EMILIO LAVAZZA 1932-2010 A GREAT BUSINESSMAN WITH A PROFOUND SENSE OF HUMANITY PASSES AWAY.

It is with profound sorrow that the Lavazza Group announces that

Cavaliere del Lavoro Emilio Lavazza passed away yesterday. 

A member of the family’s third generation, he was an extraordinary captain of industry who devoted 50 years of exemplary leadership to the company.

Born in Turin in 1932, he joined the family business — founded in 1895 by his grandfather Luigi — in 1955. When his father Giuseppe died in 1971,
Emilio was appointed CEO of the company.
Following the death of his uncle Pericle in 1979, he became company
President, a position he held until 2008.
With Emilio at the helm, the Group started to expand throughout Europe and around the world. Emilio firmly believed in taking on this business
challenge, and today the company has 8 foreign subsidiaries and is present
with its brand in more than 90 countries. Nevertheless, it has never lost its
authentic Italian identity and has maintained its leadership on the Italian
market.

The value of his business commitment was publicly acknowledged in 1991 when he was decorated Cavaliere del Lavoro della Repubblica, an honour conferred by the Italian Republic, and again in 1993 when he received anhonorary degree in Business and Economics from the University of Turin. 

In his long career he held important positions in the top industrial and trade associations.
Emilio showed great entrepreneurial insight when he decided to focus on communications and invest in it. Thanks to this strategy, the company
created extremely successful campaigns that have become an unforgettable part of the history of Italian advertising.

He became Honorary President in June 2008 and under his leadership Lavazza developed into a successful and world-renowned group that is now a leading name on the coffee market.

He was a man of great humanity and warmth known to everyone in the company simply as Signor Emilio, because he felt that establishing a rapport with people was far more important than the positions and titles he had earned throughout his lifetime.

A model of keen sensitivity who was aware that the success of a company depends on the relationship it establishes with its employees, Emilio has passed a great ethical and human legacy on to his family and his company.

Lavazza advertisement
Lavazza became a global brand under Emilio Lavazza's leadership

Emilio Lavazza, the man who made his family name synonymous with coffee, has died at the age of 78.

Mr Lavazza presided over the international expansion at the Italian coffee
giant, where he spent close to 40 years at the helm.

He also expanded the firm in coffee-obsessed Italy, where Lavazza now has almost half of the retail market.

Founded by Emilio Lavazza'a grandfather, it is also the world's sixth
biggest coffee roaster.

A private personality

"He had two sides. He was not a public person - [people from Turin] are quite private people. But it was Mr Emilio that took this company to international markets," a Lavazza spokesperson told the BBC.

A very private man, Mr Lavazza gave only one interview during his time at the helm - to an Italian newspaper some 15 years ago - the spokesperson said.

Mr Lavazza's grandfather Luigi founded the family business in 1895 and when his father Luigi died in 1971, Emilio was appointed chief executive.

He then became president of the company in 1979 - a position he held until being made honorary president in 2008.

He was the main architect behind his company's television-led marketing campaign, and expanded the Turin-based company's operations into foreign markets.

The company became synonymous with the Italian espresso under Mr Lavazza.

He commenced the international expansion in earnest soon after becoming president, opening a French office in 1982.

Now Lavazza holds 48% of the Italian retail coffee market and has

operations in countries as diverse as Brazil and India.

It has forecast sales of more than 1.1bn euros (£1bn) in 2009.

OTA-producers in coffee

	OTA-producers in coffee What organisms are involved in the production of OTA in coffee? As noted above, certain fungi have ecological associations with certain crop plants, and some processing or storage conditions favour specific fungi - hence certain crops have a tendency to contain particular mycotoxins and not others. Coffee is no exception. Neither of the OTA-producing species of Penicillium (P. verrucosum and P. nordicum) have been isolated from coffee. P. brevicompactum is common in coffee and is in the same group as the two producing species, but is not an OTA-producer. For coffee, three species or groups of species, all in the genus Aspergillus, are of possible significance: 1. A. niger complex (there is no consensus on speciation in A. niger-like fungi) is by far the most common, particularly in Coffea caneophora (robusta), but OTA production is rare and usually feeble. One study revealed only one producer amongst the seventy isolates tested; Aspergillus niger 2. A. carbonarius is generally rare, but there is some evidence that it can be relatively common in certain locations. Most isolates seem to be capable of OTA production in significant amounts, though over a restricted range of environmental conditions; Aspergillus carbonarius 3. A. ochraceus and related fungi are well distributed in coffee production systems and because OTA production is common (about 80% of isolates readily produce OTA), it comprises the most important OTA-producing species in coffee. Aspergillus ochraceus (diminutive conidial head - 10 µ radius) OTA contamination of coffee has been shown to be primarily a post-harvest problem. Basically, adequately controlling the water available in coffee that could support mould growth and mycotoxin contamination during the post-harvest handling of coffee is the best way to avoid OTA contamination.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) ...What is it?

Ochratoxin A (OTA)

What is it?

Ochratoxin A (OTA; C₂₀H₁₈ClNO₆) is a mycotoxin produced by species of only two genera of fungi - Penicillium and Aspergillus. Two species of Penicillium (P. verrucosum and P. nordicum), are now accepted as bona fide OTA producers. Members of the Aspergillus ochraceus group, and isolates of A. niger, A. carbonarius and A. terreus are also reported to produce OTA.
OTA is the most important and most commonly occurring of a group of structurally related compunds. Ochratoxin A consists of a polyketide-derived dihydroiso-coumarin moiety linked through the 12-carboxy group to phenylalanine. There are several analogues of OTA, such as ochratoxin B (which differs in structure from OTA in lacking the chlorine atom), ochratoxin C and ochratoxin ß, which are all fungal metabolites. However, OTA is the major compound found as a natural contaminant of plant material. OTA contamination is commonly associated with cereals, fresh grapes, dried vine fruit, wine, beer, coffee, and cocoa.

Mycotoxins .....What are they?

Mycotoxins What are they? Mouldy coffee beans Mycotoxins1 are naturally occurring chemical compounds produced by certain fungi that pose a threat to humans and animals when ingested. Fungi, like all heterotrophic organisms, need water and certain essential nutrients in order to live. Food crops represent a good source of nutrients for such moulds. As the moulds grow on these food commodities, they produce secondary metabolites, which include mycotoxins. Each mycotoxin is produced by one or more very specific fungal species, and in some cases one species can form more than one mycotoxin (see table below). However, the prescence of a recognised toxin-producing fungus does not automatically imply the presence of the associated toxin as many variables are involved in mycotoxin formation. Conversely, the lack of visible mould is not a guarantee that the foodstuff is free from toxins as the mould may have already died, leaving the toxin intact. The moulds and mycotoxins that are considered to be of major public health and economic significance worldwide are listed in the table below: Mould species Mycotoxins Occurrence Aspergillus parasiticus Aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2 Maize (corn), groundnuts (peanuts), tree nuts, spices, dried fruit, crude vegetable oils, cottonseed and copra Aspergillus flavus Aflatoxins B1, B2 Fusarium sporotrichiodes T-2 toxin Cereals Fusarium graminearum Deoxynivalenol (DON) Grains, especially wheat, barley, oats, rye and maize. Less often in rice and sorghum Fusarium graminearum Zearalenone Maize, but also lower levels in rice, wheat, barley, malt and soybean Fusarium moniliforme Fumonisin B1 Maize Penicillium verrucosum Ochratoxin A (OTA) Cereals, fresh grapes, dried vine fruit, wine, beer, coffee, cocoa Aspergillus ochraceus Ochratoxin A (OTA) Penicillium expansum Patulin Fresh and processed fruit and vegetables (especially apples) (see FAO, Food and Nutrition Papers 73, 'Manual on the application of the HACCP system in mycotoxin prevention and control', 2001) 1 The term 'mycotoxin' combines the Greek word for fungus ('mykes') and the Latin word for poison ('toxicum'). Pitt (1996) defined mycotoxins as "...fungal metabolites which, when ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin cause lowered performance, sickness or death in man or animals, including birds".

Coffee botany and ecology

	Coffee Production and Trade Coffee botany and ecology Coffee flowering Coffee is a woody, perennial evergreen dicotyledon belonging to the botanical family Rubiaceae, which contains some 500 genera and over 6000 species. Most of these are trees and shrubs which grow in the lower storey of tropical forests. Coffea is by far the most important member of the family economically, of which two species are traded widely: Coffee arabica, referred to as 'arabica', which accounts for between 60% and 70% of world production. Coffea canephora, referred to as 'robusta', which comprises 30% to 40% of world production. Two other species which are grown on a much smaller scale are Coffea liberica ('liberica' coffee) and Coffea dewevrei or Coffea excelsa ('excelsa' coffee), both of which are traded, but to a very limited extent. Arabica: Original arabica strains generally produce good liquors with acidity, and have the greatest flavour and aroma characteristics, but are susceptible to pests and diseases. Resistance is thus a major goal of plant breeding programmes1. A number of more tolerant varieties have been developed over the years, including the well known varieties 'Typica' and 'Bourbon', which are considered to be the first cultivars of arabica. Robusta coffee cherries Many different strains and cultivars have been developed from these, such as 'Caturra', 'Mundo Novo', 'Catuai' and 'Blue Mountain'. Generally speaking, arabica coffee is grown throughout Latin America, in Central and East Africa, in India and, to some extent, in Indonesia. Robusta: The term 'robusta' is actually the name of a widely grown variety of Coffea canephora. It is a small tree (up to 10 metres in height) that can grow at lower altitudes than arabica, with higher yields and with better resistance to disease. The beans, however, are of inferior taste than arabica, and have twice the caffeine content. Robusta coffee commands a lower price on the market, and is often used for soluble coffee or to give a caffeine 'boost' in espresso2. Robusta coffee is grown in West and Central Africa, throughout South-East Asia and to some extent in Brazil, where it is known as 'Conillon'. 1 Including arabica / robusta crosses which aim to improve arabica by conferring disease resistance and vigour, or to improve on the cup quality of robusta. The 'Catimor' variety is a cross between Caturra and Hibrido de Timor (a natural arabica / robusta hybrid), and is resistant to coffee leaf rust (Hemileia vastatrix). 2 The distinction between arabica and robusta coffee has become more blurred in recent years. Steam cleaning technologies can improve the quality of robusta coffee, allowing it to be substituted for arabica in some markets, notably Germany.