Exact Lab-Tested Recommendations

Clean coffee rankings, rebuilt around receipts.

Public COA PDFs first. Clean Label Project certification second. “Third-party tested” copy with no values goes to the watchlist. No mercy for missing numbers.

products audited

recommendation categories

COA

numbers before hype

Coffee Safety Note

Educational content only. Coffee, caffeine, pregnancy, reflux, anxiety, sleep, blood pressure, gut symptoms, and medication interactions should be discussed with a qualified professional when relevant.

Receipts over reputation

Lowest heavy metals only counts when the numbers are public.

Public exact COAs outrank “third-party tested” copy. Claim-only brands stay on the watchlist until they publish batch-level values.

Exact public COACurrent #1

Natural Force Clean Coffee Medium Roast

Best balance of exact COA proof, low mycotoxins/mould, lower acrylamide, and buyer usefulness.

Score

94/100

Heavy metals

Pb/Hg <5 ppb

Mould/yeast

<10 CFU/g

#1 exact COA

Clean Coffee Medium Roast

Pb <5.00 ppb, Cd 5.58 ppb, As <10.0 ppb, Hg <5.00 ppb

#2 exact COA

Founder’s Select Dark Roast

Pb <5.00 ppb, Cd <5.00 ppb, As <10.0 ppb, Hg <5.00 ppb

#3 exact COA

Clean Decaf

Pb <5.00 ppb, Cd 8.04 ppb, As 20.9 ppb, Hg <5.00 ppb

Tier 14

Publishes numeric PDFs

Lab/date/sample/units visible. This is the top shelf.

Tier 23

Independent certification

Strong third-party signal, but product numbers still hidden.

Tier 32

Claims testing

Useful lead, not proof until values are public.

Tier 42

Red flags / broken proof

Marketing, broken PDFs, or no batch-level receipts.

Today’s proof trap

A COA page is not a COA.

Lifeboost Coffee · Grata Medium Roast

I checked Lifeboost’s public page titled “Certificate of Analysis.” It says 3rd-party tested and 450+ toxins, but the reviewed page did not expose a downloadable lab PDF or a numeric Pb/Cd/As/Hg + OTA/aflatoxin table with reporting limits. For my rankings, that is Missing numbers — not a safety claim, just not comparable proof.

Buyer sees

COA-sounding page

Proof needs

Lab/date/lot/values/limits

Verdict

Checked, not promoted

Review the source page →

Evidence leaderboard

Receipts beat reputation.

Promoted winners require exact public COAs or strong independent certification. Claims-only and missing-number rows are included for transparency — not recommendations.

Promoted: exact public COASecondary: CLP / certificationWatchlist: checked, not promoted

Rank	Product	Proof	Heavy metals	Mycotoxins / mould	Score
#1	Natural Force Clean Coffee Medium Roast	Exact public COA	Pb <5.00 ppb, Cd 5.58 ppb, As <10.0 ppb, Hg <5.00 ppb	Ochratoxin A <1.00 ppb; aflatoxins <0.500 ppb each	94
#2	Natural Force Founder’s Select Dark Roast	Exact public COA	Pb <5.00 ppb, Cd <5.00 ppb, As <10.0 ppb, Hg <5.00 ppb	Ochratoxin A <1.00 ppb; aflatoxins <0.500 ppb each	91
#3	Natural Force Clean Decaf	Exact public COA	Pb <5.00 ppb, Cd 8.04 ppb, As 20.9 ppb, Hg <5.00 ppb	Ochratoxin A <1.00 ppb; aflatoxins <0.500 ppb each	86
#4	Biodynamic Coffee Rise & Shine Medium Roast	Exact public COA	Pb <17 ppb, Cd 15 ppb, As <20 ppb, Hg <10 ppb	Aflatoxins <1 ppb each; OTA <3 ppb; mycophenolic acid 0.05 ppm	83
#5	Love Grown Medium Roast Whole Bean Coffee	CLP Clean 16	CLP tested heavy metals; product is in certified/Clean 16 set; exact values not public	CLP study included mycotoxins; exact product values not public	82
#6	Love Grown Decaf Medium Roast Whole Bean Coffee	CLP Clean 16	CLP tested heavy metals; exact decaf values not public	CLP study included mycotoxins; exact decaf values not public	80
#7	Love Grown Dark Roast Whole Bean Coffee	CLP Clean 16	CLP tested heavy metals; exact dark-roast values not public	CLP study included mycotoxins; exact values not public	78
Watch	Purity Coffee FLOW Medium Roast Checked, not promoted	Public test claim	Pb 0.03 ppm, Cd 0.002 ppm; As/Hg not public in reviewed page	OTA <0.2 µg/kg; aflatoxin values not product-level public in reviewed table	61
Watch	Partners Coffee Brooklyn Mainstay Blend Checked, not promoted	Public test claim	Brand says no Pb/Cd/As/Hg detected; exact values/limits not public	Brand says no mycotoxins detected; exact analytes/limits not public	58
Watch	Lifeboost Coffee Grata Medium Roast Checked, not promoted	Missing numbers	Claims heavy-metal testing; no public Pb/Cd/As/Hg values or limits found	Claims mycotoxin testing; no public OTA/aflatoxin values or limits found	43

Research queue

Checked next. Not promoted yet.

These brands/products surfaced through Clean Label Project category lists or clean-coffee claims, but no public product-level numeric COA was found in the latest pass. They stay below exact receipts until the lab values are visible.

Bulletproof Breakfast Blend / The Mentalist pods

Lead found; public numeric Pb/Cd/As/Hg + OTA/aflatoxin values not found yet.

Fabula Dark Roast Pod

Lead found; public numeric Pb/Cd/As/Hg + OTA/aflatoxin values not found yet.

Equal Exchange Organic Breakfast Blend

Lead found; public numeric Pb/Cd/As/Hg + OTA/aflatoxin values not found yet.

Kicking Horse Three Sisters

Lead found; public numeric Pb/Cd/As/Hg + OTA/aflatoxin values not found yet.

San Francisco Bay Organic Rainforest Blend Pod

Lead found; public numeric Pb/Cd/As/Hg + OTA/aflatoxin values not found yet.

Groundwork Organic Ethiopia

Lead found; public numeric Pb/Cd/As/Hg + OTA/aflatoxin values not found yet.

Counter Culture Forty-Six

Lead found; public numeric Pb/Cd/As/Hg + OTA/aflatoxin values not found yet.

Death Wish Medium Roast

Lead found; public numeric Pb/Cd/As/Hg + OTA/aflatoxin values not found yet.

1Coffee

#1 best overall receipts

94/100

Exact public COA

Clean Coffee Medium Roast

Natural Force

The current clean-coffee benchmark: public Eurofins PDFs, exact numeric contaminant values, and a roasted-bean report instead of vague “tested” theater.

Best for

Best balance of exact COA proof, low mycotoxins/mould, lower acrylamide, and buyer usefulness.

Arsenic

<10.0 ppb

Cadmium

5.58 ppb

Lead

<5.00 ppb

Mercury

<5.00 ppb

Ochratoxin A

<1.00 ppb

Aflatoxins B1/B2/G1/G2

<0.500 ppb each

Proof read

Exact COA proof: 2025 Finca La Chirimoya green beans show arsenic <10.0 ppb, cadmium 5.58 ppb, lead <5.00 ppb, mercury <5.00 ppb, ochratoxin A <1.00 ppb, aflatoxins <0.500 ppb each, glyphosate 0.04 mg/kg, gluten <3.0 ppm; roasted beans show yeast/mould <10 CFU/g and acrylamide 185 mcg/kg.

Lab anchor

Lab: Eurofins Food Integrity & Innovation

Report: Report 5146799-0 green + 5123442-0 roasted

Date: Oct–Nov 2025

Sample: 2025 Finca La Chirimoya GREEN / ROASTED

Score method

Heavy metals38/40

Full panel, current public PDF, low/ND except cadmium 5.58 ppb.

Mycotoxins20/20

Ochratoxin A and aflatoxins below reporting limits.

Pesticides14/15

Large pesticide panel plus glyphosate value disclosed.

Traceability13/15

Named crop/sample, lab, report IDs, date.

Freshness/value9/10

Roasted report included; still check bag roast date.

Missing receipt

• Roast date still must be checked on the bag before buying.

Heavy metalsMycotoxinsPesticidesGlyphosateGlutenYeast/mouldAcrylamide

$$–$$$Approx. price range

Buy/Search Amazon US Amazon UK

Eurofins 2025 COA PDFs

Rankings favor public exact values over “tested” claims. Amazon buttons use affiliate tags; batch results can change, so check the current lot before buying.

2Coffee

#2 lowest heavy-metal panel

91/100

Exact public COA

Founder’s Select Dark Roast

Natural Force

A darker roast with unusually transparent 2024 Eurofins results: very clean heavy-metal panel, clean mycotoxins, but a higher acrylamide tradeoff.

Best for

Best heavy-metal panel found publicly; downgraded because roasted acrylamide is much higher than the medium roast.

Arsenic

<10.0 ppb

Cadmium

<5.00 ppb

Lead

<5.00 ppb

Mercury

<5.00 ppb

Ochratoxin A

<1.00 ppb

Aflatoxins B1/B2/G1/G2

<0.500 ppb each

Proof read

Exact COA proof: 2024 Finca La Chirimoya green beans show arsenic <10.0 ppb, cadmium <5.00 ppb, lead <5.00 ppb, mercury <5.00 ppb, copper 15.2 ppm, ochratoxin A <1.00 ppb, aflatoxins <0.500 ppb each, gluten <3.0 ppm, glyphosate 0.01 mg/kg; roasted beans show yeast/mould <10 CFU/g and acrylamide 502 mcg/kg.

Lab anchor

Lab: Eurofins Microbiology Laboratories / Eurofins Food Chemistry Testing

Report: AR-24-QK-029205-01 green + AR-24-QK-030873-01 roasted

Date: Aug–Sep 2024

Sample: Clean Coffee - Finca La Chirimoya GREEN / ROASTED

Score method

Heavy metals40/40

All four priority metals below reporting limits.

Mycotoxins20/20

Ochratoxin A and aflatoxins below reporting limits.

Pesticides14/15

Pesticide panel plus glyphosate 0.01 mg/kg.

Traceability13/15

Named sample, dated Eurofins reports.

Freshness/value4/10

Acrylamide 502 mcg/kg roasted is the major downgrade.

Missing receipt

• Dark roast acrylamide is meaningfully higher than the 2025 medium-roast report.

Heavy metalsMycotoxinsPesticidesGlyphosateGlutenYeast/mouldAcrylamide

$$–$$$Approx. price range

Buy/Search Amazon US Amazon UK

Eurofins 2024 dark-roast COA PDFs

Rankings favor public exact values over “tested” claims. Amazon buttons use affiliate tags; batch results can change, so check the current lot before buying.

3Decaf

#3 best decaf receipts

86/100

Exact public COA

Clean Decaf

Natural Force

A solvent-free decaf candidate with actual green-bean and roasted-bean Eurofins results. It wins on transparency, not on having the absolute lowest metals.

Best for

Best decaf option found with public numeric COA values; not as low in arsenic/cadmium as the caffeinated lots.

Arsenic

20.9 ppb

Cadmium

8.04 ppb

Lead

<5.00 ppb

Mercury

<5.00 ppb

Ochratoxin A

<1.00 ppb

Aflatoxins B1/B2/G1/G2

<0.500 ppb each

Proof read

Exact COA proof: 2025 Capucas Decaf green beans show arsenic 20.9 ppb, cadmium 8.04 ppb, lead <5.00 ppb, mercury <5.00 ppb, ochratoxin A <1.00 ppb, aflatoxins <0.500 ppb each, glyphosate 0.07 mg/kg, gluten <3.0 ppm; roasted beans show yeast/mould <10 CFU/g and acrylamide 302 mcg/kg.

Lab anchor

Lab: Eurofins Food Integrity & Innovation

Report: Report 5125567-0 green + 5123443-0 roasted

Date: Oct 2025

Sample: 2025 Capucas Decaf GREEN / ROASTED

Score method

Heavy metals32/40

Lead/mercury ND; arsenic 20.9 ppb and cadmium 8.04 ppb are higher than the caffeinated lots.

Mycotoxins20/20

Ochratoxin A and aflatoxins below reporting limits.

Pesticides13/15

Pesticide panel plus glyphosate 0.07 mg/kg.

Traceability13/15

Dated green and roasted Eurofins reports.

Freshness/value8/10

Roasted report included; acrylamide 302 mcg/kg.

Missing receipt

• Confirm current bag uses the same decaf lot/report year before buying.

Heavy metalsMycotoxinsPesticidesGlyphosateGlutenYeast/mouldAcrylamide

$$–$$$Approx. price range

Buy/Search Amazon US Amazon UK

Eurofins 2025 decaf COA PDFs

Rankings favor public exact values over “tested” claims. Amazon buttons use affiliate tags; batch results can change, so check the current lot before buying.

4Coffee

#4 exact public COA

83/100

Exact public COA

Rise & Shine Medium Roast

Biodynamic Coffee

A strong public-COA lead: Biodynamic Coffee publishes harvest-lot PDFs with heavy metals, mycotoxins, and microbiology. It earns exact-COA status, with a downgrade for no roasted acrylamide or yeast/mould count found in the latest PDFs.

Best for

Buyers who want another public numeric COA option, with clear lot IDs and PDFs, but not as complete a roasted-bean panel as Natural Force.

Arsenic

<0.02 mg/kg (<20 ppb)

Cadmium

0.015 mg/kg (15 ppb)

Lead

<0.017 mg/kg (<17 ppb)

Mercury

<0.01 mg/kg (<10 ppb)

Ochratoxin A

<0.003 ppm (<3 ppb)

Aflatoxins B1/B2/G1/G2

<1 ppb each

Proof read

Exact COA proof: Dec 2025 Peru Biodynamic lot 030-1032-08160 PDFs show arsenic <0.02 mg/kg (<20 ppb), cadmium 0.015 mg/kg (15 ppb), mercury <0.01 mg/kg (<10 ppb), lead <0.017 mg/kg (<17 ppb), aflatoxins B1/B2/G1/G2 <1 ppb each, ochratoxin A <0.003 ppm (<3 ppb), mycophenolic acid 0.05 ppm, E. coli <10 CFU/g, and Listeria/Salmonella negative.

Lab anchor

Lab: Eurofins Essais Alimentaires Québec + Activation Laboratories

Report: Eurofins M2589097 / M2589026 + Actlabs CA25-D-DEC03-024

Date: Dec 2025

Sample: Peru Biodynamic 030-1032-08160

Score method

Heavy metals32/40

Public metals panel, but reporting limits are less tight than the top Natural Force PDFs and cadmium is measurable at 15 ppb.

Mycotoxins17/20

Aflatoxins and ochratoxin A below reporting limits; mycophenolic acid disclosed at 0.05 ppm.

Pesticides12/15

Demeter/USDA/Ecocert signals, but no public pesticide or glyphosate table in the latest PDFs reviewed.

Traceability14/15

Named lot, lab names, report IDs, dates, units, and reporting limits are visible.

Freshness/value8/10

Current product/harvest receipts; verify the bag lot matches the public harvest lot.

Missing receipt

• Latest public files are harvest-lot PDFs; confirm the current bag lot matches 030-1032-08160.
• No roasted acrylamide value, pesticide table, glyphosate value, or yeast/mould count found in the latest three PDFs reviewed.

Heavy metalsMycotoxinsMicrobiologyDemeter BiodynamicUSDA OrganicLot ID visible

$$–$$$Approx. price range

Buy/Search Amazon US Amazon UK

Dec 2025 harvest-lot COA PDFs

Rankings favor public exact values over “tested” claims. Amazon buttons use affiliate tags; batch results can change, so check the current lot before buying.

5Coffee

CLP Clean 16 winner

82/100

CLP Clean 16

Medium Roast Whole Bean Coffee

Love Grown

Clean Label Project lists this product in its coffee Clean 16 / certified products set — a stronger independent screen than brand-only “tested” copy, but still not a public numeric COA.

Best for

Best third-party lowest-contaminant signal found outside Natural Force’s public numeric COAs.

CLP status

Clean 16 / certified

Products tested

57 coffees / 45 brands

Data points

7,069 tests

Public exact metals

Not published

Public exact mycotoxins

Not published

Proof read

Independent contaminant-screen proof: Clean Label Project says its Coffee Category study tested 57 products from 45 top-selling brands across 7,069 data points, including heavy metals, mycotoxins, pesticides, glyphosate/AMPA, phthalates, BPA/BPS, and more. Its Clean Sixteen highlights the 16 products with the lowest contaminant levels; Love Grown coffee products carry CLP certification. Exact lot-level Pb/Cd/As/Hg and mycotoxin values were not public in the CLP product page, so this ranks below public numeric COAs.

Lab anchor

Lab: Clean Label Project / Ellipse Analytics

Report: Coffee Category Study + CLP Certification listing

Date: 2025 study / 2026 product listing

Sample: Love Grown Medium Roast Whole Bean Coffee

Score method

Heavy metals28/40

Independent CLP screen, but exact Pb/Cd/As/Hg values not public.

Mycotoxins14/20

CLP study includes mycotoxins; product-level values not public.

Pesticides14/15

CLP study includes pesticides and glyphosate/AMPA.

Traceability14/15

Named product in CLP certification/product listing.

Freshness/value8/10

Whole bean format; still verify roast date and current lot.

Missing receipt

• Strong independent certification, but still needs public numeric COA values to beat Natural Force exact public PDFs.

CLP Clean 16Heavy metalsMycotoxinsPesticidesGlyphosate/AMPAPhthalatesBPA/BPS

$$–$$$Approx. price range

Buy/Search Amazon US Amazon UK

Clean Label Project Clean 16 / certification

Rankings favor public exact values over “tested” claims. Amazon buttons use affiliate tags; batch results can change, so check the current lot before buying.

6Decaf

CLP Clean 16 decaf

80/100

CLP Clean 16

Decaf Medium Roast Whole Bean Coffee

Love Grown

A decaf Love Grown product in Clean Label Project’s certified coffee set. Better than claim-only decaf, weaker than exact public lab PDFs.

Best for

Decaf shoppers who want an independent lowest-contaminant certification signal, while accepting that exact values are not public.

CLP status

Clean 16 / certified

Public exact metals

Not published

Public exact mycotoxins

Not published

Decaf solvent info

Still verify

Proof read

Independent contaminant-screen proof: Clean Label Project lists Love Grown Decaf Medium Roast Whole Bean Coffee in its certified product set and says the Coffee Category study tested heavy metals, mycotoxins, pesticides, glyphosate/AMPA, phthalates, and bisphenols. Product-level numeric values were not public on the CLP page reviewed.

Lab anchor

Lab: Clean Label Project / Ellipse Analytics

Report: Coffee Category Study + CLP Certification listing

Date: 2025 study / 2026 product listing

Sample: Love Grown Decaf Medium Roast Whole Bean Coffee

Score method

Heavy metals27/40

Independent CLP screen; exact values not public.

Mycotoxins14/20

CLP study includes mycotoxins; exact values not public.

Pesticides14/15

CLP study includes pesticides/glyphosate/AMPA.

Traceability14/15

Named product in CLP certification/product listing.

Freshness/value7/10

Whole bean decaf; verify decaf process and roast date.

Missing receipt

• Needs exact numeric COA and decaf-process disclosure on the product page.

CLP Clean 16Heavy metalsMycotoxinsPesticidesGlyphosate/AMPADecaf watch

$$–$$$Approx. price range

Buy/Search Amazon US Amazon UK

Clean Label Project Clean 16 / certification

Rankings favor public exact values over “tested” claims. Amazon buttons use affiliate tags; batch results can change, so check the current lot before buying.

7Coffee

CLP certified dark roast

78/100

CLP Clean 16

Dark Roast Whole Bean Coffee

Love Grown

Clean Label Project certified Love Grown dark roast. It belongs above claim-only brands, but below products that publish exact lot-level lab PDFs.

Best for

A dark-roast watch pick with third-party certification, not exact public contaminant numbers.

CLP status

Certified

Public exact metals

Not published

Public exact mycotoxins

Not published

Acrylamide

Not published

Proof read

Independent contaminant-screen proof: Clean Label Project lists Love Grown Dark Roast Whole Bean Coffee with CLP certification. The study included heavy metals and mycotoxins, but product-level numeric values were not public on the reviewed listing.

Lab anchor

Lab: Clean Label Project / Ellipse Analytics

Report: Coffee Category Study + CLP Certification listing

Date: 2025 study / 2026 product listing

Sample: Love Grown Dark Roast Whole Bean Coffee

Score method

Heavy metals26/40

Independent CLP certification; exact values not public.

Mycotoxins14/20

CLP study includes mycotoxins.

Pesticides14/15

CLP study includes pesticides/glyphosate/AMPA.

Traceability14/15

Named product in CLP product listing.

Freshness/value6/10

Dark roast; acrylamide number not public.

Missing receipt

• Needs public numeric COA and roasted acrylamide value.

CLP certifiedHeavy metalsMycotoxinsPesticidesGlyphosate/AMPA

$$–$$$Approx. price range

Buy/Search Amazon US Amazon UK

Clean Label Project certification

Rankings favor public exact values over “tested” claims. Amazon buttons use affiliate tags; batch results can change, so check the current lot before buying.

8Watchlist

public lab page, not COA

61/100

Public test claim

FLOW Medium Roast

Purity Coffee

Purity publishes a useful independent-lab results page with numeric acrylamide, OTA, mould/yeast, lead, and cadmium context. That is stronger than vague “tested” copy — but still not the same as a downloadable current-lot COA.

Best for

Buyers comparing clean-coffee claims who want acrylamide and roast-chemistry context, while still requiring a current batch COA before promotion.

Acrylamide

196 µg/kg (Purity row)

Survey acrylamide flag

14/25 roasted coffees >200 µg/kg

Agtron roast level

Ochratoxin A

<0.2 µg/kg

Mould / yeast

<10 / <10

Lead

0.03 ppm

Proof read

Disclosure check: Purity’s independent-laboratory-tests page says 14/25 roasted coffees in its survey were above 200 µg/kg acrylamide; its anonymized table includes 1053, 805, 718, 689, 374, 280, 260, and 220 µg/kg examples. The Purity row lists acrylamide 196 µg/kg, Agtron 59, ochratoxin A <0.2 µg/kg, mould/yeast <10/<10, lead 0.03 ppm, and cadmium 0.002 ppm. Useful public numbers, but competitors are anonymized and raw current batch PDFs were not public on the product page reviewed.

Lab anchor

Lab: Silliker-Merieux / University of Porto / UFRJ, via Purity lab page

Report: Independent Laboratory Tests survey table

Date: 2016–present survey page; current lot not shown

Sample: Purity Coffee 100% Organic / FLOW context, not batch-specific

Score method

Heavy metals18/40

Lead and cadmium numbers are public; arsenic/mercury and current batch PDF were not found.

Mycotoxins12/20

OTA and mould/yeast numbers are public; product-level aflatoxin values and raw COA still missing.

Pesticides12/15

USDA Organic + Bird Friendly; pesticide testing discussed, but current lot table not public.

Traceability10/15

Labs and methods are described, but the reviewed page is not a bag/lot-specific COA.

Freshness/value9/10

Acrylamide 196 µg/kg and Agtron 59 add useful roast-specific context.

Missing receipt

• Needs a current downloadable batch COA before promotion.
• Arsenic, mercury, aflatoxin, pesticide, glyphosate, report date, and lot-specific values were not public on the reviewed product page.
• Competitor acrylamide examples are anonymized, so do not use them for direct brand ranking.

AcrylamideAgtron roast levelOchratoxin AMould/yeastLeadCadmiumOrganic certification

$$–$$$Approx. price range

Buy/Search Amazon US Amazon UK

Public independent lab-results page reviewed

Rankings favor public exact values over “tested” claims. Amazon buttons use affiliate tags; batch results can change, so check the current lot before buying.

9Watchlist

lab-tested, no PDFs found

58/100

Public test claim

Brooklyn Mainstay Blend

Partners Coffee

Partners publicly says its Mainstay coffees were sent to a food-safety lab and that no heavy metals or mycotoxins were detected. Good signal, but still not a product-level COA with lab/date/limits.

Best for

A mainstream specialty-roaster candidate with a public lab-testing statement, but not enough disclosure to outrank CLP or exact-COA products.

Heavy metals

Brand says ND

Mycotoxins

Brand says ND

Public COA PDF

Not found

Detection limits

Not public

Proof read

Disclosure check: Partners says all Mainstay coffees were lab-tested for lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, and certain mycotoxins, and reports “no heavy metals or mycotoxins were detected.” Public product-level PDFs, reporting limits, lab name, sample IDs, and dates were not found on the reviewed pages, so this stays in watchlist rather than the exact-COA tier.

Lab anchor

Lab: Food-safety lab not named publicly on reviewed page

Report: Mainstay heavy metals + mycotoxins test statement

Date: Date not public on reviewed page

Sample: Partners Mainstay coffees, including Brooklyn line

Score method

Heavy metals15/40

ND claim for priority metals, but no PDF, lab name, date, or detection limits.

Mycotoxins9/20

ND claim for certain mycotoxins, but no analyte table.

Pesticides4/15

No pesticide/glyphosate panel found in reviewed statement.

Traceability10/15

Lineup named, but product/batch-level traceability missing.

Freshness/value8/10

Fresh specialty roaster; proof score capped by missing COA.

Missing receipt

• Needs the actual lab PDF with lab name, report date, sample ID, analytes, values, and reporting limits.

Claims heavy metals testedClaims mycotoxins testedMainstay lineupNo public COA PDF found

$$–$$$Approx. price range

Buy/Search Amazon US Amazon UK

Partners lab-testing statement reviewed

Rankings favor public exact values over “tested” claims. Amazon buttons use affiliate tags; batch results can change, so check the current lot before buying.

10Watchlist

COA page checked — no numbers

43/100

Missing numbers

Grata Medium Roast

Lifeboost Coffee

Lifeboost has a public page titled “Certificate of Analysis” and repeats third-party-testing / 450+ toxin claims. In the reviewed page source, I found marketing claims — not a downloadable numeric COA with lab/date/sample/limits.

Best for

A proof-quality caution: popular low-acid coffee with a COA-sounding public page, but no comparable public contaminant numbers found in the latest review.

COA-titled page

Yes

Downloadable COA PDF

Not found

Public exact heavy metals

Not found

Public exact mycotoxins

Not found

Reporting limits

Not public

Claims testing

450+ toxins

Proof read

Disclosure check: Lifeboost publicly claims third-party testing for mycotoxins, heavy metals, pesticides, glyphosate, acrylamide, and 450+ toxins. The public “Lifeboost Coffee Certificate of Analysis” page reviewed on 2026-05-20 returned no COA PDF links and no exact lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, ochratoxin A, aflatoxin, or reporting-limit table in the fetched page. This does not mean unsafe; it means the public proof is not comparable to exact numeric COAs.

Lab anchor

Lab: Not public on reviewed page

Report: “Lifeboost Coffee Certificate of Analysis” product page, not a numeric COA PDF

Date: Reviewed 2026-05-20; lab report date not public

Sample: Lifeboost Coffee Certificate of Analysis / Grata Medium Roast context, not batch-specific

Score method

Heavy metals8/40

Testing claimed, but reviewed COA-titled page did not expose Pb/Cd/As/Hg values or reporting limits.

Mycotoxins5/20

Mycotoxin testing claimed, but no OTA/aflatoxin table was found in the reviewed page.

Pesticides9/15

Organic/pesticide/glyphosate claims remain useful leads, not public numeric proof.

Traceability7/15

No lab name, report date, sample ID, batch/lot, or downloadable COA PDF found in the reviewed page.

Freshness/value7/10

Low-acid/freshness positioning, but clean-coffee price needs public receipts.

Missing receipt

• A page named Certificate of Analysis is not enough; buyers need the actual lab report/table.
• Needs public batch COA with lab name, report date, sample ID, exact lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, ochratoxin A, aflatoxins, and reporting limits.
• This is a proof downgrade, not a claim that the coffee is unsafe.

Claims heavy metalsClaims mycotoxinsClaims pesticidesClaims glyphosateClaims acrylamideCOA-titled pageNo public numeric table found

$$–$$$Approx. price range

Buy/Search Amazon US Amazon UK

COA-titled page reviewed; no numeric table found

Rankings favor public exact values over “tested” claims. Amazon buttons use affiliate tags; batch results can change, so check the current lot before buying.

11Watchlist

public COA page, broken PDFs

38/100

Missing numbers

CBD / CBG Coffee COA Program

Buddha Beans Coffee Co.

Buddha Beans now claims an open COA archive and full contaminant panel, but the reviewed PDF links returned 404. That is not a verified receipt; it is a red-flag watchlist entry until fixed.

Best for

A useful audit example: the public page claims per-batch COAs, but reviewed PDF links returned 404, so it gets downgraded hard until files resolve.

Public exact heavy metals

PDF links 404

Public exact mycotoxins

PDF links 404

THC / cannabinoids

COA program claimed

Verification status

Unverified archive

Proof read

Disclosure check: Buddha Beans says every batch is tested for heavy metals, pesticides, microbial contaminants, residual solvents, and mycotoxins, and lists public PDF links by batch. Verification problem: sampled PDF links such as coa-2026-05-costa-rica.pdf and coa-2026-04-colombia.pdf returned 404 during review, so the ranking treats the COA archive as unverified/broken rather than proven.

Missing receipt

• Fix public PDF links or publish downloadable COAs before this can compete with exact public COA coffees.

Claims heavy metalsClaims pesticidesClaims microbialsClaims mycotoxinsBroken PDF verification

$$–$$$Approx. price range

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Lab-results page reviewed; PDF links failed

Rankings favor public exact values over “tested” claims. Amazon buttons use affiliate tags; batch results can change, so check the current lot before buying.

12Testing

buyer tool

100/100

Buyer tool

COA Reading Checklist

Cleanest Coffee

A practical filter for shopping: if the brand cannot show the lab, batch, date, analytes, units, and limits, do not treat it like proof.

Best for

Avoiding expensive “clean” coffee that cannot show exact lab receipts.

Pass

PDF/COA with numeric values

Caution

Claims without exact numbers

Fail

No lab/date/batch/analytes

Proof read

Exact lab-test standard: require lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, ochratoxin A, aflatoxins, pesticide screen, glyphosate if claimed, yeast/mould, acrylamide for roasted coffee, sample/batch ID, report date, lab name, and units. “Tested” is not a result.

Lab nameBatch/sample IDReport dateAnalytesUnitsReporting limitsCurrent lot match

FreeApprox. price range

Read buyer checklist

Rankings favor public exact values over “tested” claims. Amazon buttons use affiliate tags; batch results can change, so check the current lot before buying.

13Brewing

freshness rule

70/100

Buyer tool

Whole-bean + burr grinder rule

Brewing standard

Not a purity lab test, but it protects freshness once you pick a clean, tested bag. Pre-ground coffee is where good beans go to fade.

Best for

Protecting freshness and taste after you have already picked a clean, tested bag.

Purity impact

Indirect

Taste impact

High

Proof read

Freshness standard: buy whole bean, check roast date, grind before brewing, and keep the bag sealed. A perfect COA does not rescue stale coffee.

Roast dateWhole beanFresh grindStorage

$–$$Approx. price range

Buy/Search Amazon US Amazon UK

Rankings favor public exact values over “tested” claims. Amazon buttons use affiliate tags; batch results can change, so check the current lot before buying.