Toxic pesticides in coffee: what a new investigation showed

New international investigation claimsthat at growing coffee for the European market pesticides continue to be used prohibited in EU. The main risk concerns plantation workers, but questions remain regarding the control of imported coffee.

Coffee sold in Europe may be associated with the use of pesticides that have long been banned in the European Union.

New report “Poison in Your Coffee” draws attention not so much to the immediate dangers of a single cup of drink, but to the lax control of the supply chain and working conditions on coffee plantations.

The investigation was produced by Coffee Watch and Pesticide Action Network UK. The authors examined data on pesticide use in Brazil, Colombia and Kenya, and also analyzed available information on the supply of coffee to the European market.

159 substances, most banned in the EU

According to the authors of the report, when growing coffee in the largest producing countries, no less than 159 active ingredients. Of these, about 59% already banned in the European Union, and approximately 60% belong to the category of especially dangerous pesticides.

The report states that the substances used include compounds associated with risks of carcinogenicity, neurotoxicity, and reproductive and endocrine disruption. Detailed findings were published by the authors of the study on the website Coffee Watch.

It is important to understand that an EU ban on a substance for agricultural use does not mean that any residual quantity in an imported product is automatically illegal. For food products there are separate maximum permissible residue levelsor MRLs, which are established at a pan-European level.

They can be checked in the official European Commission pesticide databasewhere the current limits are indicated for each substance and product.

What exactly was found in coffee?

The report’s authors report that pesticide residues were found in approximately 19% of green coffee samplesthat is, unroasted coffee beans. At the same time, traces of several substances were detected in some samples.

This situation raises questions about the so-called “cocktail effect” — potential exposure to a mixture of several chemicals in low concentrations. However, the scientific assessment of such combinations remains difficult: traces of pesticides alone do not prove that a particular cup of coffee poses a health risk.

European Food Safety Authority EFSA The latest annual report on pesticide residues notes that for most groups in the EU, the overall risk from food pesticide residues is assessed as low. At the same time, EFSA emphasizes the need for constant monitoring, especially of imported products.

There are still few coffee checks in the EU

One of the complaints of the authors of the investigation concerns the scope of official checks. According to the report, in 2022, as part of pan-European monitoring, a total of 44 coffee samples.

Even if this figure is correct, it does not mean that every fourth package of coffee on the shelf contains prohibited substances. It shows something else: the sample size is too small to confidently judge the situation on the entire market. For a product that millions of Europeans drink every day, this seems like a fairly modest control.

Overall for all food categories in 2022 EFSA reportedWhat 96.3% of samples complied with acceptable levels of pesticide residues. But the overall picture does not negate the need for more targeted checks of individual imported goods, including coffee.

The main problem is plantation workers

The most serious risk, according to the report’s authors, concerns not the European consumer, but those who work on coffee plantations and come into direct contact with chemicals during plant processing.

Workers may be exposed to pesticides when spraying, preparing solutions, repairing equipment, and working in recently treated fields. The situation is especially dangerous where there is no protective clothing, training and normal medical supervision.

Scientific reviews have linked chronic occupational exposure to certain pesticides to an increased risk of neurological damage, reproductive problems and certain types of cancer. One of the major reviews on this topic was published in PubMed Central.

Does roasting help?

Roasting coffee beans may reduce the levels of individual pesticide residues, but does not guarantee their complete disappearance. This depends on the specific substance, temperature, duration of processing and subsequent preparation of the drink.

Research published in the journal Food Chemistryshowed that pesticide residues can be found in both green and roasted coffee. The authors also emphasize that the mere fact of detection does not automatically equal a high risk: the assessment depends on the concentration of the substance and the actual consumption of the drink.

Should coffee lovers panic?

No, one morning coffee should not be taken as a toxicological threat. There is currently no evidence to suggest that routine coffee consumption in Europe in itself poses a proven high risk from pesticides.

But the investigation raises a reasonable question: why can substances banned from European farmers continue to be used in the production of goods for European consumers? This issue applies not only to coffee, but also to tea, spices, rice and many other imported crops.

In May 2026, Foodwatch also reported the detection of EU-banned pesticides in rice, tea and spices sold on the European market. Details published in Foodwatch report.

What can the buyer do?

• Choose coffee with transparent origin. It is useful to pay attention to the country of production, the roaster and the availability of information about suppliers.
• Don’t confuse “organic” with absolute guarantee. Organic certification limits the use of synthetic pesticides, but does not mean contamination cannot occur throughout the supply chain.
• Look at independent certificates. They do not replace government control, but can be an additional sign of more transparent production conditions.
• Don’t draw conclusions based on one loud headline. The most serious issue concerns working conditions and import controls, not the need to urgently throw coffee out of the kitchen.

What the authors of the report demand

The authors of “Poison in Your Coffee” call on the EU to expand laboratory testing of imported coffee, publish more data on detected residues, and stop exporting dangerous pesticides already banned for use in the EU.

They also demand better protection for coffee plantation workers and more transparency in supply chains. The European coffee industry is already discussing reducing the use of the most hazardous substances: e.g. Global Coffee Platform publishes lists of substances that are recommended to be phased out from use in the coffee sector.

Coffee safety or a new account for the buyer?

The investigation into pesticides involves more than just health and working conditions on plantations. It inevitably raises another question: who will pay for the new requirements for coffee, cocoa, tea and other imported products?

European buyers have already felt the rise in prices. According to European Central Bankworld prices for coffee and cocoa by the beginning of 2025 more than doubled compared to January 2024. The main reasons were extreme weather, weak harvests and dwindling supplies.

Now on top of climate and market concerns are the costs of tighter pesticide controls, laboratory testing, certification and supply chain traceability. For large international companies this is an additional cost. For small farmers in Brazil, Colombia, Kenya or Vietnam, such requirements could be a barrier to accessing the European market.

The impact of European regulations against deforestation may be particularly sensitive. WITH December 30, 2026 large and medium-sized companies will have to certify that coffee and cocoa sold in the EU are not linked to deforestation. Details are published on the page European Commission on the EUDR Regulation.

In itself, the fight against dangerous pesticides and deforestation seems necessary. But without financial and technical assistance to producers, it could lead to the fact that some small farms will simply fall out of the European supply chain, and the costs will turn out to be the price of a pack of coffee on a supermarket shelf.

The main question for Europe is not whether safer products are needed. The question is whether the EU can make imports cleaner and more transparent without turning coffee, cocoa and chocolate into products that are becoming increasingly less accessible to the average consumer.

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