[Fluorescence microscopy for detection of frauds in ground coffee]

Currently, frauds in ground coffee are detected with traditional microscopy, which is a tedious and not very precise method. Therefore, a more efficient and rapid microscopical method based on fluorescence, was proposed. For the microscopy analysis, pure coffee was compared to coffee samples adulterated with rye, barley, corn and wheat at 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0% levels. Starch granules were detected and identified immediately with fluorescence microscopy, in the adulterated coffee mixtures, quite different from optical microscopy where no frauds were detected with certainty. The suggested fluorescence method for the detection of cereal frauds in coffee was found to be more efficient and precise than the current official one.