Cold Brew Coffee Filtration

Reduce Clostridium Botulinum Contamination Risk

In recent years, the consumption of cold-brew coffee has surged. The global cold-brew coffee market was valued at $506.1 million in 2023 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.9% from 2024 to 2030.

This growth is attributed to rising consumer awareness and a preference for refreshing ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages. Cold-brew coffee presents a milder and sweeter alternative to hot-brewed coffee. It is produced using cool water, which results in a lower extraction of oils, giving it a sweeter taste. However, it’s important to note that the production costs for cold-brew coffee are significantly higher than for traditional coffee, as it requires more than double the volume of coffee grounds.

Ensuring Safety in Cold Brew Coffee Production

With rising consumption and broadening distribution, attention to product quality and safety has been increasing. As a low acid food with typical pH greater than 4.6 and a water activity greater than 0.852 , packaged cold brew coffee extract can potentially be a host for mold and harmful microorganisms such as Clostridium botulinum without proper processing. While Clostridium botulinum spores are generally harmless, the danger occurs when vegetative C. botulinum bacteria produce neurotoxins. The risk increases substantially in immunocompromised individuals.

Meeting FDA Guidelines for Cold Brew Coffee Processing

Regulatory agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are now setting stricter standards for low acid food as a preventative measure. For example, all commercial processors of low-acid and acidified foods located in the United States and all processors in other countries who export low-acid canned food or acidified food products into the United States must register their processing plants with the FDA.

Additionally, guidance from the FDA is now recommending that firms subject to the pathogen reduction provisions of the juice HACCP regulation incorporate validated control measures for all C. botulinum spores into their HACCP plans that will be applied in the processing facility, and that will ensure that C. botulinum growth and toxin production will not occur should the juice be kept unrefrigerated in the distribution or by consumers. To maintain quality and control risk for C. botulinum contamination, a typical process train for cold brew coffee processing may look like the diagram shown below. Upstream processing for cold brew filtration typically includes particle filtration to remove coffee grinds and haze while downstream processing is designed for microorganism removal with technologies like pasteurization and membrane filtration.