From a wide range, dTest shined on coffees labeled mostly as gold , which are presented in the racks as the highest quality. dTest has purchased 12 types of instant coffee beans from well-known and private brands, and has tested laboratory antioxidant properties, caffeine levels and unwanted substances. It has detected the occurrence of fungal poison, ochratoxin A, carcinogenic and mutagenic acrylamide and potentially carcinogenic furans. In addition, dTest subjected coffee to expert tasters and examining the data on the packaging.
"When we tested the instant coffee seven years ago, one product was made from moldy coffee beans. The proof of this was that the omelet-A-limit was exceeded. This year, none of the caffeine poison did not bother, " says Jan Maryška, editor of the dTest magazine, adding: " However, we have encountered a higher content of undesirable acrylamide and furane produced by roasting coffee beans. is toxic to humans because it has several types of toxic effects.
From April of this year, the European regulation will apply, which sets a maximum of 850 micrograms acrylamide per kilogram of product for coffee. Although this is not a legislative limitation, the new regulation requires manufacturers to adjust production processes so that their products do not cross the recommended threshold. The limit value of 850 μg / kg exceeded the Bellarom Gold coffee from the Lidl chain, which had the highest concentration of acrylamide at 1100 μg / kg. The other findings were below the limit. In this regard, the Billa / Clever brand was shipped with the purest shield, in which the laboratory found only 560 μg / kg.
The third sought unwanted substance was furan. It is produced in foods by decomposition of sugars at high temperatures and is a potential carcinogen. "A certain advantage of furane is its volatility. If you let the boiled coffee stand for a while, part of the furnace fades out of it. That's why it was important for us to make measurements immediately after preparing coffee. In one third of the coffee we found furan in various quantities, " says Jan Maryška.
There is still debate about the harmfulness or utility of coffee on the human body. A number of substances in coffee also have a positive effect, they are destroying free radicals. These are dangerous reactive particles that can contribute to cancer. "The results of the antioxidant activity were balanced. We only gave very good and good grades. The strongest antioxidant ability was found by the Clever Gold coffee laboratory from Billy, and Tesco Gold and Dallmayr Gold were very good marks, " says Jan Maryška.
In instant coffee you will find almost the same ingredients as the bean, just about twice as much. This also applies to caffeine - in granules it is significantly more than in the grains themselves. The reason is the way of production. Instant coffee is a dried coffee bean extract and therefore all coffee ingredients are more concentrated in it. In the finished drink, however, the differences between soluble and coffee beans are again wiped out due to different dosages. While the classic portion of ground coffee is 7 g per cup, at instant it is less than 2 g.
As far as additives are concerned, the European rules for instant coffee do not allow for any episodes.
You can find a list of tested instant coffee on the web . Full test results were provided by the January issue of dTest.
Source: tz, dTest.cz