Is your ‘organic’ coffee really clean? New study finds hidden chemicals in every sample, suggests safer alternatives

Every morning, more than 2.25 billion cups of coffee are brewed worldwide, according to data from Drive Research. For many, the label on the bag—especially the coveted “organic”—is reassurance that their coffee is free of harmful chemicals. But a new report from the Clean Label Project, released in August, suggests that consumers may be putting too much faith in the word “organic.”

As reported by Food and Wine, the Clean Label Project tested 57 coffee products across 45 brands, analyzing thousands of data points on contaminants such as pesticides, phthalates, acrylamide, heavy metals, and the glyphosate byproduct AMPA. While coffee overall was found to be among the “cleaner food categories,” one unexpected detail stood out: 100% of organic coffee samples contained AMPA, a residue from glyphosate—despite the fact that glyphosate is prohibited in organic farming.

“Consumers assume that labels like ‘organic’ mean protection from chemicals like glyphosate, but our data shows that’s not always the case,” said Molly Hamilton, executive director of the Clean Label Project, in the report. “The detection of AMPA in 100% of organic samples is a wake-up call.”


Even more striking, organic beans had 5% more AMPA on average than conventional coffee, raising questions about environmental runoff, soil contamination, and the true safety net of certification labels.

Packaging and roasting matter too

The study found that contaminants varied not just by sourcing but also by how coffee is roasted and packaged. Dark roasts, for example, had lower levels of acrylamide—a potential carcinogen—than light and medium roasts. Meanwhile, canned coffee ranked worst in acrylamide exposure, with 66.9% more than pods and 57.6% more than bagged coffee.

Coffee pods, however, were not off the hook. They contained the highest levels of DEHP, a plasticizer linked to endocrine disruption, averaging 93.1 parts per billion—more than double that of bagged coffee.

Geography plays a role in purity

Where beans are grown also influences contamination levels. The Clean Label Project found that African beans contained the lowest levels of toxins, while Hawaiian beans showed the highest. With no U.S. federal regulations for chemical contaminants in coffee, researchers assessed the products against international food safety standards, such as those in the European Union.

While the study did not publicly shame the worst offenders, it did recognize a small group of products with its Purity Award. The findings highlight that safer coffee does not necessarily come with a premium price tag.

For coffee lovers, the takeaway may be sobering. That steaming organic latte might not be as “pure” as the label suggests, and choosing the right roast, packaging, and sourcing could be just as important as the certification stamped on the bag.