Application of colour parameters for assessing the quality of Arabica and Robusta green coffee

This work aims to achieve fast and non-destructive indicators that enable the definition of the quality of green coffee from Coffea arabica and C. canephora, respectively Arabica and Robusta, in high commercial samples (which displayed, respectively, medium sieve between 17.4 and 19.2, trade homogeneity of 94.3% and 97.0%, mass of 1000 beans with values of 213.16 g and 151.36 g, apparent densities of green coffee not significantly different, showing values of 0.629 and 0.630 g cm-3 and moisture ranging between 9.056 and 9.243%). Being these samples within the established range of the international market, and ensuring good storage conditions, the chromatic parameters L* (lightness), C* (chroma) and Hº (tone or hue angle) of these samples were assessed using illuminants D65 and C. It was concluded that through the application of colour parameters the quality of green coffee can be assessed. Yet, as coordinate a* (contribution of red or green) strongly affects tone of the green coffee, the illuminant type used in the measurement must be defined and/or combined in order to accurately characterize product quality.