Coffee capsules: a research by Spreafico Automation and UNIMI

Spreafico Automation  (IMA Group) and University of Milan (Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences) join forces for a research project on coffee capsules for the study of the properties of self-protected capsules and the role of protective atmospheres in the shelf life

It is a mutually beneficial collaboration between Academia and Industry, which could contribute to technological advancements in the portioned coffee market, a segment in decided and constant expansion in all western countries.
According to data shared by Iri in 2017, the capsule industry (both self-protected and standard) has registered an 18.8% increase in value and 20% in volume, and this is just on the Italian market.

The project, which started in the summer of 2018, takes into consideration the plastic materials used for making the capsule, the gas mixtures employed for the vacuum inside the capsule, the type and features of the packaging machines that are used and, finally, the quality of the groundcoffee, that in its different varieties might possess characteristics which produce a notable impact on the behavior of the system / capsule. The aim is to be able to define how the interactions of all of these elements affect the quality of the finished product, so as to be aware of and create the conditions for an optimal capsule packaging and with minimum impact on the environment.