CQI and FlavorActiV Announce Strategic Partnership

Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) and FlavorActiV Announce Strategic Partnership

We are excited to announce a new partnership between Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) and FlavorActiV. FlavorActiV’s sensory solutions will be used in CQI’s ongoing training and calibration programs as a means of enhancing and maintaining coffee sensory abilities.

The partnership supports CQI’s mission to improve the quality of coffee and the lives of people who produce it.

Tina Yerkes, PhD, CEO of CQI, said:

“Working with topic experts like FlavorActiV allows CQI to refine education and training tools for our community. We are always looking for new processes and methods to enhance our educational experience, and this is an excellent example of a product that complements our sensory training and calibration system.”

About FlavorActiV’s Sensory Solutions

FlavorActiV is relied upon by the largest food and beverage brands globally for their sensory needs. The company produces encapsulated flavour references to Pharmaceutical Quality GMP Standards, which can be used in almost any liquid to impart the aroma, taste, and mouthfeel of a specific defect or attribute.

FlavorActiV’s coffee sensory tools have applications throughout the supply chain, across all coffee varieties and production stages.

Todd Arnette, Manager of CQI’s Quality Evaluation Program, commented:

“One of the long-term values I see benefitting coffee evaluation in general is to differentiate a ‘defect’ from an ‘off’ flavor and calibrate to their respective flavor profiles. Another opportunity is to use these tools to quantify the global language of coffee quality. The capsules form a globally consistent foundation for flavors that we can then further explore in greater detail in a regional and cultural context.”

Enhancing Calibration and Coffee Tasting Performance

Calibration is the next logical step for trained tasting panels or coffee professionals wishing to enhance and maintain their tasting performance. FlavorActiV supports over 70,000 tasters globally with regular training, tasting software, and encapsulated flavour standards.

The addition of CQI expands this network further and diversifies the profile of tasters — representing the largest coffee community enrolled in the program.

Marie Pohler, Commercial Director of FlavorActiV, stated:

“It has been hugely enjoyable to collaborate with the CQI team on this strategic partnership, and we are delighted to finally make this announcement together. We look forward to helping the CQI family by delivering the tools to improve their sensory abilities through training and calibration. We’ve seen the impact our sensory solutions can have on the coffee sector and are pleased that the CQI community can experience this first-hand. We hope to support CQI for many years to come and believe this will be a big step forward for both organizations.”

Further details about the partnership and planned activities will be communicated to the CQI community. A joint Q&A webinar session will be delivered by representatives from CQI and FlavorActiV in due course.