Are you looking to make sure you are drinking mold free coffee? We look at the top rated mold free coffee brands as well as mycotoxin science.
It’s no secret that coffee is popular. But, there’s ongoing evidence that shows that drinking coffee can have some health benefits, even when you add sugar. While some of us will skip the sweetener, the caffeine hit and rich taste of coffee are too good to pass up for many folks waking up each morning.
However, to get those health benefits, you have to fight back against a hidden health detractor inside some commercial coffee. Let’s take a look at how mold can end up inside coffee and how to find mold free coffee that helps people reach those benefits.
Why Is There Mold in My Coffee?
While it may not seem like it when you look inside your coffee in the morning, there can be mold floating around there. Specifically, there might be the poisons left over by the mold, called mycotoxins.
These toxins appear in coffee due to the long storage times coffee can go under before being processed. As coffee sits, the mold or fungi left on the coffee beans can grow and develop somewhat, increasing the number of mycotoxins in the batch.
Dave Asprey’s “Moldy” documentary covers a lot of what goes into coffee storage and how some modern practices aren’t helping consumers feel healthy when drinking coffee. In the film, there’s plenty of info about how coffee makers can avoid causing these problems while delivering a satisfying cup of joe.
How to Find Mycotoxin Free Coffee
Whether you have a sensitivity or not, drinking mold with your coffee isn’t appetizing. If you need some help finding coffee without mycotoxins, here are some details to look out for:
- Look for coffee processed via the wet bean method instead of the dry bean method as this helps wash out most of the mold and mycotoxins
- Choose coffee grown at higher elevations where mold is less likely to grow.
- Avoid decaf coffee – caffeine works as a mycotoxin inhibitor, meaning that caffeine helps keep fungi from growing out of control in your coffee.
Unfortunately, not all coffee brands display these details on their containers or websites. It might take some digging to find this info, assuming it even exists out there for the public to read.
Mold Free Coffee Brands
To get you started, we found some of the top mold-free coffee brands out there right now. Here’s a primer on what each of the brands is like:
Bulletproof Coffee
One of Dave Asprey’s projects, Bulletproof Coffee is one of the first biohacker products Asprey put out for consumers. Made with the intent of improving health and promoting clean eating, Bulletproof Coffee has a certified process it uses to ensure the coffee has no mycotoxins inside it.
The problem is that the testing process and results are hidden away by Bulletproof. They don’t use any third-party testing to verify their clean and healthy claims, meaning the coffee faces skepticism sometimes.
Still, they are Rainforest Alliance Certified and source their coffee from high-elevation areas in Guatemala and Colombia.
Danger Coffee
Another project from the mind of Dave Asprey, Danger Coffee is a remineralized coffee meant to provide trace minerals many people lack in their diets. These minerals promote healthy metabolism, higher energy, and better sleep. In total, the product claims to have around 50 minerals added to the coffee in addition to being mold-free.
Much like Asprey’s other coffee products, Danger Coffee doesn’t disclose how they test for their mycotoxin levels. Also, as a newer product, Danger Coffee doesn’t have the same certifications and history that Bulletproof does.
Kicking Horse Coffee
The Canadian coffee producer Kicking Horse Coffee works to create coffee that is sustainable and socially responsible while also being healthy. Their website mentions that the vast majority of their coffee beans are wet-processed, grown in high elevation areas, and stored in low humidity portions of the country.
Plus, the coffee Kicking Horse produces is USDA Organic, Canada Organic, and Fair Trade Certified.
The mold levels in the coffee are checked by third-party laboratories. Each batch of coffee has had a 100% pass rate so far, though specific batch information isn’t available from customer service.
Natural Force Clean Coffee
Natural Force Coffee is one of the products made by Natural Force, a health supplement and whole food producer. The company’s goal is to offer simple and healthy options for consumers in a sustainable way.
The coffee boasts a higher antioxidant count thanks to the roasting technique used by Natural Force to preserve these compounds. Additionally, the coffee is certified to be vegan and Paleo-friendly.
Unlike others on this list, Natural Force shares their third-party lab results with their customers as the results come in.
Fabula Coffee
Fabula Coffee gets its name from the story they believe each coffee bean tells when making a cup of coffee. While the flowery image is sweet, the best part is the clean coffee the company produces through farms in Peru. Thanks to this partnership, Fabula offers multiple grinds and blends of coffee, all roasted fresh to order.
As of now, Fabula only has the USDA Organic certification.
The company tests for over 350 different kinds of pesticides, mycotoxins, and other contaminants for its coffee. Any batch of coffee with less than 100% passing rates doesn’t go out to customers.
Purity Coffee
As one of the first attempts to make mold-free coffee, Purity Coffee has plenty going for it. The goal of the coffee is to produce coffee scientifically proven to be healthy for humans without adding extra stuff to the roasted beans.
In addition to its USDA Organic certification, the company also has the Rainforest Alliance Certification.
The company provides plenty of resources on both the results of their coffee’s contaminant testing addition to its ongoing education regarding healthy coffee. Purity is one of the most transparent healthy coffee companies out there, going as far as to offer info about specific batches when asked by consumers.
FAQ
Since mold-free coffee is a new topic for most folks, here are the answers to some common questions out there about it:
How do you know if coffee is mold-free?
Without testing yourself, looking for certifications or third-party testing on different coffee brands can help you find mold-free coffee. Other labels, like USDA Organic and high-altitude farm partnerships, also indicate coffee likely to be mold-free.
Does Folgers coffee have mold?
Folgers and other bargain coffee brands tend to use Robusta coffee beans over Arabica. While Robusta beans are easier to produce, they also are more susceptible to mold and fungi growth than Arabica beans. Most Folgers blends will have at least some leftover mycotoxin inside of them.
Why should I avoid mold in my coffee?
While the amount of mycotoxin in a cup of coffee won’t mean much to most folks, people with mold sensitivities or allergies can have bad reactions to moldy coffee. If you know you have this sensitivity, looking for mold-free brands of coffee will allow you to enjoy your coffee without it fighting you back!
Summary
Coffee can get moldy when it sits out for too long before roasting. To keep this from happening, some coffee manufacturers go out of their way to grow and process coffee in ways to reduce the growth of mold. High altitudes, wet-processing, and shorter storage periods all have a part to play in this mindfulness.
Even if you aren’t sensitive to mold, cutting back on the unhealthy things riding along in your coffee could help improve your overall health or how you feel. Take a look at some of these brands we’ve mentioned and see if any of them might help you feel healthier!