FDBusiness.com

According to Applied Food Sciences, up to a fifth of American coffee drinkers suffer from irritation of stomach acid and an uncomfortable feeling as a result of drinking coffee.

The Austin, Texas-based food and beverage technology company has announced that it has been granted a patent pertaining to its HealthyRoast process for roasting coffee while maintaining stomach friendly natural antioxidants. The patent, said the company, describes a novel method of enhancing the ability of coffee to protect against irritations of the gastric tract.

Unroasted (green) coffee beans contain a valuable source of beneficial antioxidants called polyphenols, according to Applied Food Sciences. Unfortunately, says the company, to make coffee, green beans must be roasted at high temperatures which destroy most of these soluble polyphenols and for some people can irritate the stomach lining.

“HealthyRoast technology preserves these naturally occurring antioxidants and helps safeguard the stomach from irritation”, said Jackson Zapp VP of marketing for Applied Food Sciences. “This really opens the door for a large percentage of people who felt like they could not drink coffee due to the stomach irritation and heart burn side effects.”

Applied Food Sciences currently sells an organic brand of coffee called Caffe Sanora in North America that uses this technology, which is sold in different roast types in both whole bean or ground varieties.