Cooxupe inaugurates a new coffee laboratory: Cooxupe, The Cooperative Regional de Cafecultores em Guaxupe, recently inaugurated a new state-of-the-art coffee analysis laboratory located at company headquarters in Guaxupe, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

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Cooxupe the largest Brazilian coffee cooperative and probably the largest in the world, has over 11,000 producer members located in the principal quality zones of the Sul de Minas, Cerrado Mineiro and Mogiana regions of Sao Paulo.

To serve their members the cooperative created a network of 36 warehouses including their principal installation in Guaxupe plus nine nucleus stations and six branch agencies positioned throughout the growing regions. These installations received a record total of 4.4 million bags during the 2006 crop, the last one-year cycle of Brazil production. This year they received about 4.7 million bags from the 2008 crop and exported 1.815 million bags making them the number one Brazilian coffee exporter.

Based on the growth of production plus new members, Cooxupe's president, Carlos Paulino, explained that the directors decided two years ago it would be necessary to increase their classifying and quality controlling facilities which were already over-taxed and out-dated. Architects were called in. studies made and projects presented down to the minimum details for a coffee analysis laboratory resolving their present and future capacity problems. The result was a remarkable show-place building with all the latest material, technical and informational advances for classifying, analyzing and controlling the quality of the coffees received from their members.

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The laboratory is environmentally correct and visually attractive with colorful coffee theme decorations. The interior design allows spacious areas for administration and sample recording, preservation and classification.

The classifying section has a separate glassed division containing 12 Probat sample roasters each with a temperature control dial and two Probat one-kilo roasters for testing coffees under commercial roasting conditions. The Probat grinders are the latest design that clean and leave no residue from the previous ground sample. The spacious classifying room has white furnishings with three marble-type cupping tables each equipped with a dentist spittoon with running water and a special hose connection ending with a pistol type handle to trigger release of hot water on the coffees in the tasting cups. The hot water for all tables is temperature controlled from a central source. Each table also has a computer screen for the classifier to pass the barcode of the sample being examined and label the quality, which is registered on-line for the producer. The barcode computer system enables the coop member to know the quality of the coffee he has delivered and follow market trends and trace all decisions he makes for the preparation, sale and destination of his coffee.

It should be noted that at the time coffees are delivered to a cooperative warehouse, samples are drawn and a visual separation is made with each selection receiving a barcode. Samples of each selection are sent to the laboratory for classifying and analysis and the barcode identifies the lot, tracing and recording all future measures decided by the producer and cooperative.

Inauguration ceremonies were attended by over 300 Cooxupe members and invited guests and began with a presentation of awards to producers winning their annual coffee quality contest for "Coffees of Excellence."

In a brief interview, Paulino said he believed the new laboratory will greatly assist their services to clients not only for coop members but also for local and overseas clients. Their staff of six classifiers who analyze on average 500 samples a day now have the space and facilities to efficiently perform their work. He also explained that Cooxupe's coffee receipts are normally processed 80% for export and 20% locally. The export operations are normally made 50% directly by Cooxupe and 50% by other exporters.

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In closing, he extended an invitation which was also seconded by Cooxupe's external operations manager, Joaquim Libanio Ferreira Leite, for all clients local and overseas and any interested coffee trade persons to visit Guaxupe and checkout the latest state-of-the-art coffee analysis laboratory.