The Italian Espresso National Institute (Inei), which has been committed to the protection and dissemination of Italian Espresso since 20 years ago, has decided to become Inei Limited Co. Benefit, in order to make its actions even more intense and effective.

The Italian Espresso National Institute (Inei) gathers 35 members including equipment manufacturers, coffee roasters and supporting companies (aggregate turnover of approximately € 700 million). The decision to transform into Inei Limited Co. Benefit has been taken to make Inei’s commitment to the protection and dissemination of Italian Espresso ever more intense and effective.

"Inei was born in 1998. Twenty years after its foundation we have opted for a transformation that will allow us greater and better operations – commented Paolo Nadalet, the president of Inei – The legal form of Limited Co. Benefit was chosen to protect the spirit of Inei, as this form requires the board of directors to identify and pursue social interest purposes, to be duly reported at the end of each financial year".

"The protection of the Italian Espresso obviously remains the heart of Inei’s action and, in this sense, it will continue to guide our choices – added Luigi Odello, secretary general of Inei – Our commitment remains strong on both the national and the international markets, in terms of training of operators, with the support of the International Institute of Coffee Tasters (Iiac), as well as in terms of product quality control and events to help dissemination, such as our Italian Espresso Champion Competition".

Inei was assisted by the Ntcm law firm with a team comprising Vittorio Noseda, Luigi Ardizzone and Fabio Rebesco.

New certification sessions for Italian Espresso and for Espresso Italiano Trainers will take place in Brescia (Italy) from the 27th to the 30th October 2014, just after the international exhibition Triestespresso.

The Italian Espresso certification programme is run by the Italian Espresso National Institute (Inei) in cooperation with the International Institute of Coffee Tasters (Iiac). It is made up of two modules (M1 Espresso Italiano Tasting and M2 Espresso Italiano Specialist). The two courses will take place on the 27th and 28th October and are valid for the Inei’s certification Italian Espresso.

The certification programme for Espresso Italiano Trainers will immediately follow on the 29th and 30th October. Candidate trainers have to attend two more modules (M3 Senses Brain Sensory Analysis and EIT Espresso Italiano Trainer course). Certified trainers will be entitled to hold the sensory seminar Espresso Italiano Experience on behalf of the Iiac. The content of the seminar includes information on espresso and tasting techniques with the final aim of teaching the students how to assess the quality of Italian coffee. Each student receives a certificate after passing the thoery and tasting exams at the end of the seminar. There are more than 100 Espresso Italiano Trainers in the world.

For more information, please download the PDF or write to carlo.odello@italiantasters.com.

by Luigi Odello *

Anyone who travels knows that the expression “Italian espresso” is often improperly used to describe a kind of coffee that has nothing to do with the real Italian espresso essence. It is a reality showing the lack of real product culture and sometimes even bad faith.

In recent years, much has been done to try to effectively defend this “Made in Italy” symbol. The Italian Espresso National Institute, in collaboration with the International Institute of Coffee Tasters and the Centro Studi Assaggiatori – Italian Tasters encoded the Certified Italian Espresso profile and then launched an appropriate certification.

The efforts of the Italian Espresso National Institute did not remain unheard: today that sensory profile has international legitimacy. However, if we want to defend the Italian Espresso tradition we must gather everyone who, also in far countries, believes in this product and its culture.

This is the reason why the International Institute of Coffee Tasters, which boasts a register of more than 8,000 students in more than 40 countries worldwide, has decided to create a new position: the Espresso Italiano Trainer. The aim is to train ambassadors of the Italian Espresso culture spread to the four corners of the Earth who will pass on information and basic tasting techniques to students in order to evaluate the drink. They will have only one objective in mind: prepare their students to expose false Italian Espressos and reward the best ones.

If you want get more information, just write to carlo.odello@italiantasters.com.

* Chairman of the board of the International Institute of Coffee Tasters