Chemical content

Just like decaf, instant coffee is often thought of as containing potentially harmful chemicals. The process of roasting coffee beans does produce a chemical called acrylamide, which is thought to be cancerous in large quantities, and a 2013 study also found that instant coffee contains about double the amount of acrylamide than fresh roasted coffee, with 358 micrograms per kg.

However, dangerous levels of acrylamide are thought to be at least 1,000 times the amount we can be exposed to in our diets, and the amount instant coffee contains is way below maximum exposure levels recommended by the European Food Safety Authority. In fact, coffee has actually been associated with anti-cancer properties – a large 2017 study found that coffee consumption was related to a reduced risk of head, neck, liver, breast and colorectum cancer mortality rates.

Is instant coffee as healthy as freshly ground?