Studies find drinking coffee is harmless for most people

MEDICAL ADVISOR

United Feature Syndicate

Q: I absolutely love coffee, but since I turned 40, my husband thinks I should give it up for health reasons. He says coffee is bad for your heart, among other things. Does he have a point?

A: Coffee may pose problems for people who consume too much caffeine or who are extra-sensitive to caffeine.

But for most people, drinking coffee is a harmless habit. If coffee did have serious health consequences, we'd be in big trouble. Almost 110 million Americans drink coffee every day, about 9 billion gallons a year.

Early studies linked coffee drinking with pancreatic cancer, high blood pressure and heart disease. But this research often didn't account for the negative consequences of cigarette smoking, once a habit of many coffee drinkers. It wasn't the coffee but the accompanying smoking that was the real link to health problems. At the same time, caffeine is an addictive, mood-altering substance. Hundreds of compounds give brewed coffee its unique aroma and taste.

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Fast food slows for coffee bar

McDonald's serves up specialty coffee drinks
By KIRSTEN ORSINI-MEINHARD

It won't be long before Fort Collins McDonald's customers can sip a mocha while chowing down on an order of supersize fries.
In fact, the McDonald's Restaurant, 1250 W. Elizabeth St., will be the first in Colorado to house a coffee bar, offering customers typical coffeehouse fare with their fast food.

"We're looking at a somewhat different concept," said Jane Weaver, area supervisor for Colorado. "It's catering to the college student with an upscale feel."

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Starbucks boosts its stake in 'greater China' market

DOW JONES/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Starbucks Corp. said yesterday it had increased its stakes in its Taiwan and Shanghai joint ventures to 50 percent from 5 percent, indicating a deepening commitment to the greater China market.

The coffee retailer's Starbucks Coffee International Inc. unit paid Taiwan-based Uni-President Group $21.3 million to become an equal partner in their Shanghai joint venture.

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Middlemen fleecing coffee farmers, admits minister

By Patrick Muriungi

Kenya earned a total of US$7.5 billion (Sh555 billion) from coffee exports last year but only US$5.5 billion (Sh407 billion) reached farmers.

Releasing the figures, Co-operative Development Minister, Njeru Ndwiga, said this shows exploitation by middlemen at the coffee auctions.

The minister said local coffee farmers, unlike their counterparts in Colombia, Costa Rica and Brazil, get small returns from the cash crop due to poor marketing methods.

He was speaking in Meru town. He said foreign buyers of Kenyan coffee normally take advantage of the poor marketing loopholes to exploit the producers.

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In El Salvador, Today's Cup of Excellence Coffee Internet Auction Sets Record High Price of $14 pound

(CSRwire) NORWALK, CT - Today, father-and-daughter coffee growers Mauricio Batlle Mena and Aida Batlle of El Salvador broke international records during the country's first ever Cup of Excellence® Internet auction. The pair received $14.06/pound -- for a total of $37,962 for 2,700 pounds -- from bidders Solberg & Hansen for the arabica coffee grown on their Kilimanjaro farm. It is the highest price ever paid for coffee sold via the Internet. Despite the ongoing global coffee crisis, Mauricio and Aida are paying their coffee pickers a wage 50% higher than the legal rate.

In addition to price, El Salvador set other Cup® records as well, for having the greatest number of winning coffees in a first-time Cup of Excellence® competition (31) and for having the first female coffee grower (Aida Batlle) to win first place in any Cup® event.

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Coffee lovers stir boom (Australia)

By Peter Morley

COFFEE lovers are stirring a boom in agriculture in the Sunshine State as growers prepare to cash in on a renewed passion for the bean-based beverage.

Australian's love for coffee has seen the cafe latte set increase purchases by $55 million in the past two years.
Most of the 45,000 tonnes of bean needed to meet this demand was imported, even though coffee has been produced in southeast and far north Queensland since the 1880s.

Producers are showing renewed interest now per capita consumption of coffee has doubled in the past 30 years to 2.4 kg at the cost of tea – down 60 per cent to 0.9 kg.

This taste bud realignment has meant increasing demand for the higher quality Arabica coffees used in the speciality or roast market, grown in Queensland and northeast NSW. Last year's combined production was 500 tonnes or 6 per cent of Arabica imports. The potential for increased production has prompted growers here to predict that within five years they will turn out 1100 tonnes.

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'Ethical' coffee pours into mainstream

AMSTERDAM: Just as Starbucks popularised cappuccinos for mainstream America, a new group wants to put "ethical" coffee on supermarket shelves across the globe.

The Utz Kapeh Foundation (www.utzkapeh.org), whose name means "Good Coffee" in an ancient Mayan language, guarantees basic standards for poor peasants hit by rock-bottom prices and inhumane living and working conditions.

And it strives to do so without putting up retail prices out of the reach of ordinary consumers.

With coffee bean prices trading at around half the levels of four years ago, weakened by a glut of supply, coffee firms have come under fire for reaping huge profits while peasant farmers suffer.

"I don't want to make use of child labour, and I want to prove that I don't," said Ward de Groote, who as head of coffee at Dutch retailer Ahold helped launch the concept. "I want to make sure there is free schooling (on plantations), I want to make sure the environment is in balance."

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Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc. Appoints Tom Cawley Chief Financial Officer

EMERYVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 30, 2003--Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc. (Nasdaq:PEET), a specialty coffee roaster and marketer of fresh whole bean coffee and hand-selected teas, today announced the appointment of Tom Cawley to chief financial officer, effective July 21, 2003. Cawley brings to the position more than 21 years of strategic financial planning and management experience, with extensive knowledge and financial leadership in both foodservice retail and consumer packaged goods environments -- a strong match with Peet's multiple channel distribution model. Cawley will replace former chief financial officer, Mark Rudolph, who accepted a new position at the privately-held Boudin Bakery & Cafe in San Francisco.

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Fortune Small Business Highlights Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. In List Of 100 Fastest Growing Companies

WATERBURY, Vt.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 30, 2003--Fortune Small Business (FSB) magazine has named Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) to its list of the 100 "Fastest-Growing Small Companies" in America for a third year in a row. Green Mountain Coffee is one of only four companies on the "FSB 100" that has appeared on the list each year since the list's inception three years ago. The Company is profiled in the cover story of the current issue of Fortune Small Business that is being mailed to subscribers. This year, Green Mountain Coffee was ranked 42nd overall and 33rd in its three-year annual total return rate.

Robert Stiller, President and CEO of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. said, "I am very pleased to see our efforts recognized by Fortune Small Business over three consecutive years. This accomplishment has been made possible by the hard work and dedication of Green Mountain Coffee employees, the long-term relationships we have established with stakeholders throughout our supply chain, and our commitment to making a positive difference in the world."

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. is a leader in the specialty coffee industry and has been recognized by Forbes Magazine for the past three years as one of the "200 Best Small Companies in America." Green Mountain Coffee seeks to make the world a better place for present and future generations by operating in an environmentally and socially conscientious manner. The Company contributes at least five percent of its pre-tax profit annually to support socially responsible initiatives, many of which it has supported for over 10 years. In 2003, the Rainforest Alliance recognized Green Mountain Coffee Roasters with its highest award as its "Corporate Sustainable Standard-Setter" for the Company's commitment to sourcing coffee in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. Business Ethics magazine recognized these efforts by ranking Green Mountain Coffee Roasters 8th overall on its 2003 list of "100 Best Corporate Citizens."

The Company roasts high-quality arabica coffees and offers over 90 coffee selections including single-origin, estate, certified organic, Fair Trade, signature blends, and flavored coffees that it sells under the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters(R) and Newman's Own(R) Organics brands. The majority of Green Mountain Coffee's revenue is derived from its wholesale operation that serves supermarkets, convenience stores, offices, and other locations where fine coffees are sold. Green Mountain Coffee also operates a direct mail business and an e-commerce website http://www.GreenMountainCoffee.com) from its Waterbury, Vermont headquarters.

Quote

"Life's what's important. Walking, houses, family. Birth and pain and joy-and then death. Acting's just waiting for the custard pie. That's all."
Katharine Hepburn, 1907-2003

When jazz meets coffee

By Oliver Quingco II
Manila Times

Coffee drinking has become such a fad in the country there is now a proliferation of cafes and coffeehouses dotting the metropolis.

While cafes abroad are full entertainment cum dining centers equipped with performance space for acoustic numbers, and serving a menu consisting of all sorts of brews as well as pastries, gourmet food and other delectable recipes incorporating chocolate/caffeine/coffee-based ingredients, even in ice cream, our own versions of these cafes have to make do with piped in music consisting of chill-out/lounge/jazz.

Sony Music has come out with its own series to accompany coffee-drinkers. Aptly called jazz espresso, jazz latte, jazz cappuc­cino, the Jazz Café Series is a delightful compilation of vocal numbers interspersed with instru­mental pieces highlighting the best of jazz to make your leisurely sip all the more enjoyable.

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Cape Town's coffee culture is brewing fast

By Genevieve Serra

A coffee culture is spreading throughout Cape Town - even business deals are being made over a cup of the stimulating brew.

This is according to Klaus Becker, managing director of the Caturra Coffee Company in Maitland.

Becker said it was important for tourism to highlight the city's growing coffee culture.

At the Cape Gourmet Festival last month, coffee played a significant role as a marketing tool for Cape Town.

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