24th August 2020

What is bio-bean Naturals?

At bio-bean we’re playing our part in furthering a more circular economy by innovating through coffee waste. Our team of experts are continuously researching, developing and innovating to process the residual value of spent coffee grounds into an array of sustainable products.

In our blog focused on bio-bean Renewals, we discussed how, by recycling and renewing coffee grounds, we create valuable materials whilst reducing emissions. This time the focus is on bio-bean Naturals.

Put simply, bio-bean Naturals is all about discovering new ways to repurpose the remaining compounds within spent coffee grounds, before the grounds are transformed into our solid bio-fuels (bio-bean Elements).

From flavours and fragrances to bio-plastics and oils, through Naturals we seek to provide sustainable solutions derived from the compounds within spent coffee grounds.

bio-bean Naturals: Natural Flavours

One such solution is our natural flavours – extracted from food-grade spent grounds – for use primarily in the food and beverage sector.

The process of roasting coffee beans generates volatile chemical compounds responsible for coffee’s distinctive flavour and aroma. And whilst brewing the subsequent grounds exhausts many of those compounds to create a delicious drink, the resultant spent grounds still retain up to a third of this unique, aromatic blend of compounds.

It is precisely those leftover compounds that we extract to create natural flavours for use in other foods and drinks.

And with our first-of-its-kind, certified supply chain model that ensures these grounds stay within the food chain, we’re able to verify that our natural, sustainable flavourings are the highest possible quality and fully safe for consumption.

Unlike virgin coffee extracts, the unique flavourings we extract from spent grounds do more than just enhance the taste or aroma of coffee. In fact, the potential applications of our natural, sustainable flavours extend beyond the obvious coffee-flavoured products to serve as a base note, top-note modifier or basis for an overall flavour profile in products such as savoury snacks, sweet treats and spirits.

But bio-bean Naturals doesn’t stop here…

bio-bean Naturals: Research and Innovation

As we continue to learn more about spent coffee grounds, we see more and more opportunities to create sustainable products for a circular economy.

In consistently seeking to innovate, we have more projects in the pipeline to deliver commercial-scale solutions and displace virgin or synthetic materials, furthering our impact in creating big change that lasts.

Our ongoing EU Horizon2020 project WaysTUP! is just one example. Collaborating with international partners, our aim is to create new value chains for spent coffee grounds with a focus on bio-oils and plastics.

And of course, there is more to be found in the residual compounds and characteristics of spent coffee grounds. From pigments and dyes to cosmetics, we’re exploring the vast potential of this resource once considered waste. bio-bean Naturals is ever evolving in a bid to continue creating a more circular economy through coffee waste.
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Next month, we’ll be exploring bio-bean Elements in more detail, so you can find out how coffee is fuelling industry and heating homes, sustainably.

In the meantime, take a look at our Naturals page for more information, or look back on our What is bio-bean Renewals? blog to discover more about what we do with spent coffee grounds.