Mold & mycotoxins
Mold Free Coffee: What You Should Know
There's a lot of fear around mold and mycotoxins in coffee, but there's also a lot of misinformation. Keep reading to learn what they are, how they can affect coffee, and the steps we take to provide mold free coffee backed by independent testing.
Third Party Tested for Mold & Mycotoxins
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The industry norm
Does Coffee Have Mold?
Mold is rare in high-quality coffee that's properly processed and handled, but concerns around mold and mycotoxins have become a common marketing message in the coffee industry.
The reality is that it typically takes poor handling, excess moisture, or improper storage to create conditions where mold can develop. Even though the risk is low, independent testing is one of the ways we uphold our quality standards and verify that our coffee is mold-free. For you, that means added confidence and peace of mind in every cup.
Conditions that can increase the risk of mold.
Drying
After harvest, coffee needs to be dried to an appropriate moisture level. If it stays too wet or dries unevenly, conditions can become favorable for mold growth.
Storage
Coffee can absorb moisture from its environment even after it has been properly dried. Controlling humidity during storage helps keep it dry and reduces the risk of mold.
Transportation
Coffee can encounter changing temperatures and humidity as it moves through the supply chain. Keeping it properly protected from moisture helps maintain its quality along the way.
The difference
What Are Mold and Mycotoxins in Coffee?
Mold and mycotoxins are often talked about together, but they're not the same thing. Understanding the difference helps put concerns around coffee into context.
Mold
Mold is a type of fungus that can grow on agricultural products, including coffee, when conditions such as moisture allow it to develop.
Mycotoxins
Mycotoxins are naturally occurring compounds that certain types of mold can produce. Their presence depends on factors including the type of mold and the conditions in which it grows.
As more people look for mold free coffee brands, concerns about mold and mycotoxins often come down to how their presence in coffee could affect health and wellness.
We understand why that matters, which is why we independently test our coffee for mold and mycotoxins, as well as pesticides and glyphosate. We also make the results publicly available so you can see the data for yourself and enjoy your coffee with added peace of mind.
Before the lab
Quality Starts Before the Lab
We want you to feel confident about the coffee you drink every day, which is why we take its quality and what goes into it seriously. That work starts at origin, where proper growing, drying, storage, and handling all play an important role in reducing the risk of mold.
Third-party testing provides the final confirmation, but it's only one part of the process.
Carefully Grown
100% USDA Organic, specialty-grade coffee — no synthetic pesticides anywhere in the supply chain.
Direct Relationships
We buy direct from more than 6,000 smallholder producers across Latin America.
Properly Dried
Coffee is dried at origin to remove the excess moisture mold needs to grow.
Carefully Stored & Handled
It stays protected from moisture and humidity through storage and transport.
Independently Tested
Samples go to an independent lab before roasting to confirm they're clean.
Roasted in Small Batches
Small batches in Rockville, Maryland keep roast-to-ship times short.
The process
How We Test Our Coffee
Once our green coffee leaves origin, it makes its way to our facility, where we take samples and send them to an independent laboratory for third-party testing.
Having the analysis performed outside of Mayorga ensures there's no bias in the results and gives us independent verification that the coffee meets our standards.
Once testing is complete, we receive a detailed lab report documenting the results for the coffee tested. And we don't keep that information to ourselves. We make our most recent lab verifications publicly available so you can review the results for yourself.
Transparency
See Our Lab Results
If you want to see the results for any of the blends you enjoy, we make them easy to find.
You can access the latest lab reports directly on each blend's product page under the 3rd Party Tested dropdown menu. You can also find all of our current reports right here, so you can see the data behind your coffee and enjoy every cup with added peace of mind.
The takeaway
What This Means for Your Coffee
All of these steps come back to one thing: giving you mold free coffee you can feel confident drinking every day. From the standards we follow at origin to independent lab testing, we put the work in so you have greater transparency and reassurance about what's in your cup.
Mold & Mycotoxin Free
Our mold and mycotoxin free coffee is independently lab-tested to verify it meets our standards.
100% USDA Organic
Our coffee is always organic, with no synthetic pesticides at any point in the supply chain.
Direct & Traceable
Our direct relationships with producers give us visibility into how our coffee is grown, dried, and stored before it reaches us.