Study: Store-bought coffee has some contaminants, but remains safe
Your morning coffee is mostly free from harmful levels of toxins and contaminants, but a new investigation shows there's room for improvement.
"While some contaminants were present, most were found at minimal levels and well below the European Union's safety limits per 6-ounce serving. This means coffee is generally safe," Molly Hamilton, executive director of the nonprofit Clean Label Project, which led the testing, told CNN.
Research has linked drinking about 3 cups of black coffee a day to a lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, liver disease, stroke, dementia and more.
The Clean Label Project analyzed coffee from 45 popular brands grown in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Kenya, Peru and Hawaii. More than 7,000 tests were run for pesticides, heavy metals, plasticizers and mold toxins.
The results:
Glyphosate: Traces of this widely used weed killer were found, along with "significant" amounts of aminomethylphosphonic acid, its byproduct. AMPA can persist in the environment and has been linked to DNA damage and liver inflammation.
Phthalates: These plastic chemicals, linked to reproductive issues, childhood obesity, cancer and asthma, were detected in some coffees. Levels were highest in canned coffee, followed by pods, then bags.
Heavy metals: Amounts varied by region, with African coffees having the lowest levels and Hawaiian coffees the highest, likely due to volcanic soil. Examples of heavy metals include lead, mercury and arsenic.
Acrylamide: All samples contained small amounts of this chemical, which forms during roasting. It has been linked to cancer in animal studies but is not considered harmful to humans at low levels. Medium roasts had the most acrylamide, followed by light roasts, then dark roasts.
Organic coffees generally had lower contaminant levels, but all 12 organic samples still contained AMPA. Hamilton said this could owe to runoff from nearby conventional farms.
"Our next study is going to be analyzing the packaging assembly line," he said in a report from CNN.
David Andrews is acting chief science officer for the Environmental Working Group.
"The higher phthalate levels found in coffee pods and canned coffee suggest that packaging could be a meaningful source of exposure to these chemicals of concern," he told CNN.
The National Coffee Association, however, pushed back, telling CNN that it's "highly irresponsible to mislead Americans about the safety of their favorite beverage."
"Decades of independent scientific evidence show that coffee drinkers live longer, healthier lives," NCA President and CEO William "Bill" Murray said.
Hamilton said coffee drinkers can limit contaminants by:
Choosing darker or very light roasts
Opting for coffee in bags or pods
Considering where the coffee is grown
"Caffeinated coffee is still one of the cleanest product categories we've ever tested," Hamilton said.
"Our report isn't meant to raise alarm or keep consumers from drinking coffee, but rather to empower people on how to choose the cleanest, safest cup of coffee," he added.
More information
NutritionFacts.org has more on light versus dark roast coffee.
Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
10 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Diabetes Discovery Reduces 'Life Threatening' Complication Risk
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The discovery of a new biological pathway may explain why people with type 2 diabetes are twice as prone to dangerous blood clots—putting them at risk of heart attack and stroke. This is the conclusion of researchers from the University of Sydney, who say their findings may pave the way for new treatments that reduce this danger. "People with type 2 diabetes have a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes. Part of the reason for this is that their platelets are hyper-reactive," paper author and hematologist professor Freda Passam told Newsweek. Platelets are small cell fragments found in our blood that form clots to help stop bleeding. The high levels of blood sugar seen in diabetes, however, cause biochemical changes that make them "stickier", Passam explained, so they can clot when not needed to. The hematologist continued: "Drugs like aspirin prevent platelets from clotting, but are three times less effective in people with type 2 diabetes. Understanding why platelets are more active in diabetes opens the door to develop drugs that target this newly discovered pathway." In their study, the team found that the levels of a protein called "SEC61B" is significantly increased in the platelets—the tiny blood cells that help form clots—of people with type 2 diabetes. The protein appears to disrupt calcium balance inside platelets, making them more likely to clump together and form clots, the researchers explained. The researchers found that blocking SEC61B activity with an antibiotic called anisomycin reduced platelet clumping in both human samples and animal models. Smiling woman checking her blood sugar levels. Smiling woman checking her blood sugar levels. JLco -Around 1 in 10 Americans (more than 38 million people) live with diabetes, of which 90–95 percent have type 2, which occurs when insulin doesn't work properly or there's not enough of it. While type 2 diabetes typically develops in people aged 45 and over, children, teens and young adults are increasingly developing the condition as well. "People living with type 2 diabetes are vulnerable to increased risk of blood clots," Passam said in a statement. "These exciting findings identify a whole new way to reduce this risk and help prevent life-threatening complications like heart attack and stroke." In their study, the team analyzed both human and mouse platelets, discovering that SEC61B contributes to calcium leakage from the platelets' stores, making the cell fragments more reactive. The Australia-based researchers noted that the condition is "more prevalent in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and in rural and regional communities." "Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in this group, partly due to the heightened activity of platelets—the tiny blood cells that help form clots," they explained. "This heightened platelet sensitivity to clotting also makes traditional anti-coagulant treatments less effective in people with type 2 diabetes, limiting the options to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease." Treatments targeting SEC61B are still in early stages. However, the researchers believe pre-clinical trials in animals could begin within 1–2 years, with potential therapies for patients likely to be available in the next decade. Do you have a tip on a health story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question type 2 diabetes? Let us know via health@ Reference Kong, Y. X., Rehan, R., Moreno, C. L., Madsen, S., Zhang, Y., Zhao, H., Qi, M., Houlahan, C., Cartland, S. P., Robertshaw, D., Trang, V., Ong, F. J. L., Liu, M., Cheng, E., Alwis, I., Dupuy, A., Cielesh, M., Cooke, K. C., Potter, M., Stӧckli, J., Morahan, G., Kalev-Zylinska, M., Rondina, M. T., Schulman, S., Yang, J., Neely, G. G., Schoenwaelder, S., Jackson, S., James, D., Kavurma, M. M., Hocking, S., Twigg, S. M., Weaver, J., Larance, M., & Passam, F. H. (2025). SEC61B regulates calcium flux and platelet hyperreactivity in diabetes. Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Politico
10 minutes ago
- Politico
How thyroid drugs became a MAHA flashpoint
Driving the Day THYROID DRUG PUSHBACK — A recent FDA letter to makers and distributors of a decades-old thyroid medication has stoked outrage among a subset of pharmacists and wellness influencers linked to the Make America Healthy Again movement led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The products in question are known as desiccated thyroid extracts, which are 'the dried, ground-up thyroid glands of pigs,' according to Tenille Davis, the Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding's chief advocacy officer. The animal-derived drugs, which predate the FDA as an institution, are among the treatment options for people with an underactive thyroid, or hypothyroidism, though the agency says most patients take FDA-approved synthetic hormone replacements. But last week, the FDA informed firms that market animal-derived versions that it would take action if they continued to sell them. The agency said it received more than 500 adverse event reports from the products between 1968 and February 2025 — with a substantial increase seen between 2019 and 2020. 'FDA is committed to pursuing the first-ever approval of desiccated thyroid extract, pending results of the ongoing clinical trials. In the mean time, we will ensure access for all Americans,' FDA Commissioner Marty Makary posted on social media platform X on Thursday. The agency said it would give 'adequate time' for providers to transition patients to FDA-approved options, noting it expects them to need about 12 months. The uproar: Some wellness influencers with ties to Kennedy panned the FDA's move on social media and urged their followers to sign online petitions urging the agency to back down. Brigham Buhler, who owns the compounding pharmacy ReviveRX and is aligned with many of Kennedy's policy priorities, suggested the agency's position favors AbbVie, which makes synthetic thyroid medicines and has another candidate in clinical trials. 'Is this an example of fda working for Pharma again to create another monopoly over a drug that has been used for 100 plus years so that they can raise the prices like Pharma bro Martin [Shkreli] again?' he said in a text message. AbbVie said it would work with the agency to ensure access is not interrupted. The FDA did not respond to an interview request. 'With our ongoing clinical trials, we remain committed to these patients and their providers,' AbbVie posted Thursday on X. Why it matters: The drugs are used to prevent side effects of hypothyroidism, such as fatigue and weight gain. A doctor must closely monitor dosing because the margin between a low dose that might not be effective and a high dose that could cause side effects is small. Davis said some patients don't respond well to the synthetic drugs. While their blood panels might suggest the medication works, she said, patients continue to 'feel really crappy' until they switch to the animal-derived versions. Those people might be in the minority, Davis said, but they're still a sizeable population given the number of Americans with hypothyroidism. 'It's happened enough times where these patients aren't crazy,' she said. IT'S FRIDAY. WELCOME BACK TO PRESCRIPTION PULSE. The FDA cautioned against sunscreens that come in mousse form this week, saying they might not be effective. Send tips to David Lim (dlim@ @davidalim or davidalim.49 on Signal) and Lauren Gardner (lgardner@ @Gardner_LM or gardnerlm.01 on Signal). AROUND THE AGENCIES VAX SAFETY GROUP IS BACK — HHS said Thursday it's bringing back a 1990s-era task force on safer childhood vaccines, fulfilling a demand made by the secretary's old colleagues at an anti-vaccine group, Lauren reports. The department is reinstating the group, which was created by the 1986 law establishing a compensation program for vaccine-injured people, 'to improve the safety, quality, and oversight of vaccines administered to American children,' HHS said in a statement. NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya will lead the effort, with leaders from the FDA and the CDC participating. An HHS spokesperson didn't specify who else from the agencies would sit on the panel. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long questioned the safety of the modern childhood vaccination schedule, suggesting the number of shots young kids receive may contribute to myriad chronic conditions, including autism. Dozens of scientific studies have found no link between vaccines and autism. Background: The Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines' earlier iteration disbanded in 1998 after issuing recommendations for ways the government could support the development of safer vaccines, improve adverse event surveillance and educate the public about their benefits and risks. But the law that established the task force also directed HHS to report to Congress every two years about actions it had taken to promote safer products — a paperwork burden that the Kennedy-founded group Children's Health Defense says was never met. HHS's announcement came the day before the federal government is due to respond to CHD's May lawsuit regarding Kennedy's failure to reestablish the task force. In a deadline extension request filed last month and approved, Justice Department lawyers indicated the parties could reach a settlement. 'It took nearly 30 years for HHS to do this, but at last, we have an HHS secretary who is following the law on this vital issue,' CHD President and CEO Mary Holland said in a statement. What's next: The task force is supposed to collaborate with the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines, a lesser-known federal advisory committee in the vaccine space, in developing its recommendations. The secretary can appoint up to nine ACCV voting members, evenly split among health professionals, attorneys and the general public — at least two of whom have children who were injured by a vaccine. Of the current roster, no member's term ends before July 2026, and it's unclear whether Kennedy might try to shake it up before then as he did with the CDC's independent vaccine panel. Drug Pricing LILLY'S MFN PLAY? Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly said Thursday it would raise prices on its drugs in European markets as a way to lower costs for American consumers — an apparent response to President Donald Trump's most-favored-nation pressure campaign, Lauren writes. The statement came two weeks after Trump sent letters to the leaders of major drug manufacturers — and posted them on social media — demanding they embrace most-favored-nation pricing that ties U.S. prices to lower figures paid in other wealthy nations or face unknown consequences. 'Lilly supports the administration's goal of keeping the United States the world's leading destination for biopharmaceutical research and manufacturing, and the objective of more fairly sharing the costs of breakthrough medical research across developed countries,' the company said in a statement. When asked to elaborate on how the drugmaker will achieve that goal — and which drugs may be implicated — a company spokesperson referred to the online statement. Eye on the FDA GOLD STANDARD SCIENCE? The FDA quietly posted a new staff manual laying out the 'core tenets of gold standard science' online this week, following up on an executive order from President Donald Trump in May. 'In conducting our mission to protect and promote public health, FDA must generate and evaluate science in a manner that ensures FDA will make sound, objective decisions,' the staff manual states. 'Preserving and promoting GSS is essential to ensuring that FDA's mission succeeds and our regulatory decisions advance public health.' The document says the FDA will focus on reproducibility and replicable science, transparency in its research process, communication of errors and uncertainty and encouragement of collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches in science. It also says the FDA will embrace 'a culture of constructive skepticism in science through policies and programs that emphasize critical evaluation, transparency and objectivity,' values science that includes testable hypotheses with 'explicitly defined measurable criteria for falsification,' and recognizes the value of studies that have negative results. Document Drawer FDA Commissioner Marty Makary met with Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) on July 30 to discuss abortion pill mifepristone, according to newly posted public calendar disclosures. He also held an introductory meeting with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) on July 31. The FDA will hold a public meeting on Sept. 19 to discuss how to advance the development of interchangeable biosimilar products. The Health Resources and Services Administration is asking for feedback on its recommendation to add Duchenne muscular dystrophy and metachromatic leukodystrophy to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel — a step that would require most insurers to cover the screenings without cost-sharing. WHAT WE'RE READING Costco will not dispense abortion pill mifepristone at its pharmacies, Bloomberg's Jeff Green and Jessica Nix report. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday directing HHS to stock drug ingredients to help bolster domestic supply, Lauren reports.
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
New species of Prehistoric whale discovered off Australia
Aug. 13 (UPI) -- Prehistoric fossils have led to the discovery of an ancient whale species off the coast of Australia. Scientists said the species, Janjucetus dullardi, is one of the earliest cousins of modern whales but was not an ocean giant, researchers from Museums Victoria Research Institute said. The whale has been described as a fast, sharp-toothed predator about the size of a dolphin with a short snout, large forward-facing eyes and slicing teeth, according to a study. "It's essentially a little whale with big eyes and a mouth full of sharp, slicing teeth. Imagine the shark-like version of a baleen whale, small and deceptively cute, but definitely not harmless," said Ruairidh Duncan, lead author of the study. The ancient whale was named after a Victoria resident Ross Dullard found the fossil, a partial skull with ear bones and teeth, found in 2019 as he walked along the beach. "This kind of public discovery and its reporting to the museum is vital," said Erich Fitzgerald, senior curator of vertebrate palaeontology at Museums Victoria Research Institute and senior author of the study. "Ross' discovery has unlocked an entire chapter of whale evolution we've never seen before. It's a reminder that world-changing fossils can be found in your own backyard." The fossil fragments found belonged to a juvenile specimen that belonged to a group of whales known as mammalodontis, which lived 30 to 23 million years ago. These fragments mark the third known species from Victoria, and the fourth found worldwide. It was also the first of its kind to preserve both the teeth and inner ear structures. "The findings demonstrate the power of our collections to unlock stories that change the way we understand life on Earth. Thanks to the generosity of the public and the expertise of our scientists," CEO and Director of Museums Victoria said. "Museums Victoria Research Institute is making globally significant contributions to evolutionary research. Discoveries like Janjucetus dullardi remind us that our collections are not just about the past they're shaping the future of science."
