Nieuws

Volg hier ons laatste nieuws.

Gewijzigde openingstijden

Vanaf 1 oktober 2018 zijn wij op vrijdagavond geopend tot 18:00 uur i.p.v. 20:00 uur.

Gepubliceerd op 29-09-2018 13:57 in categorie Overige

Kopi Luwak factfinding

Kopi Luwak: No Trading, No Hurting

Kopi Luwak

There was a time when no list of the world’s premium coffees was complete without a mention of Kopi Luwak. But do you know what it is? And even more importantly, do you know about the impact the trade in this coffee is having on wildlife?

At prices reaching up to $700 per kilogram, Kopi Luwak seems to be an elite coffee. When you’re investing this kind of money, you want to know what you’re buying. We’re going to explore the history, processing and flavor of Kopi Luwak, and its real cost to the animal kingdom.

The history of Kopi Luwak

The name Kopi Luwak comes from Indonesia, where it was first discovered. In Indonesia, “Kopi” means coffee and “Luwak” is the name for the Asian Palm Civet cat. (1)

Asian Palm Civet cat

It’s the connection between coffee beans and the civet cat that gives Kopi Luwak its unique back story.

To discover its origins, we need to go back to the late seventeenth century. What we now know as Indonesia was then the Dutch East Indies. The Dutch governor of India sent a consignment of Arabica coffee saplings to his counterpart there.

In 1711, the trees had matured and Indonesia exported its first coffee to Europe. This made it the only place outside Africa and Arabia to cultivate coffee at scale. (2)

By the early nineteenth century, the war had left the Dutch economy in ruins. They needed to maximize the income from their colonies and introduced what they called the “Cultivation System”. Among other things, this prohibited the local people who farmed the coffee from taking any of it themselves.

For coffee farmers who’d grown to enjoy their regular beverage, this was hard to take. But with severe penalties for breaking the rules, they had to get creative.

The farmers soon noticed that coffee beans were left intact in the droppings of the Asian Palm Civet. They collected and cleaned them to make their own coffee. Their Dutch masters found out about the process, and on tasting the coffee, claimed it was better than their own.

It may be that from the start, the story of Kopi Luwak was a clever marketing device. It certainly gave the Dutch a cash crop that was expensive from the outset.  Harvesting the beans from the civets’ droppings was a labor-intensive process, and restricted supply. The small, unpredictable harvests kept prices high.

Kopi Luwak in the Twentieth Century

But it wasn’t until 1991 that Kopi Luwak really came into prominence in the western world. Tony Wild, then coffee director of British firm Taylors of Harrogate, imported a single kilogram to the UK. He’d read about the coffee ten years earlier, and thought its quirky story might interest the local press.

But the fascinating tale of the coffee that passed undigested through the civet cat proved to have much wider appeal. It was picked up by national media, then went global. It appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show and Hollywood film The Bucket List. You can see a clip from the movie here.

Anyone who considered themselves a coffee connoisseur wanted to try it. All this was to become very bad news for the civet cat.

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With global demand outstripping supply, producers sought new ways to farm large quantities of Kopi Luwak. Wild civet cats – naturally shy, nocturnal creatures – were caught, caged and force-fed large quantities of coffee beans.

The details of the conditions in which they are kept today make difficult reading.

In the wild, civet cats eat a range of fruits, as well as insects and small mammals. In captivity, their restricted coffee bean diet causes many health problems, exacerbated by the stress of living in cages. They fight amongst themselves, gnaw off their own legs, lose their fur, pass blood in their feces and many dies. (3)

This YouTube video exposes the cruelty of the conditions in which civet cats are kept.

Horrified by what he had helped to create, in 2013 Tony Wild began a campaign to end the trade in Kopi Luwak. Others have argued in favor of ethical production. Certification programmes have been set up in a bid to help consumers choose coffee produced by wild civets.

But what does Kopi Luwak taste like?

The sad truth is that lots of luxury products come at a high price to animals and the environment. Perhaps, although it’s sad for the civets, the taste of Kopi Luwak really is something special?

The flavor of Kopi Luwak is said to be superior to other coffees for two reasons. First, the civet cat selects only the choicest coffee beans to eat. Secondly, the process of passing through the civet’s digestive system adds enzymes that produce a unique taste. (4)

It’s easy to see that coffee from force-fed civets won’t meet one of those criteria. The civets are no longer “choosing” to eat one fruit over another. But what about the argument that the digestive enzymes improve flavor?

Lots of studies have been undertaken to look at what happens to the coffee beans inside a civet’s gut. A 2002 study by scientists at Canada’s University of Guelph reassuringly found that Kopi Luwak was at least safe.

Kopi Luwak beans

Despite the beans picked out of feces, they carried few pathogenic organisms. The researchers noted that the beans had to be thoroughly washed in order to remove traces of fruit pulp. This washing would also get rid of nasty bacteria.

The scientists observed a number of differences in the appearance of Kopi Luwak beans compared to Columbian coffee beans.

The Kopi Luwak beans were found to have more red and yellow tones. Their surfaces were also less pitted than the Colombian beans. This suggested they’d been worn down as they passed through the civets’ digestive systems.

But none of this would have an impact on the flavor. The only differences that looked as if they might affect flavor related to protein content and volatile organic compounds.

Kopi Luwak beans had less protein than the Colombian beans, suggesting proteins had leached out during digestion. The researchers also found that the volatile compounds in Kopi Luwak were “significantly different”.

They hypothesized that these two differences might make Kopi Luwak less bitter, and have a different flavor and aroma. They said, though, that more work was needed to establish if that was really the case.

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The lead scientist, Massimo Marcone, sagely noted, “People are buying this product for the mystique, not necessarily for the flavor.” (5)

Other studies, though, have looked at the flavor of the coffee itself. In theory, it should be difficult to draw very firm conclusions. Kopi Luwak, after all, isn’t a particular type of coffee, but a means of processing it. It can be made from any kind of coffee bean, so the flavor could vary accordingly.

It’s interesting, though, that professional coffee tasters have been pretty unanimous in their verdict. Kopi Luwak, they say, simply doesn’t taste very good.

Add the coffee

Rocky Rhodes of the International Coffee Consulting Group undertook one very interesting experiment. At a farm on Java, he compared coffee beans processed with and without the aid of caged civet cats. The beans were of the same variety and grown in the same conditions.

Rhodes gave the coffees points in line with the scale used by the Specialist Coffee Association of America. The results were clear.

Kopi Luwak scored lowest of the four coffees he tasted, two points lower than the worst of the others. Rhodes concluded that passing through the civet’s digestive tract actually diminished the coffee’s flavor and acidity. (6)

Artisan producer George Howell was also less than impressed with the production process. As he stated, “Buyer beware, higher price doesn’t necessarily mean higher quality”.(7)

And you don’t need to be a coffee guru to find Kopi Luwak disappointing. Tim Carman of the Washington Post likened the flavor to the taste of “petrified dinosaur droppings.” Not quite the experience most of us would hope for from premium coffee! (8)

What about certification?

It seems pretty clear that Kopi Luwak is a gimmick. It’s a great story that’s been used to sell a not-so-great coffee at vastly inflated prices.

certification

But maybe it wasn’t always this way. Perhaps civet cats roaming free, selecting superior coffee fruits as part of a balanced diet, produce an altogether different product? One that isn’t degraded by enzymes produced by frightened, stressed animals?

Is there a way of finding out?

The question of whether it’s really possible to source ethically produced Kopi Luwak has been the subject of heated debate. Various certification programs have been set up in a bid to help consumers choose coffee processed by wild civets.

The Rainforest Alliance and UTZ both run programs designed to protect the welfare of the civets. They also aim to support the farmers to achieve fair prices for their products. (9)

Unfortunately, these programs are nowhere near as stringent as necessary to prevent caged civets being used to produce “ethical” coffee. That’s because they work in a very simple way, with a one-off inspection.

Producers pay a fee for an official to inspect their plantation. If the official doesn’t find any caged civets during the inspection, the coffee is certified as “wild” Kopi Luwak.

Empty cage

That means there’s nothing to stop a producer boosting production by bringing in caged civets as soon as they have their certificate. Those working in the industry claim this is sadly common practice. (10)

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One farmer told an investigator from animal welfare organization PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) that producing exclusively wild-sourced civet coffee was nearly impossible. He also said it was common for coffee from captive civets to be deliberately mislabelled. (11)

There is more that could be done. Higher certification fees could allow for random checking to ensure producers aren’t using caged civets. Any farmers found with caged animals could have their certificates revoked. They could face steep fines, or even be banned from selling.

The good news is that there’s now a real opportunity for things to get better. In January 2018, the two main certifying organizations, Rainforest Alliance and UTZ, merged. They plan to introduce a single new certification programme in 2019.

Their website notes out the aims of the new programme. It’s intended to “maximize positive social, environmental, and economic impact, while offering farmers an enhanced framework to improve their livelihoods while protecting the landscapes where they live and work.” (12)

There’s no mention there of animal welfare. For the sake of the civet cats – and all the other animals involved in agriculture – let’s hope that’s an oversight. Importantly, there’s still a chance to make sure that’s corrected. The new program is subject to what they call a “far-reaching consultation.”

If you want to have your say, you can sign up for information by visiting the UTZ website here. Just select the box on the second page of the very short form to say you’re interested in coffee. When the time comes, be sure to ask for animal welfare standards to be incorporated in the new code.

The future of Kopi Luwak

The truth is that the poor treatment of civet cats has already blighted the trade in Kopi Luwak. As consumer awareness of the problem has grown, sales have declined.

Kopi luwak coffee

In 2015, Mulyono Susilo, Chairman of the Central Java branch of the Association of Indonesian Coffee Exporters (AEKI), said that “bad press” had caused a sharp fall in the price. (13)

In 2013, one kilogram of the coffee was selling for $77. Two years later, that had fallen to just $19. The collapse in price led to the AEKI itself calling for tighter controls to restore the reputation of their product.

Conclusion

There’s no denying that the story of Kopi Luwak is one that captures the imagination. Sadly, today’s coffee is a million miles away from its traditional origins.

Low animal welfare standards harm both the civet cats and ultimately the farmers themselves. And all that for a coffee that all the experts agree is poor quality. Things can – and should – be better than this.

Making sure the Rainforest Alliance and UDZ’s new certification program includes animal welfare standards would be a good start. Visit the UDZ website today to make sure your voice is heard in the consultation process.

For now, finding genuinely “wild” Kopi Luwak is nigh-on impossible. Until that changes, the best bet is to steer clear of it altogether.

Gepubliceerd op 13-04-2018 12:10 in categorie Overige

Bonbons

Sinds kort worden onze bonbons ook aangeboden bij restaurant De Watermolen in Velp. We zijn ontzettend blij dat De Watermolen voor Visser bonbons heeft gekozen en naar horen zeggen vallen ze ook in Velp goed in de smaak. Onze bonbons worden sinds jaren al aangeboden bij restaurant Het wapen van Atlhone in de Steeg.

Gepubliceerd op 11-04-2018 14:54 in categorie Nieuwe samenwerking

Tanzania ball

Vanaf vandaag verkrijgbaar:

Tanzania Ball. Waanzinnige smaakcominaties van Visser Chocolade. Totaal zijn er 10 verschillende smaken, deze kunnen verpakt worden in een mooi transparant doosje. Tevens doen wij er een smakenboekje bij. Een prachtig cadeau voor iedereen die van chocolade houdt. En zrg nou zelf: Wie houdt nou niet van chocolade!!

Gepubliceerd op 30-08-2017 11:52 in categorie Nieuwe producten

Op vrijdag avond 8 april gesloten

Beste klant,

Op vrijdagavond 8 april zijn wij om 18:00 gesloten.

Gepubliceerd op 08-04-2016 13:11 in categorie Nieuwe producten

Openingstijden rond Pasen

Op Goede Vrijdag zijn wij om 18:00 uur gesloten.

Op maandag zijn wij altijd gesloten, dat geld ook voor de dinsdag.

Gepubliceerd op 25-03-2016 16:07 in categorie Overige

Jura koffiemachines leasen bij Meipoort

Vanaf nu is het mogelijk om Jura koffiemachines te leasen bij Meipoort. Alle machines zijn leasbaar. De leasetermijn bedraagt 24 maanden. Alle bedragen zijn incl. 1 kg koffiebonen per maand. Het betreft een operational lease. Na einde van de leasperiode wordt u automatisch eigenaar van de machine.

Stap even binnen bij Meipoort en laat u informeren naar de mogelijkheden.

Gepubliceerd op 29-12-2015 13:33 in categorie Nieuwe producten

Gewijzigde openingtijden rond kerst 2015

Gewijzigde eindejaarsopenstelling Meipoort

Beste klant, in de laatste 2 weken zullen onze openingstijden iets aangepast zijn.

Onderstaand schema is daar een uitwerking van.

 

Zondag           20-12 Koopzondag van 12:00 tot 17:00 uur

Maandag         21-12 Van 13:00 uur tot 18:00 uur

Dinsdag          22-12 Van 9:00 uur tot 20:00 uur

woensdag       23-12 Van 9:00 uur tot 20:00 uur

Donderdag      24-12 Van 9:00 uur tot 17:00 uur

Vrijdag             25-12       Gesloten

Zaterdag          26-12       Gesloten

Zondag            27-12       Gesloten

 

Maandag        28-12 Van 13:00 uur tot 18:00 uur

Dinsdag         29-12 Van 9:00 uur tot 18:00 uur

Woensdag      30-12 Van 9:00 uur tot 18:00 uur

Donderdag      31-12 Van 9:00 uur tot 16:00 uur

Vrijdag            01-01 Gesloten

Zaterdag         02-01 Van 9:00 uur tot 17:00 uur

 

Daarna gelden weer onze normale openingtijden

Een fijne kerst en alvast een mooie nieuwjaarsviering.

Gepubliceerd op 16-12-2015 11:37 in categorie Overige

Gewijzigde openingstijden rond kerst

Meipoort is op maandag 22 en 29 december open van 12:00 uur tot 18:00 uur op dinsdag 23 en 30 december zijn wij geopend van 9:00 uur tot 18:00 uur en op woensdag zijn wij van 9:00 uur tot ca. 18:00 uur geopend. Op oudjaarsdag zullen we om ca. 16:30 sluiten.

Gepubliceerd op 18-12-2014 17:53 in categorie Overige

Beste Bockbier van Nederland

Het beste Bockbier van Nederland is verkrijgbaar bij Meipoort!!

In de categorie zware bockbieren heeft de Bronckhorster BROCK-IN-DE-KEEL goud gewonnen.

In de cotegorie normale bockbieren heeft de Bronckhorster IJsselbock zilver gewonnen.

Topprestaties!!

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Gepubliceerd op 05-11-2014 15:59 in categorie Nieuwe producten

Hernieuwde samenwerking met Aardappelpakhuis

Het Aardappelpakhuis heeft een doorstart kunnen maken en wij zijn blij dat we de samenwerking opnieuw kunnen vormgeven. Samen met het Aardappelpakhuis staan wij voor biologische producten van goede kwaliteit tegen een betaalbare prijs. Vanaf november gaan we weer van start met de vertrouwde groente en fruit tassen. De methodiek verandert niet en ook de prijzen blijven dezelfde. Uiterlijk dinsdag voor 11:00 uur bestellen; woensdag afhalen. Bestellen via de website op: http://www.meipoort.nl/lijst/biologische-groente-en-fruitpakketten.html  of bij ons in de winkel! Natuurlijk staan ook weer de diverse gemakkelijke recepten voor u ter beschikking. Tot ziens!!

Gepubliceerd op 21-10-2014 17:40 in categorie Nieuwe samenwerking

Salentein najaarsactie

Van 30 oktober tot en met 31 december is er een geweldige Salentein najaarsactie. Alle Salentein Barrel Selection wijnen zijn per doos zeer schrep geprijsd. Normale prijs van een doos (6 flessen) is € 89,70 Tijdens de actieperiode is de prijs € 64,98!!! Tevens zijn er geweldige prijzen te winnen. Er is kans op 1 van de 12 luxe Salentein diners voor 10 personen en een BK Royal Dutch Oven t.w.v. € 249,=!!! Laat deze aanbieding niet lopen. 

De Grote Hamersma 2015

De wijnen uit de Salentein actie hebben de volgende punten van Harold Hamersma mogen ontvangen:

Barrel Selection Merlot          8,5
Barrel Selection Cabernet Sauvignon   8+
Barrel Selection Malbec         8,5
Barrel Selection Chardonnay      8

Indien u de wijnen wil reserveren dan kan dat via onze website op: http://www.meipoort.nl/lijst/salentein-actie-2014.html

Wij zorgen dat deze dan gegarandeerd voor u klaar staan!!

Gepubliceerd op 14-10-2014 15:48 in categorie Wijn

Nieuwe bieren

We hebben een aantal speciaalbieren aan ons assortiment toegevoegd. Natuurlijk verkopen we al jaren de bieren van meesterbrouwer Steve Gammage van brouwerij Rodenburg uit Rha. Onovertroffen bieren uit de regio.

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Daarnaast zijn we de bieren van brouwerij de Molen uit bodegraven gaan verkopen en onangs is daar The Kernel Brewery uit Londen aan toegevoegd. Brouwerij de Molen is het als enige Nederlandse brouwerij gelukt om in de top 200 van de wereld de 10e plaats te veroveren met hun bier "Hel & Verdoemenis". En wat dacht u van "Bommen & Granaten"? Het meest zware bier dat we bij Meipoort verkopen.

- Kernel2.jpg - Kernel.jpg

The Kernel Brewery is de hit van dit moment. Ze houden het predikaat "England's Best Brewery - RateBeer Best Awards 2014" Gewoon te koop bij Meipoort.

We gaan de komende maanden nog meer topbieren in ons assortiment opnemen. Dus bezoek ons regelmatig!

Gepubliceerd op 07-09-2014 10:40 in categorie Nieuwe producten

Koffie top 100

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Dit jaar vindt de verkiezing van de beste koffiezaak van Nederland plaats en de Bonte Hond doet mee!! Eetgelegenheid Restaurant de Bonte Hond in Doesburg schenkt al jaren naar volle tevredenheid Meipoort koffie. Wij zoude het leuk vinden als al die klanten van de Bonte Hond en Meipoort, de Bonte Hond nomineren als favoriete koffiezaak van Nederland!! Stem via https://www.stemopjouwkoffiezaak.nl op de Bonte Hond. Dooeeeeeen!!!

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Gepubliceerd op 23-06-2014 16:48 in categorie Overige

hoeveel bonen gaan er in 7 gram koffie?

Kennelijk is er een prijsvraag gaande over hoeveel koffiebonen in 7 gram gaan. Dit is natuurlijk afhankelijk van de soort.

Ik heb een drietal soorten gechecked: Java 42 bonen, Maragogype 24 bonen en decaf ook 43 bonen.

Succes!!

Gepubliceerd op 09-05-2014 17:18 in categorie Overige

Prijsontwikkelingen 2014

Bij Meipoort hebben we besloten om dit jaar (voor zover wij dit in de hand hebben) onze prijzen niet te verhogen. Goed nieuws lijkt ons voor het begin van 2014!!

Gepubliceerd op 02-01-2014 17:41 in categorie Overige

Extra openingstijden rond kerst en oudjaar

Meipoort is op zondagmiddag 22-12 a.s. geopend van 12:00 uur tot 17:00 uur. Daarnaast zijn wij op maandagmiddag 23-12 en dinsdag 24-12 (tot ca. 17:00 uur) geopend. Tevens zijn wij op maandagmiddag 30-12 en dinsdag 31-12 (tot ca. 17:00 uur) geopend. 

Wij wensen u alvast fijne feestdagen!!

Gepubliceerd op 16-12-2013 11:23 in categorie Overige

Kerst- en oudjaarsbestellijsten staan online

De kerst- en oudjaarsbestellijsten staan online onder Driekant. Natuurlijk biologisch en puur van smaak. Let u op de uiterste besteldata!!

Gepubliceerd op 29-11-2013 17:15 in categorie Nieuwe producten

Koopzondag 01-12-2013

Meipoort is op zondag 01-12-2013 NIET geopend!!

Gepubliceerd op 29-11-2013 14:05 in categorie Overige

Bonbons bedrukken

Visser bonbons kunnen in zes smaken bedrukt worden met uw logo. In een doosje van 16 st. kunnen ze dan per post verzonden worden naar uw relaties. Gewoon door de brievenbus! Dus geen hoge kosten aan pakketpost. Vraag naar de mogelijkheden of kijk op http://shop.meipoort.nl/bonbondoos-16-st-1.html voor prijsinformatie.

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Gepubliceerd op 20-11-2013 17:27 in categorie Nieuwe producten