Adulterated coffee sparks controversy: What are Egyptians drinking?

Regulatory campaigns revealed the use of ingredients such as date pits and pea grains (called 'basella' by Egyptians) to mix with coffee, in practices aimed at reducing cost and achieving illegal profits.

In recent days, the Health Directorate in Qalyubia Governorate thwarted the circulation of about one ton of adulterated coffee before it reached markets, during a regulatory campaign targeting a food storage facility as part of efforts to control markets and protect citizens' health.

Inspection operations showed mixing coffee beans with other grains in violation of standard specifications, using a popular trademark to deceive consumers and achieve illegal gains, in violation of commercial fraud and food safety laws.

In Fayoum Governorate, regulatory authorities seized an unlicensed factory for producing and packaging adulterated coffee using 'date pits and peas', with the product offered in packages bearing names of known trademarks, in addition to 250 kilograms of ground coffee of unknown origin, before a report was filed and the case referred to the Public Prosecution.

Informal trade: Commenting on the phenomenon, the head of the Alexandria Mills and Coffee Traders Division, Mustafa Al-Sheikh, explained that about 80 percent of coffee traded through informal and unlicensed commerce is adulterated and unfit for use, stressing that this percentage does not apply to the organized market or licensed traders.

Al-Sheikh told Sky News Arabia that some workers in unlicensed trade use large quantities of date pits and other grains, such as 'peas and wheat', to mix with coffee in order to reduce cost and achieve greater profits, stressing that these practices harm consumers and tarnish the reputation of the market and committed traders. Al-Sheikh added that 'consumption of these additives, after roasting and mixing with coffee, may have harmful health effects.'

Previously, the head of the Coffee Division at the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Hassan Fawzi, said that fraud cases are limited to a small percentage of workers in unlicensed places, known as 'basement shops', calling on consumers to buy coffee from trusted outlets and check product data on the package.

Fawzi pointed out that coffee shops are subject to periodic monitoring by the competent authorities, foremost among them the Supply and Health authorities, where samples are regularly taken to ensure their compliance with Egyptian standard specifications, with legal measures that may reach imprisonment and fines in case of any violation.

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What are the health risks? For his part, therapeutic nutrition consultant Hani Gibran told Sky News Arabia that buying coffee from trusted sources remains the safest way to avoid exposure to adulterated products.

He pointed out that some illegal producers use additives that may cause in some people an increase in irritable bowel syndrome symptoms, such as bloating and digestive system disorders, and may lead in some cases to constipation, noting that some consumers may also suffer from allergies to these ingredients.

Gibran stressed that consuming adulterated coffee does not necessarily mean developing serious health complications, but it may exacerbate digestive system problems in more sensitive individuals, emphasizing that prevention begins with buying coffee from well-known and trusted outlets, while avoiding products of unknown origin or unjustifiably low prices.

Coffee with croissant.. an inherited morning habit among Algerians

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Coffee with croissant.. an inherited morning habit among Algerians