules.

“An example is our capsule fillers, which are engineered to handle any type of packaging material, from traditional aluminium to compostable options. These systems can be easily configured to optimise the sealing process for each material, ensuring consistently perfect packaging every time,” says Panzani.

“Additionally, we have recently enhanced our technologies for processing traditional filter paper-based coffee pods. This ensures they can efficiently handle pods and various materials and formats for the protective outer envelope and secondary packaging, all while maintaining high production rates.”

In line with its mission to provide technologies that meet demanding high-quality standards, IMA Coffee Hub’s efforts have been focused on developing a new industrial coffee grinder to offer greater precision and consistency.

“The new grinders are equipped with advanced technology that ensures a more uniform grind size, leading to a more consistent extraction during brewing. This is especially important for high-end coffee, where even small variations in grind size can significantly affect the flavour profile and overall quality of the cup,” he says.

“The new solutions are engineered to provide greater control over grind consistency, resulting in a more predictable and repeatable cup every time. This level of customisation is vital in markets with high-quality standards, where even the smallest adjustments can make a significant difference in the final product.”

The process of grinding is closely linked with packaging because of the degassing phase, a natural chemical reaction that occurs once beans have been roasted and ground. Preventing package inflation and avoiding oxidation are critical factors that have driven the widespread adoption of degassing technologies.

“Recent studies conducted on our CO-Tube coffee degassing system have highlighted its unique ability to achieve a highly controlled and efficient degassing process while preserving the freshness and quality of high-end coffee, ultimately extending its shelf life,” says Panzani.

“One of the key advantages of the CO-Tube system is its ability to accelerate the degassing time using deep vacuum technology while also reducing the risk of over-degassing. With CO-Tube technology, the desired carbon dioxide level in the final product can be precisely set as a key process parameter, ensuring the ground coffee retains its full flavour potential. This guarantees the coffee is ready for packaging without compromising its taste and quality.”

Through all these sustainable solutions, IMA Coffee Hub aims to solidify its role as a reference hub for the coffee processing and packaging industry.

“We want to continue to be a centre for research, development, and innovation in coffee production,” he says.

“From our perspective, innovation and digitalisation processes go hand in hand with sustainability. Digitalisation enables greater efficiency in production flows and helps avoid production waste.” CR

For more information, visit ima.it/coffee

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