Anaerobic germination of green coffee beans: A novel strategy to improve the quality of commercial Arabica coffee

This study aimed to improve the brewing quality of commercial Arabica coffee through anaerobic germination. Changes in important compounds and cupping scores of germination roasting coffee with different germination degrees were investigated by (1)H NMR, HS-SPME-GC-MS and sensory analysis. Statistical analysis of multivariate analysis results indicated that 6 water-soluble chemical components and 8 volatile chemical components have the potential to be markers of germinated roasting coffee. In addition, germination significantly reduced caffeine content and acrylamide formation in roasted coffee. Sensory analysis according to the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) cupping protocol demonstrated that anaerobic germination modified flavor attributes, improved the quality, and increased sensory scores. Furthermore, anaerobic sprouting increased fruity descriptors, but over-sprouting did not improve overall attributes while producing both fermentative and vegetable descriptors. Therefore, suitable anaerobic germination of green coffee beans can be used as a new strategy to improve the flavor of commercial Arabica coffee.