Mold in Coffee? The Harsh Truth About Coffee Mycotoxins (2024)

Sounds unbelievable?

Here are a few moldy coffee truths:

• 45% of commercially available coffee beans contained Ochratoxin A. (Source)

• Up to 55% of green coffee beans showed the presence of Aflatoxins. (Source)

• Coffee roasting does help reduce the toxins. Still, nearly a third (27%) of roasted coffees contained Ochratoxin A. (Source)

The journey from crop to cup is a colorful one. Grab a cup of mold-free coffee because we could take hours to explain the coffee route.

Just enough time for an espresso? Then here is a summary of all the things affecting mold growth in coffee:

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  "From processing to shipping to storing coffee at home: things can get moldy at any step of the way."

COFFEE PROCESSING AND MOLD RISK

Getting rid of the outer layer of coffee beans, the mucilage, can require large amounts of water (washed processing). If not dried properly, coffee beans become a perfect growth spot for mold.

An even higher risk of coffee mold happens during natural processing. There, the outer pulp layer of the coffee cherry isn’t washed off but is left to dry.

Dry processing your coffee takes longer, and the beans spend more time wrapped around the pulpy, humid outer layer.

Most of the time, green coffee beans travel weeks in many shipping containers before they reach the roastery. During the trip, they are packed in big burlap sacks. What’s the problem there, you might think?

Well, burlap is made of jute, which is basically cellulose. And guess where the most toxic mold grows on? You got it—natural fibers like cellulose. (Thankfully, our coffee beans take a healthier route).

So, you think mold only grows on green coffee beans? Think again. The mold toxins can also form in the roastery. There are multiple steps when roasting the beans.

Each step offers mold opportunities to grow in warm temperatures and plenty of time to multiply, especially when there's no airflow (this is called an anaerobic process).

And if that isn’t scary enough, here’s one more mold-maker: heat shock proteins (HSPs). When subjected to high heat, they can undergo changes that render them toxic mold growth promoters.

Well, this is certainly exciting news for our taste buds!

But the fact that there are coffee mold spores present isn’t necessarily a health issue. Not all mold is harmful to your health.

However, certain types of mold produce nasty compounds called mycotoxins: the nasty culprits behind potential health issues.

• Aflatoxin B1. Ingesting large doses of aflatoxins via regular coffee consumption can lead to poisoning and liver damage. Worse still, there is evidence that Aflatoxins can cause liver cancer, too.

• Ochratoxins. There are three types of Ochratoxins marked as A, B, and C.

• Ochratoxin A is the most lethal one. It’s been proven to damage the liver and kidneys. And contrary to other mycotoxins, levels of Ochratoxin A don’t drop during the coffee roasting process. It means it’s the most lethal mycotoxin that gets straight into your morning cup of joe.

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  " The levels of Ochratoxin A don’t drop during the coffee roasting process. It means it’s the most lethal mycotoxin that gets straight into your morning cup of joe."

The most common symptoms from coffee mold growth are headaches, dizziness, anxiety, irritability, and stomach problems. People who drink coffee regularly or in large amounts may be more likely to experience coffee mycotoxins side effects than others.

For most people, coffee isn't toxic due to the coffee mold toxins. However, coffee mycotoxin poisoning can cause liver problems in some cases because of toxicity caused by these toxins in the body.

Coffee mycotoxin symptoms can be felt within 12 to 36 hours of coffee mold exposure. Symptoms most commonly last a few hours or a day, but in some cases, coffee toxins may cause longer-term health problems that last for weeks or months.

Mold in coffee is much more likely to affect people who drink large amounts of moldy coffee or people who have mold sensitivities. People who are affected may suffer from the following symptoms:

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Anxiety
• Irritability

Coffee plants grow at high altitudes and do not produce any coffee mold or very little of it.

Single-origin coffee beans grown on high altitudes contain fewer contaminants in general compared to coffee grown in low-lying areas since high altitudes prevent the coffee fruit from getting damaged by insects and animals, so there’s less need for pesticides either.

Wet-processed, sun-dried coffees were shown to have fewer mycotoxins than traditionally dried coffees.

So, wet processed coffees are generally the preferred option if you want to make sure there's no mold in your coffee.

No gizmo can beat the diligent eye of a skilled farmer.

When coffee beans are turned and dried by human hands, the coffee you’ll get will be way healthier than the commercial-grade, machine-processed variety.

But wait, is organic coffee mold free by default?

Not necessarily.

Certification, baby.

You’ll be surprised to see how many coffee producers actually don’t bother to get their coffee tested. That's because there aren't many mycotoxin-free coffee brands out there.

If you do manage to get hold of the analysis, it should look something like this:

Mold and mycotoxin testing should come from an independent lab. The results should clearly state:

- The testing date

- The lab specialist who conducted the tests

- A signature of the specialist or another responsible person at the lab

- The list of mycotoxins tested must contain

- The testing method used

- The value obtained and the limit of detection value (LOD)

If the value obtained through testing is lower than the LOD, the value gets a “<” symbol. It means the mycotoxin’s presence is lower than the value at which the toxin would get detected.

Do all the mycotoxins listed have a value lower than the LOD?

Then kick back, fill in your Chemex (or French Press), and enjoy the sound and aroma of your mold- and mycotoxin-free coffee being brewed.

Coffee mold is a type of fungus that can grow both in coffee beans and coffee grounds. Since mold in any form is not healthy, mold in your coffee can be dangerous for your health. It usually grows in moist conditions when you keep your coffee exposed for a long time at a high temperature.

The mold may produce toxic metabolites which are called mycotoxins. They attack multiple systems of the human body such as the nervous system, respiratory system, immune system, and digestive tract, etc., leading to various health problems.

These five health benefits of choosing mold-free coffee to maintain good health conditions are:

• Prevent Liver Damage: Mold-free coffee contains fewer mycotoxins than moldy ones.

• Prevent Tumor Growth: Mold-free coffee may decrease cancer risk by preventing tumor growth mold.

• Boost your immune system

• Enhance overall health conditions: Drinking mold-free coffee may help in enhancing overall health.

This is what our friend Dawn over from Active Clean & Green has to say about it:

“Nine years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 42. I was the first person in my family to have BC, so I wasn’t surprised when the genetic testing came back negative. My breast cancer came with loads of complications, so for the next several years, that was my focus.

My oldest daughter ended up having a baby in 2015. With the internet at her disposal, she learned all about toxins and started her toxin-free journey. As she got deeper into her journey, she started working on me. I can’t recall how many times I heard, “Mom! you had breast cancer .. it was environmentally driven .. you’ve got to make better choices!”

She also recommended a couple of movies, “The Devil You Know” being one of them. Honestly, that’s when my eyes started to open up...

So I decided to listen to my daughter and swap some of my toxic products for safe alternatives.

One of the first swaps I made was my hair care because I’ve had issues with my hair falling out ever since I got pregnant with my daughter 25 years ago. Within 3 days of using toxin-free shampoo, my hair stopped falling out. I will never forget standing in the shower, washing my hair, with only a couple of strands in my hands!! I would normally have to rinse my hands to get all the hair off.

Alarm bells were going off, and I was finally listening.”