Comparative Chart of Lab Test Results: Instant Coffee Products — Organic & Conventional

Published: April 18, 2026
A Quick Note From Tamara Rubin

Below you will find a comparative chart showing the lab test results for all of the instant coffee products we have sent in for independent, third-party laboratory testing to date (since we started the Lead Safe Mama, LLC Community Collaborative Laboratory Testing Initiative in March of 2024). There are currently lab test results for four products included in this chart as of the date of publishing. One of the lab reports (the UK product) is pending publishing.

• It is interesting to note that the least toxic of the four products (the one with the lowest contamination levels across the board) is the Instant Coffee product that we purchased in the UK (specifically in Scotland) for testing.
• While it is difficult to attribute a source of contamination with such a small data set, it is very possible that at least some of the contamination introduced to these instant coffee products is from the water used to create them; water sources are often contaminated with Arsenic which may possibly be left behind in the finished product.
• With the Instant Danger product, it is also sold as a “remineralized” product (the manufacturer adds “minerals” with purported benefits to the finished instant coffee product) — and it is therefore highly likely that a significant portion of the contamination for that particular product is being introduced along with the “added beneficial minerals”, especially given how much more contaminated the Danger product is compared to the others in the chart.

As always – to see the full original lab report for each product shown in the chart, click the link for the article for that specific product (the numbers in the list of linked articles below correspond with the numbers for each of the products shown in the chart below) and scroll down to the very bottom of the article. The lab reports are always BELOW the sharable social media graphic and BELOW the list of Lab Tested Safer Choices that is embedded in each article.

As with nearly all of the lab test results we share, we will take a moment reiterate a key point: All relevant federal agencies have published statements that are in agreement with the consensus in the scientific and medical communities that there is no safe level of Lead exposure for human beings — especially in products that will be ingested.

1. Not Yet Published – UK PURCHASE – Nescafe Azera Americano Instant Coffee
2. Organic: Mount Hagen Fairtrade Instant Freeze-Dried Coffee
3. Organic: Anthony’s Organic Instant Coffee – Arabica Bean, Ultra Fine
4. Instant Danger 72 Hour Slow-Brewed Instant Coffee Powder

To see more coffee products (whole bean, ground beans, liquid concentrates, etc.) that we have tested and reported on to date, click here.

The Lead Safe Mama, LLC Community Collaborative Laboratory Testing Initiative is direct by you (our readers help nominate products for testing and reporting), and funded by you (our readers help cover the costs of the testing and reporting we do).

The testing and reporting for 50% of the products included in this chart was not funded. If you appreciate this information (if it is helping you to make science-based informed choices for yourself and your family) and you would like to support our work with a financial contribution, we would like to encourage you to join us on Patreon with a small monthly gift in support of the Lead Safe Mama, LLC Community Collaborative Laboratory Testing Initiative.

The link to our Patreon membership page is below. Thank you for considering this request. Even a monthly gift of just $2.00 or $3.00 makes a difference! Our current average monthly gift is $3.91 a month (there are also some fun membership perks at the $25.00 / month and $50.00 / month levels, so please do check those out as well).   https://www.patreon.com/leadsafemama/membership