Our coffees are graded to Specialty Coffee Association standards. This includes ensuring sustainable practices are followed from seed to cup. Following this process ensures that our coffees pass 3rd-party testing of mycotoxins, heavy metals, and mold/yeast.
What exactly are mycotoxins? How do they impact my health?
- Mycotoxins are toxic compounds made by certain molds that can grow on crops like coffee when they’re improperly dried or stored. At high, long-term exposure levels, some mycotoxins can affect the liver, kidneys, or immune system.
What exactly are heavy metals? How do they impact my health?
- Trace amounts of heavy metals are present in many foods as they exist naturally in soil. To keep exposure below harmful thresholds regulatory agencies set safety limits. Long term/over-exposer can lead to neurological damage and organ dysfunction. Our coffees are tested to ensure they are free of Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, and Arsenic.
What exactly are mold/yeast? How do they impact my health?
- As coffee cherries ferment, they produce acids, alcohols, and other compounds that change the flavor of the beans, giving notes that can be fruity, floral, or complex. Roasting kills the yeast but preserves these flavor changes. A yeast “contamination” usually means uncontrolled or unexpected yeast growth, which can alter flavor or indicate poor processing conditions while yeast itself is generally harmless after roasting, dangerous mold contamination can produce toxins that survive roasting and pose health risks such as allergic reactions, digestive issues, and inflammation.