Starbucks Decaf House Blend Medium Roast Ground Coffee
Summary
Starbucks Decaf House Blend Medium Roast Ground Coffee scores 12/100. Independent testing cited in the Williams & Strauss class action (Jan 2026) detected three volatile organic compounds in this SKU: Benzene at 28 ppb (IARC Group 1 carcinogen, 5.6× the US drinking-water MCL of 5 ppb), Toluene at 87 ppb (developmental neurotoxin), and Methylene Chloride at 22 ppb (IARC Group 2A, EPA-banned for consumer uses 2024). Starbucks confirms it uses the methylene-chloride Direct Contact Method for most of its decaf line — only Komodo Dragon and VIA Instant Decaf use the chemical-free Swiss Water Process. Conventional non-organic Latin American sourcing (C.A.F.E. Practices is not an organic certification). Pre-ground form accelerates oxidation, degrading chlorogenic-acid antioxidants within ~2 weeks. Starbucks denies the lawsuit's test results.
At a glance
Key ingredients 7
Benzene (Detected)Very Bad
IARC Group 1 known human carcinogen with no safe exposure level. Causally linked to leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and aplastic anemia.
See more about Benzene (Detected) →Toluene (Detected)Very Bad
Aromatic developmental neurotoxin; EPA hazardous air pollutant. Not expected in finished coffee from coffee chemistry alone.
See more about Toluene (Detected) →Methylene Chloride (Detected)Very Bad
IARC Group 2A probable carcinogen. EPA banned methylene chloride for most consumer uses in 2024. Any detectable residue contradicts the brand's 'no residue after roasting' claim.
See more about Methylene Chloride (Detected) →Direct Contact DecaffeinationBad
Brand-confirmed use of methylene-chloride solvent for the majority of its decaf line. A structural choice vs. the chemical-free Swiss Water Process.
See more about Direct Contact Decaffeination →Conventional Non-Organic SourcingBad
Not USDA Organic. Latin American coffee routinely involves pre-harvest glyphosate desiccation and synthetic fertilizers.
See more about Conventional Non-Organic Sourcing →Pre-GroundNeutral
Pre-ground coffee oxidizes within ~2 weeks of grinding, degrading chlorogenic-acid antioxidants and developing rancid lipid byproducts.
See more about Pre-Ground →100% Arabica CoffeeGood
Higher-quality species than Robusta — smoother flavor, lower caffeine, higher chlorogenic acids. A clean single-ingredient base.
See more about 100% Arabica Coffee →Processing
Processed Culinary Ingredients
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