Mysuru: The Mysuru Central Food Research Institute (CFTRI) scientists who have developed a technology in which coffee leaves can be dried and used as a beverage, is ready for sale now.
The CFTRI Technology Transfer and Business Development (TTBD) division has invited applications from interested firms and individuals. The CFTRI has fixed the price of Rs. 1 lakh and 18 per cent GST for the transfer of technology.
The new invention has come while coffee growers are in distress owing to rising production costs, extreme weather conditions, Covid lockdown and falling prices. Amid all this, CFTRI Principal Scientist Pushpa P. Murthy and the team have invented the technology.
Speaking to NewsKarnataka on Friday February 18, Pushpa said that this would be beneficial for human health. “We have been developing this technology since 2019 and have received a grant from the Ministry of Food Processing Industries of the Central Government,” she added.
The coffee leaves beverage would fetch good income to growers, and it will have a major impact on the economic development of the coffee growers. About 70 per cent of the coffee industry employees today face unemployment for nine months of the year due to the growth cycle of the coffee beans. But if the beverage becomes successful the growers would have employment throughout the year.
Coffee leaves were thought to be useless and so far, served as manure. However, in coffee-growing countries like Indonesia and Ethiopia, coffee leaf beverage is not a new thing. In Ethiopia, it is known as “Kuti Tea” and is known as “Kahwa Dan” in West Sumatra and Indonesia.
Pushpa said the drink in these areas is different from the beverage developed by CFTRI. The drink can be made with water, filtered and consumed after a few minutes.
According to Pushpa, leaf extract does not taste like coffee. Talking about the nutritional value of the drink, she said coffee leaves are rich in phenolic acid and have potential health benefits. A coffee leaf contains about 17 per cent more antioxidants than a green tea. The drink contains health-promoting polyphenols such as chlorogenic acid and mangiferin, which help reduce blood glucose levels, inflammation and blood pressure.
She said the project, which began in 2019, should have been completed within two years. However, the delay was caused by the release of funds and the Covid lockdown. The new invention has the potential to revolutionise the coffee industry. Pushpa has worked at Central Food Lab for over two decades and has been involved in many research on coffee and spices.
