Currently, traditional microscopy is used to detect frauds in ground coffee. A more efficient and rapid microscopical method, scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), is suggested as an alternative to the traditional microscopy. Pure coffee was compared to coffee samples adulterated with rye, barley, corn and wheat at 2,5, 5 and 10% levels. Contrary of official microscopy, starch granules, the main component of all cereals, were detected easily in the adulterated coffee mixtures with SEM. It is suggested SEM as a method to detect coffee adulteration with cereals.
coffee; adulteration; starch; scanning electronic microscopy
