BeanScene Magazine

It is a rare phenomenon that something invented more than 50 years ago would still be a market leader today, albeit with some modifications along the way.

But, when Italian company Goglio came up with a one-way degassing valve in the 1960s, they couldn’t have foreseen that it would not only change the way coffee is packaged internationally, but that it would not be rapidly superseded.

This is that little plastic addition inserted into the inside top face of a packet of coffee where the supplier is intent on providing the freshest possible product. This often unnoticed component – there are more than 1.5 million of them used a month in Australia alone and 2 billion a year produced by Goglio for the global market – was based on a simple concept: permit the CO2  and aromas out while eliminating the entry of any external atmosphere. Its creation, however, was far more complex.

Firstly, the product needed to ensure that packaging remained airtight. Once coffee beans are roasted, essential oils travel to the surface of the bean, becoming sensitive to the oxidising action of the oxygen that is present. Secondly, the product had to provide an outlet to avoid over-pressure within the packaging. As roasting expands the size of the coffee bean, micro-cells continually release carbon dioxide and aromas which become trapped within the packaging once it is sealed. If the valve wasn’t one way in its design or the bag was designed to permit atmosphere inside, the result would be the spoiling of the coffee’s natural aroma, oxidising of the natural oils and beans and stale or poor quality coffee.

While both of these aspects may seem easy enough in isolation, tackling the combination of the two proved far more complex. Initially, when any product is packed, the inner and outer pressures are equal, but airtightness doesn’t allow carbon dioxide and aromas to escape from the bag, thus causing it to inflate and possibly burst. Before Goglio, many coffee packagers would puncture a hole in the gusset, which allowed for the natural degassing of the coffee beans. The problem though, that once complete, external contaminants were able to enter the bag, resulting in a negative oxidising action and affecting the freshness of the beans.

Developed and manufactured in Milan, the patented Goglio one-way degassing valve solved the problem by allowing natural gases to pass through in one direction only – from inside the bag without any atmosphere entering.

The degassing process causes over pressure within the package, thus causing the flexible rubber washer to deform, allowing the trapped natural gasses to escape. When the degassing phase is complete, the inner-outer pressure balance is re-established and the rubber washer returns to its original flat configuration, sealing the package.

Goglio also manufactures valve appliers that can be installed on its own packaging equipment, or that of competitors. Once the valves are loaded into the machine, they are automatically positioned and heat-sealed on the inside laminate of the package. A manual alternative is also available for laboratories and low volume production of pre-made bags.

This packaging innovation quickly developed international acclaim and was awarded the Italian Packaging Oscar and Eurostar in 1968 and the World Packaging Organisation “World Star’ in 1970. It remains the most commonly used one-way degassing valve in Australia.

The product is exclusively distributed in Australia by Jet Technologies. Since the first one-way degassing valve was introduced, it has continued to evolve, with several variants now available: the original outer valve, the inner valve, a thinner and smaller variant, and the revolutionary selective valve which can release or hold onto specific gases according to requirements. The inner valve, which is hidden underneath the laminate, is now the most popular type.

From a functional point of view, there is no difference between the inner and outer valve. The outer valve is clearly visible on the package, while the inner valve is fitted on the inside of the laminate so is not as clearly visible. The application of the inner valve is faster and simpler than that of the outer valve. Valves are also available in various flow rates: high flow, high pressure, extra fine and micro-ovenable. Due to the high gas generation of coffee, a high flow rate is necessary in order to prevent package deformation and maintain the seal’s integrity.

The Goglio valve is comprised of five components: a high-density polyethylene cap, an acrili-nitric butadiene rubber elastic disc, a silicone oil viscous layer, a low density polyethylene plate and a paper filter. These components are manufactured and assembled on high speed lines at Goglio’s machine division in Zeccone, Italy.

And, while other degassing valves have since entered the market, General Manager of Jet Technologies, Sam Dickson, asserts that the “original” Goglio valves are still today’s best in terms of performance, shelf-life, local availability (freshness), uniformity and price. “We reinforce the application of silicone oil on the internal washer to hold the rubber disc closed over a two year period.

As well, the application of a paper filter reduces the risk of dust, contaminants, broken beans and other thin particles entering the valve channel on application,” Sam says.

“Coffee bags over the years have evolved from simple paper structures offering little to no protection from moisture, light and oxygen to today’s high barrier films that are often comprised of three to four layers – including the use of aluminium or metallised polyester (PET) as the primary barrier and polyethylene for sealing,” explains Sam.

“Cafés and roasters have also recognised the importance of consuming the coffee quickly once it is removed from the bag. We have seen a distinct shift in the marketplace, over the past five years especially, from 5, 3 and 2 kilogram formats to 1 kilogram bags or smaller, ensuring grinder silos in cafes are regularly filled with the freshest coffee possible.

 “Bag filling equipment technologies and improvements have permitted the increased use of gusseted bags, with four corner seam sealing. This allows two ‘fronts’ to the bag for improved marketing scope, improved shelving, cartoning and bag uniformity and gusset use for promotional activities.”

The innovative packaging solution was introduced into the Australian market shortly after its development and has been distributed by Jet Technologies for over a decade.

Jet Technologies is a specialist importer and distributor of products to the rigid and flexible packaging industry, the industrial manufacturing industry, the print industry and the finishing industry. Founded in Australia over 30 years ago, Jet Technologies remains family owned and operated. The company, which now has offices and warehouses throughout Australia and New Zealand, prides itself on its strong family-based values, investing heavily in its staff and building long-lasting relationships with its supply partners and its clients.

Through its association with sister company Laem System in Casale Monferrato, Italy, the relationship between Jet Technologies and Goglio was born. Started in 1972, Laem System is a world leader in the production of converting, slitting and rewinding equipment, and is also heavily focused on the packaging industry. Jet Technologies began representing several Italian companies specialising in flexible packaging, die cut and reel- fed lidding and associated machinery in the Australian market.

Nearly 15 years ago, Goglio purchased several slitters/rewinding machines from Laem System and soon after, the Goglio brand was introduced to Jet Technologies, with exclusive representation established for the Goglio range of degassing valves, flexible packaging, aseptic bags and filling/packing machinery systems.

Jet Technologies now supplies the Goglio valve to a large portion of the Australian coffee market, with large stock holdings held in Sydney with a consistent turnover to ensure the freshest valves are delivered to customers every time.

GMD Packaging, an Australian packaging provider for the food and beverage industry is one such customer that has benefitted from the use of the valve. The company was introduced to the product by a Canadian client five years ago and now uses it exclusively across all of its coffee packaging. “After trialling a few brands to no avail, we were sent samples of the Goglio valve and found that they were far superior to what we had previously used,” says Managing Director Graeme Mariott.

He continues: “Freshly roasted coffee beans give off a great deal of gas which causes a lot of pressure and results in the bag blowing up like a pillow. If that pressure isn’t released, then the bag can burst. Using the Goglio valve releases this pressure, while preventing any oxygen getting inside the bag. We’ve used millions and millions of them.”

But, even though the valve has a legion of worldwide fans, there are still industry debates surrounding the timing of the actual packing of the coffee. Jet’s Sam says the topic of the degassing period for beans and ground coffee prior to packing is still the subject of much debate. “Finding that balance between ‘ageing’ the coffee before packing, while still ensuring the beans and ground coffee are packed during the degassing phase is topical within the industry and there are many theories on this process,” he says. “That is, in terms of the time required and its resultant impact on the residual carbon dioxide, its extraction characteristics, aroma, crema appearance and flavour profile.

“Of course, another key point to consider is the roasting profile, that is, the duration and temperature of the roast, as well as pre and, or, post blending techniques. A coffee bean that has been roasted lightly will have more elastic and less porous cell structures and therefore will take much longer to completely release the carbon dioxide compared with a very dark roasted coffee that degasses at a faster rate.”

Sam says that since taking up the valve, Jet Technologies has witnessed many plants large and small throughout the world not degassing both ground coffee and coffee beans during their processing, but instead packing as soon as product temperature and plant processes permit.

“I suppose what we try and encourage within the industry is to actually test and measure if we can achieve the same degassing process and product ‘readiness’ for sale or dispatch that we do in a vented silo, by ‘creating’ that in a sealed bag with a degassing valve – they are essentially the same environment.

“It is possible that the movement of the coffee through the plant via transfer methods actually accelerates the product’s readiness for packing, rather than the degassing period sitting in a vented silo with minimal exposure to oxygen.”

It is a complex topic and many theories abound. “If we can encourage through trialling and testing the above process; then the benefits to work in progress, post and/or pre blending methods, roasting profiles, silo capacities, variant management, streamlined plant processes, and so on, should be obvious,” Sam says.