Paper spray mass spectrometry as an effective tool for differentiating coffees based on their geographical origins

With the rising trend of valuing flavor complexity of coffees, means to distinguish the properties of individual coffee sources is vital to the sustainable growth of the coffee industry. Herein, paper spray mass spectrometry (PS-MS), a simple technique with little sample preparation, was used to collect mass data from aqueous extracts of coffees from various sources. Thereafter, principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis were used to successfully classify coffee samples (with 80-100 % accuracy) from various studies including the differentiations of Arabica and Robusta coffees, Arabica coffees from different countries, Robusta coffees from different geographical locations, and Arabica coffees from different locations within the same province in Thailand. With further insight from significant test via Fisher weight determination, this method was proved to be practical for differentiating coffees based on types and geographical origins, thus paving the way for broader applications.