Body is one of ten attributes defined by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) that contributes to the overall quality rating of coffee, and, consequently, to the value ascribed to coffee beans. The SCA describes coffee body as the “tactile feeling” of the liquid in the mouth. This study investigated compounds that impact tactile sensations of drip brewed coffee. A descriptive analysis (DA) panel was presented with a set of coffees receiving a range of body scores from certified Q-grade cuppers and, through multiple tastings, identified four tactile sub-attributes that allowed differentiation among presented coffees (“chalkiness”, “mouthcoating”, “astringency”, and “thickness”). A sensory-guided fractionation methodology was then employed with the highest body coffee undergoing multi-dimensional separation on a preparative-scale liquid chromatography system equipped with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (QqQ MS) detector. After each dimension of separation, sensory analysis was conducted by the trained DA panel to screen for activity using a combined paired-comparison and intensity rating sensory evaluation protocol. Phenolic quinic acids and melanoidins were implicated in mouthcoating and astringency perceptions, respectively. Compounds were identified using authentic standards and MS/MS fragmentation analysis.  Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance coupled with MS (FT-ICR MS) was further utilized to character the melanoidin isolate. Compound concentration ranges were quantified in coffee using standard addition and sensory recombination testing further validated contribution to tactile attributes. Psychophysical testing will follow to elucidate mechanistic underpinnings. This research provides a molecular basis through which to understand how processing and roasting conditions may impact coffee body and mouthfeel and will also contribute to the dearth of knowledge on tactile perception in the oral cavity and its relation to the food and flavor experience.

Identification and characterization of chemical compounds contributing to coffee body

ACS Fall 2021

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