291305.P100-143:Excellence
8/28/09
9:49 AM
Page 112
“It is not difficult to identify some thirty substances that will negatively influence our perception of a cup of espresso,” says Furio Suggi Liverani, director of research and innovation at Illycaffè. “But understanding what stimulates positive sensations is very complex.” Illycaffè has been committed to the appreciation of coffee since 1933. In 2008 the company’s sales were 280 million Euros, with net profits of 8 million. In 75 years, Illycaffè has registered 201 patents, the majority being for the production process technology that was developed in-house. The selecting machines are further evolutions of systems over the past 20 years. Each bean is analyzed individually by a computer using laser beam refraction, allowing rejection of any that do not conform to qualitative standards. The successive phase of toasting, as well, utilizes machinery produced by Italian companies. Exports by Italian companies active in this sector of the industry have reached an overall value of 200 million Euros. The technologies for pressurization patented by Illy in 1936 enable the company to sell coffee to clients involving transportation over long distances. In recent years, scientists have discovered that procedures of pressurization preserve freshness and increase quality, owing to the counterbalancing effect generated by the inert gases. There are four main packaging formats for the product: the 250-gram package for home use; the 3-kilogram canister; and pods and capsules for commercial uses. The company’s quality control process follows the Kaizen philosophy (from Japanese kai, ”continuous”, and zen,
The company's philosophy expands beyond the importance of selecting the highest quality coffee beans and its prized expertise in their roasting and grinding. Coffee lovers are educated to choose the most appropriate coffee-machine for their needs (see above), on the basis that 'the better the coffeemaker, the better the coffee you'll make'.
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THE ITALIAN EDGE