The Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency bans three "fake coffee" products containing ochratoxin A
According to G1, the banned brands are: Melissa, Pingo Preto, and Oficial. As early as March 25, these three products were identified by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock as unfit for human consumption.
These products have serious labeling issues—while claiming to contain "coffee pulp" and "roasted ground coffee," they actually used low-quality raw materials, such as raw coffee beans and even agricultural waste. The ministry's laboratory analysis also detected impurities and foreign objects exceeding the legal 1% limit.
The foreign objects in its composition include stones, sand, other plant seeds (such as weeds); impurities refer to branches, leaves, husks, and the like.
In April this year, the head of the Plant-Based Products Inspection Department at the Ministry of Agriculture, Hugo, publicly pointed out that these so-called "coffees" were actually made from "field trash."
The Health and Quarantine Center's resolution clearly states: a comprehensive ban on sales, circulation, production, promotion, and use of the aforementioned brand products, and requires the recall of all batches.
Ochratoxin A (OTA) Hazards to Health
Ochratoxin A is a toxin produced by fungi that may contaminate grains, coffee, meat, and other foods.
It primarily affects the kidneys, associated with chronic kidney disease, urinary system tumors, and long-term inflammation.
According to World Health Organization data from 2023, OTA may also affect fetal development and damage the immune system, making the body more susceptible to diseases.
"Although animal experiments have clearly shown that Ochratoxin A causes kidney toxicity and kidney cancer, this connection in humans has not been fully confirmed; however, kidney damage has been proven to exist."
While revoking the qualification of these three products, the Ministry of Agriculture recommends that consumers: immediately stop consuming the listed brand products; they can request product replacement from merchants under the Consumer Protection Law; if these products are still found on the market, report them through the Fala.BR platform, providing the merchant's name and address.