Hidden Dangers in Your Coffee
Coffee beans are one of the most commonly contaminated foods with molds and mycotoxins on earth.
Mycotoxins, toxic compounds produced by molds, can oftentimes be present in coffee beans and pose potential health risks if consumed in high amounts over time. These toxins, including ochratoxin A and aflatoxins, often develop on coffee beans if they’re improperly stored in warm, humid conditions.
Long-term exposure to high levels of mycotoxins may lead to various health issues, such as immune suppression, kidney damage, and even an increased risk of certain cancers.
Mold & Mycotoxins: What’s the Difference?
Mold and mycotoxins aren’t the same; rather, mycotoxins are toxins produced by certain types of mold under the right conditions. Specifically, only particular molds create mycotoxins, and they need high moisture levels and a conducive storage environment to do so. In the coffee trade, it’s not unusual for green coffee beans to have mold spores before roasting. Fortunately, roasting destroys most molds and their spores, but it’s less effective at eliminating mycotoxins that may have already developed due to improper storage.
Among mycotoxins, one to watch out for in coffee is Ochratoxin A (OTA), a common contaminant that develops naturally and is rather prevalent (which is also an immunosuppressant, which means it hurts the body’s ability to heal or protect itself from disease). In fact, one study found that over 50% of the coffee beans tested had traces of this mycotoxin, which is problematic for health.
For individuals with sensitivities, frequent consumption of contaminated coffee could exacerbate these risks, highlighting the importance of choosing coffee from reputable sources that adhere to rigorous testing and quality controls to ensure safety.
A Better Coffee
This is why we love and recommend Purity Coffee. All of their beans go through a rigorous third-party testing for mold, mycotoxins, and contaminants, and are regeneratively farmed, organic, specialty-grade that undergo a customized roasting process that optimizes the levels of antioxidants, bioactive compounds, and micronutrients contained in our coffee.
The only way to avoid drinking OTA is to choose coffee that was never contaminated in the first place. That means only choosing coffee that is laboratory tested for OTA. Purity Coffee does not and will not purchase any green coffee unless it tests free of Ochratoxin and Aflatoxin. Once the coffee leaves its country of origin and lands at the roastery, conditions in the warehouse will not allow OTA to develop. Therefore, there will never be OTA in your Purity Coffee. And just to be absolutely sure, they spot check our finished products in independent labs.
If you’d like to give these beans a try, stop by the office and grab a bag on your next visit, or you can purchase on their website. The code Longevity20 gets you 20% off your first order.
