Weekly Coffee News: Pseudoscience Debunked + History of Espresso Stands

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Brain-Related Coffee Pseudoscience Debunked 

The director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society this week penned a piece exploring recent health-related findings regarding coffee consumption and brain health. Reflecting the organization’s mission to “separate sense from nonsense,” Joe Schwarcz took the opportunity to take down some not particularly scientific claims made by coffee brands. “Now I’ll go and brew up another cup o’Joe, the second one I’ll have today. There will be no more,” Schwarcz concluded. “And I am not tempted to muddy it with any butter or coconut oil.”

Chinese Authorities Summon Six Coffee Companies Over Data Use

Shanghai authorities this week called in representatives of six coffee brands, including large chains Luckin Coffee and Costa Coffee, over what they described as illicit collection of consumers’ personal information, according to a Reuters report.

Eater Explores History of PNW Espresso Stands

Eater Seattle this week published a piece outlining the history of standalone espresso stands and their cultural and economic context in the Pacific Northwest. “We were joking about how we became a Red Bull stand and not a coffee stand anymore,” said one source.

ICO Issues Monthly Commodity Coffee Price Report

The International Coffee Organization (ICO) released its monthly report on global coffee prices for July. It showed the ICO composite indicator price at $2.365 per pound, a 4.3% increase from June 2024. The July price this year was above the July 2023 price by 48.9% with a 12-month rolling average of $1.858.

Metropolis Coffee Opens in Chicago O’Hare

Chicago-based specialty coffee roaster Metropolis Coffee opened its second ever permanent cafe, a licensed location inside Chicago’s O’Hare airport, according to Book Club Chicago. The company has operated a flagship location in the Edgewater neighborhood north of Chicago for more than 20 years.

Bigface Launches Canned Oat Milk Lattes

Bigface, the specialty coffee and lifestyle brand founded by NBA star Jimmy Butler introduced a new line of canned oat milk lattes under the name ReadyBev. The drinks are made with no artificial flavors, sweeteners or preservatives, according to the company.

Breville Introduces the Oracle Jet System

Australian home appliance giant Breville launched the Oracle Jet, a feature-rich grind-and-brew home espresso and drink making machine that builds upon the original Oracle, which was released 10 years ago. Among the Jet’s features are cold-drink-making capabilities and Baratza burrs.

Nespresso Adds Honey Products Originating from Coffee Farms

Following a pilot program involving beekeeping at coffee farms, Nespresso USA launched Nespresso Bloom, a line of honey-based products. Nespresso has been working with the firm Ubees to integrate beehives and monitoring technology on Nespresso supplier coffee farms in Caldas, Colombia.

UK Roaster Change Please Earns B Corp Status

London, England-based coffee roasting company Change Please earned recently announced B Corp certification. The company devotes profits to training programs for people who are homeless.

GCP Recognizes Four New Sustainability Schemes as Meeting Baseline Code

The industry membership organization Global Coffee Platform announced that it recognized four new sustainability certification schemes as meeting its Coffee Sustainability reference code, a baseline sustainability code launched in 2021. The newly recognized schemes are Cooxupé’s Gerações, Comexim’s Green Trace, Perhusa’s ARTS and Touton’s PACT .

New from CoffeeIndustryJobs.com

Production Manager — Nossa Familia Coffee
Industrial Millwright – Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Inc.
Green Coffee Warehouse Associate – Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Inc.

ICYMI

Here are some of DCN’s top stories from the past week…

Daily Coffee News photo.

Energy Trader Hartree Plans to Acquire the Owner of Volcafe

Hartree Partners, a global energy and commodities trading firm, has announced plans to acquire ED&F Man Holdings, the parent company of Volcafe, one of the world’s largest coffee trading companies… read more

From Munich, the Munaco Shotbrewer Stands Alone

Munich-based startup Munaco is rolling out a unique, automated single-cup coffee brewing system called the Shotbrewer… read more

Roast Summit is Coming to the Chicago Area in October

Coffee professionals will gather in the Schaumburg, Illinois, this October for the 2024 Roast Summit, an educational event dedicated to the craft of coffee roasting… read more

Olympia Coffee Roasting Heads to Downtown Seattle

Olympia Coffee Roasting Company, known for its high-quality, direct-trade coffee, is expanding its presence in Washington with a new cafe in downtown Seattle… read more

Design Details: Looking to the Future at 2050 Coffee in Kyoto

Nestled in the historic city of Kyoto, Japan, 2050 Coffee is a new coffee shop that blends traditional Japanese aesthetics with modern design… read more

Fiorenzato Makes Sense with New Grind-by-Weight F64 Models

Italian grinder manufacturer Fiorenzato has launched new grind-by-weight models in its F64 series, designed to offer baristas precise control over grind consistency and dosing… read more

Roasting Plant Coffee Lands $10 Million, Plans US and UK Expansion

New York-based Roasting Plant Coffee has secured $10 million in funding to fuel its expansion plans, which include opening new locations across the United States and the United Kingdom… read more

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