Caffeine Capsules

The U2SCoffee project has a total eligible cost of € 773,151.50 and EU funding of € 524,635.71, focusing on silverskin waste´s recovery, the main by-product of the coffee roasting industry. However, recent studies demonstrate the potential of silverskin as a bioactive source compound with a beneficial effect on health, like caffeine.

This project aims the development of new products, in-unit doses with controlled levels of caffeine, for the preparation of espresso coffee enriched in caffeine, and other bioactive compounds (antioxidants, minerals, amino acids). The products are intended to be a healthy alternative to energy drinks available on the market.

Thus, the new product will be developed through an extraction process to obtain these natural compounds, reusing and valuing waste, thus integrating the principles of the circular economy. The process to be developed aims to obtain, in an efficient, fast and environmentally clean way, silverskin extracts, using ultrasound technology using only water as an extractor element (contrary to conventional methods that use organic solvents).

Project Goals

• Capsule development to obtain a beverage similar to espresso, with an innovative perspective on increase caffeine content (at a strict and safe level), using only products exclusively from coffee seed;
• Valorisation and use of the residue obtained during coffee roasting, reducing the quantities discarded to the environment.

Consortium

• BICAFÉ – Torrefacção e Comércio de Café, Lda. (Promotor Líder);Universidade do Porto (Copromotor);
• ICETA – Instituto de Ciências, Tecnologias e Agroambiente da Universidade do Porto (Copromotor);
• INEGI – Instituto de Ciência e Inovação em Engenharia Mecânica e Engenharia Industrial (Copromotor);
• CVR – Centro para a Valorização de Resíduos (Copromotor).