Our Coffee Quality Institute team was asked to develop best practices enabling attendees to feel confident in the sanitation procedures of our venues.

The official CQI release is linked here

Full text below:

 

The purpose of this document is to assist Q Instructors and Assistant Instructors in helping the labs and venues in which they operate utilize current cleaning and disinfecting best practices. The more aware potential course attendees are regarding the hygiene practices of a facility, the more likely they are to feel confident and safe engaging the services of that facility. The sooner we can get back into the teaching labs and venues the better!

 

According to the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) the COVID-19 outbreak will not end until 60% to 70% of the human population is immune to the virus, which may take between 18 and 24 months. According to the Center for Disease Control a vaccine may not be publicly available until Q1, 2021. Because of this, new sanitation standard operating procedures for labs and venues are required.

 

At the end of this document you will find a High-Touch Point Cleaning Checklist and links to infographics, many of which are available in multiple languages. Please use these tools and recommendations to assist the labs and venues.

 

Know the difference between Cleaning, Disinfecting and Sanitizing

 

One of the most effective things that you can do to promote safety in the minds of potential lab and venue attendees is to make your procedures for cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing known.

 

Cleaning removes germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces or objects. Cleaning works by using soap or detergent and water to physically remove germs from surfaces. This process does not necessarily kill germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection.

 

Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces or objects. Disinfecting works by using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces or objects. This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs, but by killing germs on a surface after cleaning, it can further lower the risk of spreading infection.

 

Sanitizing lowers the number of germs on surfaces or objects to a safe level, as judged by public health standards or requirements. This process works by either cleaning or disinfecting surfaces or objects to lower the risk of spreading infection.

 

Definitions courtesy of the US Center for Disease Control.

 

Clean and Disinfect surfaces that are touched often

 

One of the most effective things that you can do to reduce the risk of spreading a virus or bacteria and lower the number of germs in a lab and venue is to sanitize the High-Touch points.

 

Most studies have shown that the flu virus can live and potentially infect a person for up to 48 hours after being deposited on a surface. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, COVID 19 has a variable length of contagion on a surface:

• Glass = 5 Days
• Wood = 4 Days
• Plastic = 3 Days
• Stainless Steel = 3 Days
• Cardboard = 24 Hours
• Copper = 4 Hours

 

We have created a High-Touch Point checklist that is representative, but not exhaustive, for identifying commonly touched places in a lab and venue. We suggest that you use this checklist as a guide and walk through the facility thoughtfully considering what an attendee might likely touch often and what might logically be touched by multiple attendees.

 

See High-Tough Checklist linked here.

 

Perform regular and routine cleaning and disinfecting

 

One of the most effective things that you can do to reduce the potential presence of a virus or bacteria is regular routine cleaning and disinfecting.

 

Fortunately, flu viruses are relatively fragile, so standard cleaning and disinfecting practices are sufficient to remove or kill them. Follow the Lab or Venue standard sanitation operating procedures for routine cleaning and disinfecting. Considering COVID 19, however, you may need to create or enhance existing protocols.

 

In addition to scheduled cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing, the demand for immediate cleaning will also present. Clean surfaces and objects that are visibly soiled. If surfaces or objects are soiled with body fluids or blood, use gloves and other standard precautions to avoid coming into contact with the fluid. While wearing gloves remove the spill, and then clean and disinfect the surface, and then clean and disinfect your hands.

 

Clean and disinfect correctly

 

One of the most effective things that you can do to increase the effectiveness of the venue’s standard sanitation operating procedures is to follow the product directions.

 

Wash surfaces with a general household cleaner to remove germs. Rinse with water and follow with an EPA-registered disinfectant to kill germs. (My source here is the US CDC. Please contact your country’s infectious disease authority to see if they have a list of tested and approved products if the products on the CDC’s list are not available in your area.)

 

If a surface is not visibly dirty, you can clean it with an EPA-registered product that both cleans (removes germs) and disinfects (kills germs) instead. Be sure to read the label directions carefully, as there may be a separate procedure for using the product as a cleaner as compared to using it as a disinfectant. Disinfection usually requires the product to remain on the surface for a certain period of time.

 

EPA Press Release Disinfectants to use against COVID 19

 

Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)

 

Use products safely

 

Please use products safely. Bleach is good. Ammonia is good. Bleach + ammonia is not twice as good. As a matter of chemistry, it can be lethal. Please read labels.

 

Do not mix cleaners and disinfectants to make your own Super-Cleaner unless the labels explicitly indicate that it is safe to do so. Combining certain products can result in serious injury or death.

 

Pay close attention to hazard warnings and directions on product labels. Cleaning products and disinfectants often call for the use of gloves or eye protection. For example, gloves should always be worn to protect your hands when working with bleach solutions.

 

Ensure that venue staff, instructors and others who use cleaners and disinfectants read and understand all instruction labels and understand safe and appropriate use. This might require that instructional materials and training be provided in other languages multiple languages or infographics.

 

See Infographics linked here.

 

Regarding bleach, check the label to see if the bleach is intended for disinfection and has a sodium hypochlorite concentration of 5%–6%. Ensure the product is not past its expiration date. Some bleaches, such as those designed for safe use on colored clothing or for whitening, may not be suitable for disinfection. Here is an acceptable cleaning and disinfecting bleach recipe, assuming the previously stated conditions.

 

• 4 teaspoons bleach per 1 quart of room temperature water
• 20 milliliters bleach per 1 liter of room temperature water
• Label the container BLEACH DISINFECTING SOLUTION

This bleach solutions would be effective for disinfection for up to 24 hours.

 

Regarding alcohol, the use of solutions with at least 70% alcohol are considered effective.

 

Handle waste properly

 

The most effective way to maintain your cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing is to properly handle and dispose of the waste materials.

 

Follow your venue’s standard procedures for handling waste, which may include wearing gloves. Place no-touch waste baskets where they are easy to use. Throw disposable items used to clean surfaces and items in the trash immediately after use. Avoid touching used tissues and other waste when emptying waste baskets. Wash your hands with soap and water after emptying waste baskets and touching used tissues and similar waste.

 

Personal practices

 

Ultimately, the most effective way to deal with COVID 19 is to not spread COVID 19.

 

Please see the Personal Practices Infographic thumbnail menu on the next page. The menu includes links to free downloads. At a minimum, best practices would have the 3 that are available in 27+ language versions printed in the appropriate languages and displayed in the lab or venue.

 

As an oversimplification: fewer people is better than more people, further apart is better than closer together, a mask covering mouth and nose is better than a mask covering mouth only or no mask at all, fresh air is better than recirculated air, outside is better than inside.

 

Other personal practice considerations would be for the lab or venue to encourage the use of PPE Personal Protective Equipment and supplies. Better still, for the lab or venue to provide PPE. Best practices PPE and supplies may include but not be limited to the following. Hand sanitizer solution of 70% or more alcohol placed at the entrance and exits of rooms and the building, gloves, face masks, face shields foot peddle opening garbage can lids and foot assisted door opening and closing mechanisms or attachments.

 

The goal is not to eliminate risk, that is not realistic. The goal is to reduce the overall risk by eliminating the risk associated with the seven concept areas above. If you can remove a few of the individual items, then you have reduced the overall risk. The more items reduced or removed, the lower the overall risk and the higher the level of safety.

 

 

 

The links (below graphics) go to the source of the infographics. Many are available in multiple languages.
	Link to SYMPTOMS COMPARE	Link to above graphic in 28 languages
Link to above graphic in 31 languages	Link to above graphic Eng / Spn	Link to Handwashing
Link to Disinfectant Use	Link to Workplace Decision Tool	Link to above graphic in 28 languages

 

 

One of the most effective things that you can do to reduce the risk of spreading a virus or bacteria and lower the number of germs in a venue or lab is to sanitize the High-Touch Points.

 

We have created a High-Touch Point checklist that is representative, but not exhaustive, for identifying commonly touched places in a venue or lab. We suggest that you use this checklist as a guide and walk through the venue thoughtfully considering what you touch. What an attendee might likely touch often. What might logically be touched by multiple attendees. As an exercise, stand outside of your lab or venue and then slowly enter and move through the facility noting the things that you do touch and the things an attendee would touch. Please use this list as a general guide.

 

1. Entering the venue
   • The outside door handle plus a 1-foot radius of the door surrounding the handle
   • The inside edge of the open door above the latch
   • The inside door handle plus a 1-foot radius of the door surrounding the handle
   • The light switches plus a 6-inch radius of the wall surrounding the switch plate
   • The thermostat
   • The alarm panel
   • The desktop telephones and computer workstations

• Is there the means to wash or use 70% alcohol hand sanitizer upon entry?
• Is the door easily adapted to no touch / low touch opening and closing?
• Is it possible to have a tissue box by the door so the attendee can use the tissue as a barrier between their hand and the doorknob? And if so, is there a trash can located in the door area for its disposal?

 

2. Entering the classroom
   • The doorknob / handle
   • The light switches
   • The tops and backs of the chairs
   • The table / desk surface
   • The course provided notebook / workbook
   • The instructor workstation / lectern
   • The audio-visual remote controls

• Is there the means to wash or use 70% alcohol hand sanitizer upon entry?
• Is the door easily adapted to no touch / low touch opening and closing?
• Is there a cleaning and disinfecting mechanism like wipes, a spray bottle with bleach solution and paper towels readily and visually accessible?

 

3. Hospitality
   • The coffee cup counter area
   • The coffeepot / airpot / coffee service vessels
   • The water fountain / dispenser / pitchers
   • The snack counter and containers. Individually wrapped snacks and baked goods are more hygienic than open and unwrapped snacks and baked goods.
   • The refrigerator handle and door
   • The plates and cutlery containers. Paper plates and wrapped cutlery is more hygienic than open plastic or metal cutlery and plastic or ceramic plates.

• Is there a cleaning and disinfecting mechanism like wipes, a spray bottle with bleach solution and paper towels readily and visually accessible?
• Are napkins or gloves visibly available?
• Is a garbage can in the immediate area?
• Are snacks, food items and cutlery individually wrapped?

 

 

4. Internal doors and walls
   • The door handles on both sides of the door plus a 1-foot radius of the door surface surrounding the handle
   • The inside edge of the door above the latch
   • The light switch plus a 6-inch radius of the wall surrounding the switch plate
   • The plug receptacle plus a 6-inch radius of the wall surrounding the plug plate where USB charges and laptops have been plugged in by attendees
   • The light switches plus a 6-inch radius of the wall surrounding the switch plate

• Light switches, receptacles and surge protectors are often overlooked.
• Can doors be made to not latch so a person’s foot can upon or close it?

 

 

5. Entering the cupping room
   • The door handles on both sides of the door plus a 1-foot radius of the door surface surrounding the handle and the inside edge of the door above the latch
   • The light switch plus a 6-inch radius of the wall surrounding the switch plate
   • The cupping tabletops and edges
   • The hot water tower spigot handles and machine face and the click kettles, glass carafes and other hot water vessels
   • The cabinet doors and drawers
   • The grinders, brewers and airpots
   • The cupping room accessories like timers, scales, calculators, clipboards, etc
   • The sink, faucet, and water tap handles
   • The garbage cans, lids, and sludge buckets

• Can doors be made to not latched so the attendee can open or close it with their foot?
• Are cleaning and disinfecting materials and paper towels readily visible and in sufficient supple?
• It may take 15 mins or more to disinfect a cupping room with 1 person per table working. 2 staff 2 tables = 15 +/-. 1 Staff 2 tables = 30 +/-.

 

6. Restrooms
   • The toilet tank lid, seat, and flusher handle
   • The sink, faucet and water tap handles
   • The grab / assist bars
   • The wall and a 1-foot radius of the wall around toilet paper area.
   • The bidet hose handle
   • Any surface within arm’s reach of a seated position on the toilet
   • The soap and paper towel dispensers
   • Door handles on both sides of the door plus a 1-foot radius of the door surface surrounding the handles and the inside edge of the door
   • The light switch plus a 6-inch radius of the wall surrounding the switch plate

• Is there signage in the restroom detailing how to thoroughly wash hands?
• Is the garbage can next to the door so that the user can use paper towels to open the door and then dispose of the paper?
• Does the trash can have a no touch lid?

 

This article was originally publish in March of 2020 in the International Trade Center's online news addition.

Nepal is known more for its mountains than its coffee but ITC’s acting Executive Director Dorothy Tembo got a taste of the specialty varieties grown there on a recent visit to a coffee processing farm in Chapagaun, a potential partner in a new four-year project on trade-related assistance in the country’s coffee sector.

The International Trade Center tours the Academy of Coffee Excellence Nepal.

The ITC invests in developing economies and the Academy of Coffee Excellence Nepal is a research and education project designed to increase the quality of coffee and the GDP contribution of the domestic coffee sector. 

The article references Coffee Ma Mahilla. This is the gender equity initiative that we have created.

By: CQI Consultant Todd Arnette, Academy of Coffee Excellence

In my years since becoming a Q Grader and Q Instructor for Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) I have had the great fortune to travel the world’s countries and cultures. A common thread among all is a simple cup of coffee. Most recently it has been my honor to assist CQI on a field assignment in Nepal, part of Lutheran World Relief’s Coffee Support Project in Western Nepal.

When people are asked to think about Nepal, they tend to think of Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest), adventure & ecotourism in the Himalayas, Sherpas, and cashmere wool. They may recall the devastating 7.8 on the Richter scale earthquake of 2015 that killed 9,000, injured 22,000, and destroyed much of the region’s infrastructure. Some have rebuilt; however, many are still trying to rebuild, and other places are still abandoned and untouched.

Rarely do people (even coffee people) think of a nascent domestic coffee sector actively seeking transformation and development. And here is where a coffee opportunity of a lifetime presents itself.

Last year, the Nepal coffee sector produced 513 metric tons, or approximately 31 containers, of coffee. In Nepal 42 of the 77 districts grow coffee, 25 commercially. Definitions of a smallholder farmer vary throughout our industry but are generally considered a farmer living and working on the same piece of land, with the primary labor force being the immediate family. The amounts of land tended may be approximately 2+ hectares, which you can visualize as 2 football or soccer fields.

In Nepal, the coffee farms are referred to as coffee gardens and the land tended is measured in units called a Ropani, with 20 Ropani per hectare. The average Nepali coffee grower tends only a couple Ropani. At 5,500 square feet, the Academy of Coffee Excellence’s training lab in Williamsburg, Virginia, is a bit larger than 1 Ropani. Let this data sink in … Bourbon varietal, broadly stated, can have 3,000 - 4,000 trees per hectare (https://varieties.worldcoffeeresearch.org/). That is 150 to 200 per Ropani. As a very general guide, a productive coffee tree can yield approximately 1 kg of coffee beans in parchment annually. This means that the average Nepali grower yields 240+/- kg, or 4 sacks of green coffee, per year.

The purpose of my visit to Nepal was to explore ways of developing and changing the domestic coffee sector from within. The National Tea & Coffee Development Board (NT&CDB) believes that in 5 years’ time, coffee production can be 2,000 metric tons, with the majority remaining as domestic consumption. According to the NT&CDB the domestic coffee sector is dynamic and currently consumes almost 65% of the coffee produced. The NT&CDB is projecting rapid growth of the domestic demand for the next 5 years.

The Director (Deepak Khanal standing on my left) sees the need to increase the quality and the capacity of production. More importantly, he sees the need to critically assess it first. This is where the Academy of Coffee Excellence with our global network can add value to Nepal.   

For my assignment in Nepal, I was asked by CQI to develop and lead cupping, roasting, and brewing workshops and assess outlets for coffee. After this assignment, I was also able to inspect gardens and pulping stations in Gorkha and Kaski districts with the Nepal Coffee Federation as my host.

Cupping Workshop

I was surprised to learn that very few wet mills cup coffee. Of the 28 people in my cupping workshop, 4 had cupped before. However, by day 2 of 3, the attendees were already on cupping autopilot, correctly setting up, weighing, grinding, pouring, and adhering to protocol.

It was a treat to see the connections being made between the cuppers during calibration when they realized they had written coffee descriptors that were consistent with their colleagues’ experiences.  

Roasting Workshop

In my experience, the predominant roast profile in Kathmandu is a dark roast. The only roast training available is YouTube videos and mimicking the end color of international brands' espressos.  The roasting workshop focused on cupping profiles that have been modulated slightly in the Maillard reactions zone, with a second round on modulated profiles in the caramelization zone. This proved to be a very enlightening experience for the attendees. 

Brewing Workshop

Like many countries, in Nepal the volume of espresso and espresso beverages greatly exceed hand-pour and filter drip coffees. Hand-pour coffee is available, but hard to find. The barista skills that I witnessed ran the spectrum from outstanding preparation and service, to “please stop torturing that poor milk.” The vast majority cared deeply about service and hospitality. The look and feel of the cafés were welcoming and the beverages prepared well.  

On the last day of my trip I was asked to come to the NT&CDB to meet with Director Khanal and discuss the current domestic coffee sector and my professional opinions of it. I started with the good news. In an official cupping with the Nepal Coffee Federation, coffees ranged from 81.00 to 85.75 quality points. Nepal clearly has the ability to produce specialty-grade and Q Grade coffee. 

 

In order to expand the production capacity of Nepal and provide for the projected demand, research and industry best practices are required. This could take the form of expanding the portfolio of varietals and flavors available from Nepal coffee, introducing a diversity of roast and brew profiles that will appeal to an even broader base of consumers, and coffee training at all points in the coffee value chain. Some of the areas I highlighted in my discussion with the NT&CDB were:

1. #CoffeeMaMahila (Women In Coffee). The best way to improve the quality of the coffee currently growing is to focus on the beginning of the supply chain. In Nepal, women perform most of the picking and the sorting operations. Investment in continuous quality training regarding picking selectivity, green coffee grading, cleaning, and sorting should yield tangible results in the next harvest.
2. If Cupping are the words of specialty coffee, then Green Grading are the letters*. (*Rob Stephen). Investment in continuous quality training regarding green grading, cupping, and defect identification at the garden, co-op, and washing stations should yield consistent incremental improvements as issues are found, the causes determined, and the issues corrected for the next and future crop cycles.
3. It is not the drop temperature or the color, but the pathway to it. There is a thirst for roasting knowledge. A few of the roasters that I spoke to had questions that ran the gamut of “how should I store my green?” to “how long will roasted stay fresh?” Currently, roaster training is something only seen on the internet. Training that focuses on the bedrock principles of roasting is a prerequisite to profile roasting, quality control, and product development.
4. Where coffee meets the consumer. The use of multiple brew methodologies: full immersion, pour-over, vacuum, pressure, and batch filter help the end consumer to know by taste how different a coffee can be. Many of the baristas that I spoke to had questions about brew ratios, appropriate grind particle sizes, and proper operation of the brew devices. Here too, the internet is the primary educational resource.
5. If we build it, they will come. The coffee community in Nepal has demonstrated a thirst for education. If that education is to carry the imprimatur of the Nepal Coffee Federation or the National Tea and Coffee Development Board then that education must be: researched, documented, footnoted, science based and advancing Industry Best Practices.

How often do you get an opportunity to be a part of a nation’s transformation of their coffee sector? Nepal has a thirst for in-person coffee education spanning every point in the supply chain. Some are ready for officially credentialed programs like the ones that CQI offers and others need foundational principles and fundamental basics.

I will be returning to Nepal. If you are a coffee professional with skills to share, perhaps you should come with me.

 

When cupping we follow a protocol so that we can have the same experience with the coffee and be consistent. As cupping instructors, we also tell cuppers to be honest with the coffee. What does that really mean?

The Coffee Quality Institute's Q Graders sample roast to a specific protocol, grind and cup to a specific protocol, score to a calibrated methodology and submit a detailed report. 

As a general guide, a grower produces one harvest (or a primary harvest) per year. When they send their coffee sample into the Specialty Coffee Association and CQI for evaluation, the Q Graders assigned are placing a quality value on that coffee that will directly translate to a financial value. At the risk of sounding melodramatic, when cupping this coffee one is asked to tell a grower what the value of a year's labor is. When people come to the Academy of Coffee Excellence for roasting, sensory, green coffee, brewing, food safety, or quality assurance training I impress this concept upon them.

Being randomly selected by CQI and SCA to officially evaluate a sample for a Q Score is an honor and a privileged that I take very seriously. This is why cupping should be taken seriously.

Todd@wcoffee.com