SICA process starts with the selection of the best available raw materials. Arabiga and Robusta Coffee beans, grown in many provinces of our beautiful country, are offered to us during the crop season.
Every potential lot is thoroughly inspected to meet SICA specifications regarding moisture, foreign objects, and Ochratoxin A. Once the lot has been accepted it goes though an additional cleaning procedure and is stored in silos or in bags placed in pallets and kept in dry and ventilated warehouse for future use.
The coffee beans are vacuumed from the silos and roasted to the required level. This is a critical stage where the coffee will develop the desired flavor, aroma, acidity, and body. From this point until the product is packed, SICA staff of engineers, technicians, and workers will use all the available technology to protect the characteristic so carefully obtained during roasting.
To have the optimum particle size, proper for the extraction of coffee soluble solids, the roasted coffee is ground with a roller grinder.
The extraction process is also a key stage where special attention to water quality, temperature and pressure have to be taken in order to obtain a high yield without affecting quality.
The resulting extract is passed through a centrifuge to clear any remaining sediment and concentrated in the evaporator for a more efficient drying in the spray drying tower and in the freeze drying chamber.
Spray dried coffee is the result of atomizing the liquid coffee extract inside a tower or chamber where the falling drops of extract are dried by the continuous circulation of hot air in the tower.
To produce Freeze Dried Coffee, first the coffee extract is frozen and then the moisture content is sublimed out by applying moderate temperature in a vacuum environment.
