ECOslin
11-19-2002, 07:28 PM
http://www.msnbc.com/news/837091.asp
In fact, quality has gotten so poor that in recent weeks, the ICO issued new rules requiring coffee-exporting countries to improve their product — or stop selling it. That is good news for consumers, because the new standards are significantly higher than the U.S. government’s own rules: Currently, Food and Drug Administration rules essentially permit unripe or moldy beans, gravel and other junk to constitute as much as 30% of a cup of “pure” coffee, industry experts say.
The falling prices on the global coffee market are having a direct impact on the coffee you drink. Kraft Foods, which makes Maxwell House, says its second-largest supplier of coffee is now Vietnam, which grows some of the cheapest — and lowest-quality — beans in the world. (Kraft’s largest supplier is Brazil, and second-largest used to be Colombia.)
In fact, quality has gotten so poor that in recent weeks, the ICO issued new rules requiring coffee-exporting countries to improve their product — or stop selling it. That is good news for consumers, because the new standards are significantly higher than the U.S. government’s own rules: Currently, Food and Drug Administration rules essentially permit unripe or moldy beans, gravel and other junk to constitute as much as 30% of a cup of “pure” coffee, industry experts say.
The falling prices on the global coffee market are having a direct impact on the coffee you drink. Kraft Foods, which makes Maxwell House, says its second-largest supplier of coffee is now Vietnam, which grows some of the cheapest — and lowest-quality — beans in the world. (Kraft’s largest supplier is Brazil, and second-largest used to be Colombia.)