Scientists Create Sustainable Molecular Coffee, Without Using Coffee Beans

Coffee is a highly consumed product, so much so, that annually 500 billion cups are consumed around the world, according to Business Insider. This fact alone makes it no coincidence that coffee is the second most sought after commodity in the world after oil, with a growing consumer base.

Armed with this knowledge, a Startup company called Atomo is looking to change the way we consume this in-demand beverage and the environmental issues that surround it.

The Seattle-based food company used a combination of bean roasting skills and food science to create a molecular coffee that contains zero traces of coffee beans through a process of reverse-engineering.

According to food scientist and product creator, Jarret Stopforth, this innovative beverage is both better for your taste palate and the planet.

“I love coffee, but every day I was adding cream and sugar to mask coffee’s bitter flavor,” He said. “By replicating the taste, aroma and mouthfeel of coffee, we’ve designed a better tasting coffee that’s also better for the environment.”

This sustainable beverage can be made in a similar way to a traditional cup of coffee, through French pressers, Aeropresses, refillable K-Cups or regular filters.

Despite its impressive ability to mimic both the flavor and texture of coffee, its sustainability is what really makes this product a game changer for the industry. According to a study released by Science Magazine, a prominent issue in the industry is deforestation as a result of coffee plantations.

The Study further states In the next 50 years, 60 percent of the world’s coffee beans will be extinct due to global warming, population demand and disease. Andy Kleitsch, the Chief Executive Officer of Atomo, says their goal is to help combat the negative effects coffee has on the environment, as well as the threat of future extinction.

“We believe we have a moral obligation to stop harmful coffee farming practices, but none of us want to stop drinking coffee,” said Kleitsch. “Atomo’s technology can halt the need for further deforestation by reducing the demand for coffee beans.”

With Nestle and Bulletproof utilizing sustainable packaging and Starbucks amping up its strategy on recyclable cups, along with a pilot project to decrease it’s coffee plantations among endangered natural habitats, it will be interesting to see if environmental sustainability rubs off on other large manufacturers in the industry.

In the meantime, food retail and coffee lovers will have to wait until the fourth quarter of 2019 for Atomo’s eco-friendly beverage to launch.