Since Nespresso are made from aluminum with a shellac coating (and often looks like plastic), one might be wondering if they are safe – especially when hot water is passed through them.
Do Nespresso pods have toxic plastic leaching issues or even react with the aluminum? In this article, we’re going to take a look!
Yes, Nespresso is completely safe! According to the manufacturers, the water and coffee do not come into contact with plastic and metal. Instead, they only contact the shellac coating. Even then, the compounds used are BPA-free and completely inert – meaning they won’t react with the coffee or water.
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Table of Contents
Do Nespresso Pods Have BPA?
Bisphenol A, in short BPA, is an industrial chemical mainly used in making plastic. But though BPA plastics are known to make some food and beverage containers, they are not safe. The reason being that BPA has been said to seep into food and it then leads to one is getting health complications.
Fortunately, Nespresso pods do not have BPA in the capsules.
Therefore, the capsules are fully compliant with the applicable regulation. In addition, they are made of products that are intended to come in contact with food.
Are Nespresso Pods Carcinogenic?
Some people worry that Nespresso pods are carcinogenic. The reason being the capsules contain the element Furan which can be carcinogenic when taken in large enough quantities.
Furan appears during the coffee-making process and can be present in capsules, coffee beans, and ground coffee. In addition, since the capsules are sealed, they might prevent the evaporation of furan like which happens when coffee is left out in the air .
The fact is that there are some levels of Furan found in coffee capsules. The same way that you can find the same product in bread, French fries, or any other product subjected to high temperatures during the processing. But the Furan present in Nespresso capsules is only a trace amount, orders of magnitude below the safe level.
Is The Aluminum In Nespresso Capsules Bad For You?
There’s been a lot of controversial headlines lately of the *potential* health effects of metals like aluminum in your cooking and food preparation process. Some common headlines postulate a correlation between diseases like Alzheimer’s, renal failure, and blood clots with Aluminum.
Nespresso capsules are made from Aluminum, so we understand the concern about your safety and whether or not these health impacts are real.
Fortunately, none of these links between aluminum and disease have been proven.
Take for example the link with Alzheimer’s. After an initial 1965 study that found high levels of aluminum in the brains of Alzheimer’s sufferers, many subsequent studies were conducted to find where this came from and if it was ingested, absorbed or inhaled. There is no correlation in aluminum in food, drinks, cooking utensils, or deodorant and Alzheimers.
The benefits of Aluminium
Nespresso uses Aluminum capsules because there is no other product that can protect the freshness and aroma of our coffee. In addition, the aluminum does not compromise the quality of the coffee that is found in the capsule. Thus, it is one of the best packaging options.
The other reason that aluminum is used is that it has the unique advantage of being infinitely recyclable. Therefore, when you use this product, it will help us eliminate the need to use additional packages that can overwrap to protect the freshness of the product. In addition, this is a product that is light making it easy for Nespresso to be transported.
Do Nespresso Capsules Contain Other Toxic Chemicals?
The other product that people get worried about when it comes to Nespresso is the plastic found in the product. Though plastic is dangerous and can be harmful when it gets in the body, you do not have anything to worry about when it comes to the plastic used in Nespresso. That means that even if the plastic comes in contact with the hot water, it will not reach the coffee. If so, you will not have to worry about consuming plastic-filled products.
Other than plastic, Nespresso capsules do not have any other chemical present. The Nespresso capsules are not made of any preservatives. They are kept fresh by being sealed in aluminum capsules. The capsule helps ensure that the capsule is fresh since it offers impermeable moisture, light, and oxygen barriers.
Does Nespresso Contain Sugar?
As more and more studies are complete, we’re beginning to learn the true harmful effects of the humble sugar crystal. It’s more addictive than cocaine, and one of the leading contributors to heart disease and diabetes.
Fortunately, no, none of the Nespresso pods contain any sugar. Read more here on sugar, Nespresso and why they taste so sweet!
What about the Caffiene?
Caffeine is hailed by many as a wonder drug, and is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance in the world! The average amount of caffeine consumed each day is estimated to be 210 to 238 mg (source).
So is caffeine safe? Fortunately for most people, a small amount of caffeine (such as the amount found in a Nepresso capsule) is perfectly safe! Just make sure you don’t have too many Nespressos each day.
The FDA recommends keeping your total daily caffeine intake below 400mg. So how many Nespresso is that? Well, the caffeine content varies significantly between flavor, so you’ll want to check out our guide here on how much caffeine does a Nespresso pod contain.
How many calories does Nespresso have?
That’s right, excessive caloric intake is also extremely unhealthy and another contributor to diabetes, heart disease,e and obesity. Fortunatly Nespresso by itself has almost zero calories. However, drinking your coffee with milk, sugar or creamer pumps up the number of calories massively!
Check out this article for more details on the calorie content of Nespresso.
Conclusion
With the amount of undisclosed chemicals found in today’s products, you’re right to be careful and ask questions about the safety of consuming Nespresso pod coffee. Hopefully, our research in this article has helped you understand exactly what’s in your Nespresso pod. As discussed, Nespresso pods are safe to consume and will not leach any toxic compounds into your coffee. They are produced to the highest international standards, and in particular, their use of aluminum rather than plastic sets them apart from most competitors in terms of safety. So, rest assured, you can enjoy your coffee without worrying about any health implications.
Seriously? I just read this article and the only thing that came to my mind was how much money were you paid by Nespresso to put these false statements online?
Hi Susan, we’re not paid any money by Nespresso. If fact, we compete with them with our own pods for their machines. Can you please let me know what part of the article you take exception to and i’ll take a look at it. Cheers.
Saying there is a protective shellac without disclosing what the shellac actually is sounds fishy. Most shellacs are made out of bisphenol – just not the A type. They’ve substituted them with BPS, BPF, etc.
I’m still unconvinced about the safety of the aluminium aspect. I’m not interested in the advantage to transportation.. or any aspect other than health. I drink a great deal of Nespresso (decaff). Why can’t the interior of the capsule be lined to keep hot water away from the aluminium?