What we test.

1. AflatoxinsB1, B2, G1, G2, sum
   FDA action level 20 µg/kg
   <4 µg/kgNot detectedExample: below the laboratory reporting limit

   Aflatoxins are compounds produced by molds that can grow on grains, nuts and coffee beans when they're stored in warm, humid conditions after harvest. They're among the most tightly regulated contaminants in food: the FDA sets an action level of 20 µg/kg.² Coffee beans can pick them up if they're dried or stored improperly before roasting.

2. Ochratoxin ARegulated mycotoxin
   No US limit set for coffee
   <1.0 µg/kgNot detectedExample: below the laboratory reporting limit

   Ochratoxin A is another mold-produced compound, common in coffee, wine, dried fruit and grains when crops are dried or stored in damp conditions. It's one of the most closely watched mycotoxins in coffee specifically, because green coffee is often dried in humid conditions and stored for months before roasting.

3. Other mycotoxinsDON, T-2, HT-2, fumonisins B1 to B3, zearalenone
   No US limit set for coffee
   NoneNot detectedExample: each below its reporting limit

   This panel covers a broader family of mold byproducts — DON, T-2, HT-2, fumonisins and zearalenone — that can form on grains and, less commonly, coffee under the same damp, poorly-ventilated storage conditions that produce aflatoxins and ochratoxin A. They're screened together because they share that same root cause.

4. Pesticide screensMulti-residue GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS
   EPA limits vary by pesticide
   NoneNot detectedExample: no detections at the limit of quantification on either panel

   This panel screens for residue from dozens of pesticides used in conventional farming. Our coffee is USDA Organic, and every lot is screened anyway, because residue can still reach organic coffee through drift from neighboring farms or pest control during storage and shipping.

5. Heavy metalsLead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury
   No US limit set for coffee
   <0.02 mg/kgNot detectedExample: lead and arsenic <0.02, cadmium <0.01, mercury <0.010 mg/kg

   Lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury are naturally occurring elements that plants absorb from soil and water as they grow. Nobody adds them, and trace amounts turn up in most everyday food. Levels depend on where a crop is grown, so we screen every lot rather than assume the soil is clean.

   Cadmium is one of the four metals we screen for. It enters food through ordinary soil and water and shows up in many everyday groceries. In this example it was not detected, below a reporting limit of 10 ppb.

   For comparison

   1. Cocoa powder

      400 ppb, one sample

   2. Sunflower seeds

      average 333 ppb

   3. Spinach

      average 222 ppb

   4. Potato chips

      average 130 ppb

   5. Peanut butter

      average 52 ppb

   6. The Ultimate Brew, example

      not detected

   Figures are average cadmium levels from the FDA Total Diet Study, fiscal years 2018 to 2020 (cocoa powder was sampled once), not our own lab.³

6. Piperonyl butoxidePesticide synergist (PBO)
   EPA tolerance for dried foods 10 mg/kg
   0.14 mg/kgBelow limitExample: 1% of the federal tolerance

   Piperonyl butoxide (PBO) is a synergist added to pyrethrin-based insecticides to make them work better against insects. It's common in agricultural and household pest control, including treatments used on stored grain and packaging. The EPA sets a tolerance for how much can remain on each kind of food; for dried foods and food in treated storage areas it's 10 mg/kg.⁴ It most likely enters coffee through post-harvest pest control during storage or transport, which is why a small trace can show up on a report, as in this example.

   The EPA sets a separate allowable ceiling for PBO by food category. The ceiling for dried foods sits in the middle of the range, and the example result is a fraction of even that.

   For comparison

   1. Grains (wheat, corn, rice)

      20 mg/kg allowed

   2. Dried & stored foods

      10 mg/kg allowed

   3. Nuts & cocoa beans

      8 mg/kg allowed

   4. Eggs

      1 mg/kg allowed

   5. Potatoes

      0.25 mg/kg allowed

   6. The Ultimate Brew, example

      0.14 mg/kg

   Figures are EPA tolerances by food category (40 CFR § 180.127(a)(1) and (a)(2)(iii)), not measured amounts. They show the legal ceiling, not what's typically found.⁴

7. GlyphosateHerbicide residue
   EPA tolerance for green coffee 1.0 mg/kg
   0.04 mg/kgBelow limitExample: 4% of the federal tolerance

   Glyphosate is the world's most widely used weed killer,⁵ sprayed on crops to clear weeds and, on some grains, to dry them out before harvest. The EPA sets a legal tolerance for how much can remain on each kind of food; for green coffee it's 1.0 mg/kg.⁶ Coffee isn't typically sprayed with it directly, but trace amounts can drift in from nearby farmland or linger from prior land use, which is why a report can show a small amount, as in this example.

   Glyphosate turns up in many grain and legume foods. The example result is a small fraction of the federal tolerance for green coffee.

   For comparison

   1. Dry chickpeas, conventional

      up to 5,293 ppb

   2. Oat cereal

      up to 2,837 ppb

   3. Hummus

      up to 2,379 ppb

   4. Honey

      up to 653 ppb

   5. Bread

      up to 191 ppb

   6. The Ultimate Brew, example

      40 ppb

   Figures are the highest results reported by the Environmental Working Group for conventional chickpeas, hummus and oat cereal,^7,8 a peer-reviewed study of honey⁹ and the Florida Department of Health for bread,¹⁰ not our own lab. Not every sample tested this high.

The full track is the federal limit where one exists for coffee. Where no US limit is set for coffee, or limits vary by pesticide, the track is drawn dashed and the result is shown at the laboratory's reporting limit. "Not detected" means below the limit of quantification for that method. Lot results on this page are examples. The QR code on each bag opens the real report for that bag's lot.