Niacin in Puerto Rican Coffees

Abstract

Samples of roasted coffees retailed in San Juan, P.R., were found to have an average niacin content of 21.3 mg. per 100 gm., with a range from 16.7 to 26.8 mg. per 100 gm., a value which compares favorably with those reported in the literature for roasted coffees from other Latin American communities. Coffee roasted in the laboratory at an average temperature of 129° C, increased in niacin content in proportion to the roasting time. The "Caracolillo" selection recorded the highest content of niacin after 45 minutes of roasting, 34.4 mg. per 100 gm., in comparison to two other local varieties: Bourbon, 10.3 mg. per 100 gm., and Puerto Rico, 11.9 mg. per 100 gm. The niacin content of the green coffee beans ranged from 0.9 to 1.1 mg. per 100 gm. Soluble-coffee concentrates varied greatly in niacin content, ranging from 17 to 59.5 mg. per 100 gm. Coffee beverages as prepared in Puerto Rico contained an average of 2.3 mg. of niacin per 100 ml. It was roughly estimated that at that rate of consumption, and in the form in which coffee is consumed in Puerto Rico, the beverage supplies about 14 percent of the daily allowance of niacin recommended for a healthy adult by the National Research Council.