After instant coffee, now it is liquid coffee concentrate

Bangalore, Nov 8 (UNI) For the traditional coffee drinkers, the novel concept of the 'liquid coffee concentrate' by a Mysore based company, serves as a boon.

"Coffee in a jiffy," is the slogan of Hindustan Food and Beverages which has hit upon the new product 'with the cup that cheers' sponsored by the Central Food and Technological Research Institute recently.

The liquid coffee concentrate, according to the company's Harold Pereira, could be made using two processes-- cold water extraction and hot water extraction. Using the hot water process, the company has succeeded in getting the end product using a refractometer to determine the concentrate level. Random samples drawn earlier were subjected to microbial load and found to be free from any bacterial presence.

Unlike freshly brewed filter coffee, the liquid coffee concentrate is filled in Aluminium foil laminated sachets in 20 ml and had a shelf life of about six months when kept in the sealed container at ambient temperature. Once the container is opened then it needed to be refrigerated and preferably used within 7 days.

Mr Pereira observed that the major hindering factor in marketing of the product as the tax burden on the product was huge. The taxation comprised central excise duty 16 per cent, educational cess two per cent and value added tax 12.5 per cent. Besides, there was no concession to the small scale industries who engage themselves in the process, he pointed out. However, the new product provided a good opportunity if SSIs were encouraged to take up the production and help increase domestic consumption of coffee, he felt.

He said he had already approached the Coffee Board for subsidy to market the product at retail level. Testing of samples had already been done followed by institutional supplies, he revealed.

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