What’s Really Brewing in Your Coffee?

India’s Coffee Adulteration Problem and How to Choose a Safer Morning Fix

Coffee is more than just a beverage.

It’s how we wake up. Power through deadlines. Comfort ourselves during long conversations or quiet moments. But what if that morning ritual is quietly doing more harm than good?

At Unbox Health, we went beyond the label. We lab-tested popular coffee powders in India to find out what’s really in them. The results were… eye-opening.

Let’s break it down into simple frequently asked questions.

Yes. One of the most common adulterants in Indian coffee powder is chicory root. It mimics coffee’s roasted flavor but contains no caffeine and none of coffee’s natural antioxidants. A 2023 FSSAI-approved study found that several commercial “coffee blends” had over 60% chicory content, with no clear labeling [1]. Recent scientific literature has started validating its wider applications. Here’s what the research says.

Chicory is a roasted root used to bulk up coffee blends. It’s cheaper and gives a strong taste, but:

• Contains no caffeine
• Lacks chlorogenic acid, an antioxidant found in coffee
• Is not always declared properly on the label

For consumers, that means you might be drinking much less real coffee than you think.

Yes. Low-quality or poorly regulated brands may contain:

• Heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and nickel
• Aflatoxins, toxic substances produced by mold
• Pesticide residues

A 2021 report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) flagged the lack of routine testing for such contaminants in Indian packaged foods, including coffee powders [2].

Yes  if it’s pure, well-sourced coffee, consumed in moderation.

Benefits include:

• Better alertness and energy
• Improved mood and focus
• Antioxidants like chlorogenic acid, which support heart, liver, and brain health [3][4]
• May also help in fat metabolism and reduce inflammation [5]

We lab-tested some of India’s most popular coffee powder brands to check for:

• Actual caffeine and antioxidant levels
• Excess chicory or filler ingredients
• Heavy metal contamination
• Presence of mold toxins (aflatoxins)

Our results were compiled into easy-to-understand brand ratings, so you can make smarter, safer choices without needing a chemistry degree.

We’ve made it simple.

Click here to see the Coffee Brand Ratings

Find out how your favorite morning brew performed  and whether it’s worth keeping in your cup.

Conclusion: Your Cup, Your Choice

Coffee can be a beautiful, health-supportive ritual, but only when it’s clean and honest. At Unbox Health, we believe in radical transparency. That means no blind trust in labels, no marketing fluff  just science-backed facts you can use.

So the next time you reach for that coffee tin, ask yourself:  Is it energizing you or quietly compromising your health? We’ve done the testing, so you don’t have to guess.