Yet another fear factor has been introduced into our lives. This is the fear of mycotoxins in our coffee. Mycotoxins are produced by fungi and the current concern is that fungus on wet coffee beans produces mycotoxins that will hurt you. Recently Bullet Proof Coffee has promoted their coffee is mycotoxin free due to how the coffee is processed. They, of course, charge a premium for their coffee. How dangerous are mycotoxins? What is your risk when you drink organic or regular coffee? And can you get organic coffee without mycotoxins?
Health Effects of Mycotoxins
The National Institutes of Health provide an overview of the health effects of mycotoxins.
Scientific literature revealed a linkage between ingesting mycotoxin contaminated food and illness, especially hepatic, gastrointestinal, and carcinogenic diseases. Issues related to mycotoxin exposure.
Although there is agreement that diet is the main source of mycotoxin exposure, specific health effects and risk assessment from indoor nonagricultural exposure are limited by the paucity of scientific evidence currently available.
There are many mycotoxins but the one most often mentioned in regard to coffee is ochratoxin A (OTA). The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations discusses ochratoxin A contamination in coffee.
OTA is one of several naturally occurring toxins, known as mycotoxins, which are produced by molds that grow on crops in the field or in storage. OTA present in green coffee is not completely eliminated during the coffee roasting process.
This issue was studied and guidelines for the prevention of mold formation in coffee were developed. In general the recommendations are for healthy and sustainable agricultural practices such as cleaning up fallen fruit, avoiding overhead irrigation around flowering of the coffee plant, weeding and pruning to maintain healthy plants and not composting with substances likely to promote mold growth around coffee plants.
How coffee is harvested is also an issue. We wrote about this in regard to the small organic coffee farmer versus large commercial operations. When overripe fruit is harvested or when fallen fruit is harvested it increases the risk of mold contamination. Thus you are more likely to get organic coffee without mycotoxins from a dedicated organic grower than from a large regular coffee producer.
Moldy Coffee Tastes Worse
Coffee with bad, moldy beans tastes bad. If you are buying cheap coffee and don’t like the taste, part of the issue might be mold contamination.
What Should You Do?
Freshgroundroast.com offers their opinion on the subject of mycotoxin free coffee and they say don’t buy the B.S! They note that the many studies of the health benefits of drinking coffee do not specify what kind of coffee and certainly not which brand. Coffee is good for you over the years no matter what kind you drink and this is based on caffeine content and antioxidants.
Companies that offer “mycotoxin free coffee” say that using a wet processing method reduces or eliminates mycotoxins. The problem with this argument is that mycotoxins are ubiquitous. They are found in dark chocolate and wine, raisins and peanuts and it beer. Most grains contain trace amounts of mycotoxins as do many water supplies.
It would appear that the tiny amounts of these chemicals to which we are routinely exposed do not create a great health risk. If you want to avoid the risk of higher amounts of mycotoxins in your coffee stick with high quality organic coffee and avoid any cheap and bad tasting brew.