Coffee is part of so many people’s daily rituals, which makes the quality of what’s in each cup that much more important. At Love Grown, purity has always been at the center of how we think about food, but it has recently gained wider attention thanks to a national study from the Clean Label Project.
The Clean Label Project reviewed some of the most popular coffee brands in the U.S., looking at beans, grounds, and pods. Their goal was simple: to see how “clean” coffee really is. The results were eye-opening and have made national headlines.
Here's what they found:
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Every brand tested contained some level of heavy metals like lead, cadmium, arsenic, or mercury.
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Even organic coffees weren’t immune – all of them showed traces of AMPA, a chemical residue linked to glyphosate.
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Canned coffees were found to have the highest levels of acrylamides (a known carcinogen).
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Pods contained high levels of DEHP, a plasticizer tied to hormone disruption.
In short, contaminants are a widespread issue across the industry.
Why this matters
We’ve long believed the coffee industry could do more to protect people’s health and the planet. This study confirms that belief and reminds us that progress doesn’t come from assuming “organic” or “natural” is enough. It comes from constant testing, innovation, and transparency.
For us, that means:
- Working with partners who set rigorous testing standards
- Aiming far below what toxicologists consider “safe” to better protect vulnerable groups
- Pushing for innovation in packaging and production
- Advocating for clearer regulation and consumer protection
(AKA everything we stand for at Love Grown).
Where Love Grown fits in
From the beginning, we’ve worked alongside the Clean Label Project to understand how to raise the bar. That’s why Love Grown is proud to be the first coffee brand to earn Clean Label Project Certification.
Our coffee is:
- Tested free from mycotoxins, glyphosate, and BPA/BPS
- Packaged in plastic-free pods that don’t leach microplastics
- Proven to test hundreds to thousands of times below California Prop 65 limits
We’re proud of this progress, but we also know the work isn’t done. No coffee is perfect, including ours. That’s why our next step is a “bean-to-bag” study with the Clean Label Project, so we can learn even more about where contaminants appear and how to reduce them further.
Looking ahead
For coffee drinkers, the takeaway is simple: Choosing brands with strong testing practices helps ensure your morning cup supports your health rather than undermines it. Coffee already offers plenty of natural benefits; the cleaner it is, the more those benefits shine through.
At Love Grown, we’ll keep working toward that goal – one test, one standard, one cup at a time.
An invitation to try it for yourself
If you’re curious about what cleaner coffee can taste like, we’d love for you to try Love Grown. To celebrate our Clean Label Project certification, we’re offering 35% off your first order, plus free shipping. We’re also including a few small gifts we love – like our go-to Avocado Savers and a box of our plant-powered cereal – as a thank you for joining us on this journey.
This offer won’t be around forever, but we hope that once you taste the difference, you’ll see why we believe purity in coffee is worth working toward.
