Mold thrives most readily in commercially processed coffees grown at low altitudes, where high heat and humidity create ideal conditions, and oversight is often minimal. Many of these coffees are blended into or marketed as specialty-grade, despite harboring defects that disqualify them from that classification, mold being one of the most concerning.

Even high-elevation specialty coffees, cultivated in cooler, drier climates, aren’t immune. Mold can develop from lapses in post-harvest handling—such as overripe cherries picked off the ground or pulped beans left floating in wash water that should have been discarded.

Storage poses another risk. Beans exposed to humid environments, whether in poorly ventilated warehouses or shipping containers at sea for extended periods, can develop mold long after harvest.

At Truista, purity isn’t a claim, it’s a guarantee. We don’t leave anything to chance. Every roast we produce is sent to a certified third-party lab for full-spectrum testing, with a sharp focus on harmful mold toxins like ochratoxin A and aflatoxin B1, compounds often overlooked in conventional coffee.