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Coffee lovers may have found their coffee moldy and worried that it could be harmful to their health. To find out the effects, see the following expert explanation!
The discovery of mold in food and drinks often makes someone panic. The reason is, these living creatures can be dangerous and cause food poisoning.
However, what about the mold found in coffee? Is it dangerous too?
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According to Everyday Health, some coffees do contain mold and toxins. This is because the process of planting, harvesting and transporting coffee consists of several stages.
Although mold usually grows on food that is not stored properly or is damaged, the presence of mold in coffee cannot actually be controlled.
To find out whether this fungus is dangerous or not and the factors that cause fungus to grow in coffee, see the following explanation from everydayhealth.com (26/07/2024):
1. Mold in coffee can have a negative impact
 Mold in coffee can be dangerous, the effects are immediate or some time afterward. Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto/Alexthq |
Just like mold that grows on food, mold on coffee can also have a bad impact and produce toxic substances called mycotoxins. Consuming high amounts of mycotoxins has the potential to make a person sick.
In the short term, mycotoxin poisoning can also cause gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. In the long term, exposure to these toxins is associated with various negative health impacts, including the risk of liver and kidney cancer.
However, it is not yet clear whether the toxins or mold in coffee actually harm human health or not.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), most evidence of kidney toxicity and kidney cancer due to exposure to ochratoxin A occurs in animals, and the relationship in humans is not clear.
A Spanish study conducted on teenagers and adults examined the risks of 21 different mycotoxins found in coffee. The conclusion is that coffee does not pose any health risks.
2. Mold grows on coffee like this
 Mold can grow on coffee due to harvesting and processing factors. Photo: Google Review |
Mold can appear in coffee due to several factors. According to Jae Hyuk Yu, PhD, professor of bacteriology at the University of Wisconsin Madison, one of the factors is poor harvesting and processing practices and storage conditions with high water content.
He said he once found mold growing in his lab. This also happened because they deliberately soaked the coffee in water for several hours, then left it in the open air for several days.
Dr. Yu said rule number one is to keep the coffee beans or grounds dry. Home coffee lovers can store it in a cool and dry place.
Finish the coffee immediately because generally coffee will lose its volatile organic compounds after being ground and the taste will not be delicious. Leaving coffee for too long also poses a risk of mold.
3. Mycotoxins found in coffee
 Coffee that grows mold can cause dangerous mycotoxins. Photo: iStock Illustration |
The mycotoxins found in coffee are usually Ochratoxin A and Aflatoxin.
Ochratoxin A is a mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus and Penicillium fungi. This substance is commonly found in contaminated grains, such as wheat, oats and barley. However, it is also often found in coffee, wine and grape-based drinks.
Meanwhile, Aflatoxin is a mycotoxin made by certain Aspergillus fungi, and can be found in coffee.
However, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) closely monitors and ensures safe levels of toxins in coffee. The agency sets maximum permissible levels of certain mycotoxins at around 20 parts per billion for aflatoxin, but there is no maximum level for ochratoxin A.
How to avoid mold and what you need to know about moldy coffee can be seen on the next page!
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