Coffee and mineral oil hydrocarbons: potential dietary intake.

ABSTRACT

Levels of mineral oil hydrocarbons were measured in a large range of green and roasted coffee beans or ground powder. To better understand the consumer exposure to mineral oil hydrocarbons, the transfer to the brewed coffee was assessed under three different preparations. As a result, less than 5% of mineral oil hydrocarbons were transferred to the cup. With this low transfer rate, the coffee contribution to the mineral oils daily intake can be assessed to be very low, below 0.8% of the total exposure.