Organic coffee may seem safer for your family since it lacks synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, but that may not always be true. Organic farming practices may introduce heavy metals into the soil that then end up absorbed by coffee plants. According to Food Standards Australia and New Zealand studies, roasted coffee has higher arsenic levels than green coffee (un-roasted). Furthermore, roasted coffee contains contaminants such as acrylamide, furan polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as well as mycotoxins such as Ochratoxin A and b – none of which poses health risks as a result of roasting at higher temperatures.

Researchers examined eight varieties of coffee from both organic and conventional farms. Their researchers discovered that arsenic levels were significantly higher among roasted than un-roasted varieties, while instant coffees served in cafes and restaurants had especially high acrylamide concentrations. Arsenic is a toxic element known to cause heart disease, respiratory conditions, depression and dementia in humans as well as being carcinogenic, leading to anemia, reduced immunity levels and digestive tract problems.

Arsenic is an element that occurs naturally in nature, found in water, air, soil and pesticides; it can also be mined from the earth, used as pesticides and fertilizers; when consumed by plants it forms either organic arsenic compounds with oxygen, carbon and sulfur or inorganic arsenic molecules – with organic arsenic forms being less harmful than their inorganic counterparts.

Scientists believe arsenic enters soil through erosion and weathering of natural rock formations, through synthetic fertilizers used by industrial and agricultural operations, or from polluted runoff from industrial and agricultural operations, or from burning fossil fuels or byproducts from mining and manufacturing metals.

Organic farming methods have long been favored by families as an eco-friendly solution, eschewing synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. But it’s important to remember that certified organic farms only need their soil tested once before becoming certified – recertification requirements tend to be quite minimal – similar to how roasting both types of coffee in one machine could expose you to unwanted pesticide residues in your cup of coffee!

As a parent, you can help limit your child’s arsenic exposure by offering alternatives such as wheat grits or corn grits as an alternative to rice cereal. Furthermore, try not to put them in high chair seats that are placed too close to stoves and burners as this increases exposure to toxic chemicals such as methylene chloride and methyl bromide. Finally, when starting baby on solid foods for the first time consider switching from rice formula to soy-based infant cereal instead.