Labeling study for coffee could resolve dispute - Hawaii Editor...

Nothing can compare in the morning with Kona coffee, and many roasters are quick to capitalize on its reputation, even those that use only a few beans harvested on the Big Island.

[glenn paul]

After reading about Kona Coffee a few days ago, I have never been so disappointed. We enjoyed morning coffee in Hawaii and looked into ordering it many time but too expensive. I don't remember but 30, 40 dollars a pound. It was expensive to order. Never did. Now, to hear only 10 percent is Kona coffee, rest is other coffee beans. WHAT A JOKE AND LET DOWN. Consumers, heed. No aloha from me.

[glenn paul]

Just another comment. The only thing worse I can think of other than Kona coffee being only 10 percent Kona beans..is learning that Hawaiian Host Choclate Covered Mac Nuts are not from the Mac Nut farm we visited outside of Hilo on the big island. That would make me very MAD as we have ordered numerous boxes of them.

[Honaunau Coffee Farmer]

No studies are needed. Lawmakers should have enough "balls" to do what is RIGHT! Those who waiver should be booted out of office.

[Honaunau]

glenn paul wrote:

After reading about Kona Coffee a few days ago, I have never been so disappointed. We enjoyed morning coffee in Hawaii and looked into ordering it many time but too expensive. I don't remember but 30, 40 dollars a pound. It was expensive to order. Never did. Now, to hear only 10 percent is Kona coffee, rest is other coffee beans. WHAT A JOKE AND LET DOWN. Consumers, heed. No aloha from me.

If you buy Direct from the famer, it will not cost you $30-$40/pound- fresher and a better price. Go to www.KonaCoffeeFarmers.org and click on the yellow Buy Direct button and I think you may be surprised to see how many farmers sell their Kona Coffee(100% only!)at less than what you think. Mahalo

[swannie]

The foreign coffee beans are brought in green, unroasted. How long until a new bug or fungus travels in on those shipments through our sleeping ag inspectors and wrecks the entire industry? There are some virulent diseases of coffee trees that are devastating to orchards.

[Honaunau]

swannie wrote:

The foreign coffee beans are brought in green, unroasted. How long until a new bug or fungus travels in on those shipments through our sleeping ag inspectors and wrecks the entire industry? There are some virulent diseases of coffee trees that are devastating to orchards.

Oh it is a concern indeed, but all green coming into the State, by law, has to be fumigated with methyl bromide. Hope everyone follows that law! aloha

[Coffee Farmer]

These blenders keep saying that this would "have a devastating impact on the entire industry". Industry is factories and blenders. Industry is NOT a farmer. Blenders don't farm. They are buying the cheapest Kona they can and making the most profit by fooling the public.

As a farmer, I only have to sell one more bag of Kona to offset the 10 bags of blend. Farmers are not the ones who would be hurt by requiring more Kona in a bag of blend. The farmers would sell more Kona, not less. It does not a rocket scientist to figure out that these companies are worried about their profit, not how the farmers would fare.

The farmers are NOT telling blenders not to blend, just don't use the name KONA on the label if most of the product is not Kona.

The blenders are saying that if they can't fool the consumer into thinking that 10% Kona is Kona, then nobiody will buy their product. Well, so be it!

Think about it. These companies want to have a study to see how much filler they can put in with the Kona coffee before they can't make any money from it.

Blenders, if you want to blend, make a product that doesn't require lying to the public to sell.

[Coffee Farmer]

swannie wrote:

The foreign coffee beans are brought in green, unroasted. How long until a new bug or fungus travels in on those shipments through our sleeping ag inspectors and wrecks the entire industry? There are some virulent diseases of coffee trees that are devastating to orchards.

All of those foreign beans are fumigated with methyl bromide and known greenhouse gas depleter and some workers have developed cancer from it.

The U.S. is the only country which grows coffee and also imports green to blend. That is a shame.

For the person who thinks that 100% Kona is expensive, look at what the actual cost of the Kona is in the bag of blend. You are paying 1/3 the price of all Kona and only getting 10%. THAT is a worse deal.

[alice]

i prefer hot chocolate!

[Shop Smart]

Beware the Coqui Coffee Beans

[Honaunau]

In 2007 the Hawaii Legislature made a finding in Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 102 that "existing labeling requirements for Kona coffee causes consumer fraud and confusion and degrades the 'Kona coffee' name." Does the Star Bulletin editorial board need a study to know that deceiving consumers and degrading the name of Kona coffee is wrong?

[alice]

alice wrote:

i prefer hot chocolate!

we all do

[Xie Xie]

In Kona it's not hard to find 100% Kona coffee for $1.00 or so an ounce...16 oz for 16 to 20 $.$40.00/oz coffee...maybe in New York ??

[alice]

makes sense

[pumehana11]

Remember this percentage requirement would only apply to Hawaii companies. Mainland roasters which comprise most of the purchasing of Kona coffee, can call a coffee a Kona blend with as little as 1 Kona bean. The customers can vote with their dollars. If the coffee is good and it meets their price point, they will continue to purchase the coffee. For those who know what they want, they will seek the better brands, regardless of name of growing region. David Gridley has the right idea.

[alice]

pumehana11 wrote:

Remember this percentage requirement would only apply to Hawaii companies. Mainland roasters which comprise most of the purchasing of Kona coffee, can call a coffee a Kona blend with as little as 1 Kona bean. The customers can vote with their dollars. If the coffee is good and it meets their price point, they will continue to purchase the coffee. For those who know what they want, they will seek the better brands, regardless of name of growing region. David Gridley has the right idea.

i agree

[pumehana11]

It sounds as if the Kona farmers think the consumer is stupid enough to not know what they like. It's not about the name, give the consumer some credt.

[alice]

yup

[joachim oster kona]

Xie Xie, the price difference you mention results when you buy Kona coffee direct from the farm (about $20) or from a retail store (about $40). Retail pricing adds about 100% for rent, salaries, advertising, insurance, profit to the wholesale price. Like with most other retail products.

[Lou Boyle]

pumehana11 wrote:

Remember this percentage requirement would only apply to Hawaii companies. Mainland roasters which comprise most of the purchasing of Kona coffee, can call a coffee a Kona blend with as little as 1 Kona bean. The customers can vote with their dollars. If the coffee is good and it meets their price point, they will continue to purchase the coffee. For those who know what they want, they will seek the better brands, regardless of name of growing region. David Gridley has the right idea.

Face it, it's deceitful to label in large print that it's KONA coffee blend, then put in tiny letters that it's only 10% Kona (90% something else). It's insulting to the Kona farmers, and exploitive. David Gridley's "right idea" is to make as much money as possible, no matter whose toes he steps on. Ice cream that's 10% chocolate and 90% vanilla ain't never gonna be "CHOCOLATE-blend".