Thai scientists have devised a sustainable way to extract pectin from coffee waste.
One cup of coffee generates a surprising amount of waste. It takes 7.5 kg of fresh coffee cherries to create 1 kg of roasted coffee beans. Reducing or efficiently managing coffee production waste is a challenging issue for the coffee industry. However, scientists in Chiang Rai, Thailand, have devised a creative and sustainable solution that turns coffee pulp waste into profitable dried pectin powder.
In a presentation at the 2024 International Tea and Coffee Symposium in Chiang Rai, Dr. Sunita Chamyuang from the School of Science at Mae Fah Luang University, Thailand, discussed how 60% of coffee cherry pulp is treated as agricultural waste. To convert ripe coffee cherries into green coffee beans, the skin, pulp, and mucilage must be removed and are typically discarded. However, 20-35% of the cherry pulp contains valuable pectin.
Research conducted by Mae Fah Luang University’s Microbial Products and Innovation Research Group utilized a new double extraction process that relies on citric acid to extract pectin from the coffee cherry pulp. Scientists have been developing methods to make pectin from coffee since 1991, but many rely on more toxic chemicals, such as nitric acid or hydrochloric acid, to complete the process. The more sustainable method created by the Mae Fah Luang University team yielded 5% higher results.
Pectin is mainly produced from citrus peel and apple pulp waste. It is used as a thickening agent in jams, jellies, and yogurts but is also vital to the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. According to Mordor Intelligence, the pectin market is currently estimated at $1.01 billion and is predicted to reach $1.35 billion by 2029 with a CAGR of 6.2%. Europe is the largest pectin market, followed by North America, while Asia Pacific is the fastest growing.
The demand for pectin is steadily increasing due to its use as a plant-based alternative to animal-derived gelatin and other synthetic stabling agents. It’s also a natural preservative that adds a fuller and creamier mouthfeel to fruit juices, plant-based creamers, and low-calorie diet foods–perfect for those wishing to avoid chemical additives in their products.
In their research article, published in Science Asia, the Mae Fah Luang University scientists estimate that “one kilogram of coffee pulp can yield 49.8 g of dried pectin…producing [pectin] not only has the potential to reduce-post harvest waste by 3,800 tons per year in Chiang Rai province but also provides value to agricultural waste and additional income to coffee growers.”
Thailand is Asia’s third-largest coffee producer, yielding 24,000 tons of robusta coffee cherries in the south and 11,000 tons of arabica cherries in the north. Chiang Rai province has an annual coffee bean production of 8,000-9,500 tons and is Thailand’s largest grower of arabica. Chiang Rai province could potentially produce 135-202 tons of pectin per year, worth approximately $3.3 million. Thailand spent an estimated $18 million importing 1,800 tons of pectin in 2023.
Helping growers convert coffee cherry waste into pectin not only gives them an additional income stream but also provides a sustainable way to meet the increasing demand of the global pectin market.