What do you test for?Updated 5 hours ago
We believe you should know exactly what’s going into your cup. That’s why we test our coffee at multiple stages, using an IAS-accredited third-party laboratory, and we test every lot and every roast.
Our testing covers four key areas:
Mold & Mycotoxins
Mycotoxins can develop when coffee is improperly dried or stored, so we screen every green coffee lot for 14 different mycotoxins, including all four aflatoxins, Ochratoxin A, Deoxynivalenol, Fumonisins B1/B2/B3, T-2 and HT-2 toxins, and Zearalenone.
We can detect aflatoxins and Ochratoxin A down to 1 µg/kg.
What we test: 14 mycotoxin compounds Detection level: Down to 1 µg/kg When we test: Green beans, before and after roasting
Pesticides
We screen for 500+ individual pesticide residues, including insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides commonly used in coffee farming around the world.
Our testing can detect individual compounds at levels as low as 0.010 mg/kg, giving us a broad look at agricultural chemical residues from the farm through processing and storage.
What we test: 500+ pesticide compounds Detection level: Down to 0.010 mg/kg When we test: Green beans, before roasting
Glyphosate
Glyphosate is one of the most commonly used herbicides in agriculture, which is why we give it its own dedicated test in addition to our broader pesticide screening.
We test for glyphosate down to 0.010 mg/kg and reject lots that test above 0.25 mg/kg.
What we test: Glyphosate Detection level: Down to 0.010 mg/kg When we test: Green beans, before roasting
Heavy Metals
We test for arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead at multiple stages because a single test doesn't tell the whole story.
Coffee plants can naturally absorb trace amounts of certain metals from the soil. We test our finished grounds down to 0.010 mg/kg, then take it a step further by testing brewed coffee down to 1 µg/L.
Why test the brewed cup? Because that's what you actually drink. Testing after brewing helps us understand what, if any, heavy metals transfer from the grounds into the finished cup.
What we test: Arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead Detection level: Down to 0.010 mg/kg in grounds and 1 µg/L in brewed coffee When we test: Finished beans/grounds and brewed coffee
The Bottom Line
We're not just checking for one or two common contaminants. Every lot and every roast goes through extensive third-party testing for 500+ pesticides, 14 mycotoxins, glyphosate, and four key heavy metals.
We take testing seriously because you deserve to know what's in your coffee — from the bean all the way to the cup.