Tracking Aromatic Volatile Biomarkers Through Coffee Bean Postharvest Stages

This review synthesizes recent evidence on the generation and behavior of volatile biomarkers throughout the main postharvest stages of coffee, highlighting their potential for technological standardization. During harvest, aldehydes, furans, and lactones reflect ripeness and the presence of physiological defects, thereby influencing the formation of other volatile groups in subsequent stages. During pulping and fermentation, the metabolism of yeasts and lactic and acetic acid bacteria produces alcohols, acids, and esters (such as 2-phenylethanol, ethyl acetate, and methyl phenylacetate), which function as biomarkers of proper mucilage management and a balanced initial fermentation. In drying, the evolution of aldehydes derived from lipid oxidation and the retention of aromatic esters provide insights into dehydration kinetics and the stability of green coffee against oxidation. Finally, during roasting, volatile pyrazines, furans, thiols, and phenols integrate the entire postharvest history of the bean and enable inferences about roast degree, thermal overexposure, and final aroma development. Overall, the volatile biomarkers described here provide a robust chemical basis for objective monitoring of the postharvest process and the differentiation of coffee lots, although further studies are needed to define critical ranges by origin and processing system, standardize analytical methodologies, and quantitatively link these compounds to commercial quality parameters.