Fungal Diversity in Coffee Fruits and Beans and its Impact on Beverage Sensory Quality
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25186/.v21i.2410Abstract
Coffee quality is determined by physical, chemical, and sensory attributes, which can be influenced by filamentous fungi present throughout the production cycle. The objective of this study was to isolate and identify fungi associated with two coffee cultivars (Catiguá MG2 and Paraíso MG H419-1), grown in organic and conventional systems, with or without cover crops, at two stages of harvest (cherry and dry). The predominant genera identified were Cladosporium, Geotrichum, Penicillium, Rhizopus, and Fusarium. It is important to note that no ochratoxin A (OTA) was detected in any isolate, and only one (Aspergillus parasiticus) produced aflatoxins B1 and B2. The dried fruits presented good beverage quality. The main nuances observed were fruity, caramel, chocolate, and floral. The production system influenced fungal diversity and sensory attributes, with the organic system presenting greater fungal richness and more complex sensory profiles. The harvest stage also affected fungal composition, but did not compromise beverage quality, indicating that harvesting at advanced maturity (dry fruits) may be a viable strategy without quality losses. These findings highlight that the production system and harvest stage influence fungal diversity and sensory characteristics without increasing the risk of mycotoxin contamination.
Key words: Fungal diversity; sensory analysis; content analysis.
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