Is Folgers Gluten-Free?
Folgers coffee is naturally gluten-free, as coffee does not contain gluten. The facilities at Folgers where their coffee products are produced do not handle or process any other types of crops that may be sources of gluten.
While coffee itself is gluten-free and the Folgers facilities will not impart any cross-contamination of gluten-containing products, there is a chance that the beans that have been harvested and sent to Folgers’ facilities have come into contact with equipment that is used to process gluten-containing ingredients, such as grains.
Coffee beans are unable to be grown in the contiguous United States, so each bean has a long journey to make before it arrives at the Folgers roasting facility in New Orleans. Folgers uses a blend of Robusta and Arabica beans in its coffee, from nearly every region where coffee is able to be grown – Africa, Central and South America, Asia, and Oceania.
Different methods of harvest are used with coffee beans. Mostly, when the beans are harvested, they are strip-picked by hand, and in regions where the landscape allows, they are picked by machine.
Machine-picked coffee is actually more rare than hand-picked, even for larger producers like Folgers. Coffee that is picked by machine may come into contact with machinery that is also used to harvest grain.
After the coffee is picked, it is processed in a few ways. Dry Processed beans will not come into contact with any machinery in the processing stage, although it does when it is hulled.
Coffee beans could be hulled on the same machinery that is used to hull wheat, depending on the distributor. It does not appear at this time that Folgers is aware of the full processing method and any cross-contamination from their coffee suppliers.
While it is unlikely that any cross-contamination will happen, it is always good to keep in mind that items such as coffee beans that are distributed far and wide from across the globe can come into contact with agricultural or shipping equipment that is used for processing or distributing products that contain gluten.
If you want to be absolutely sure that your products have not been cross-contaminated, try to find coffee from independent roasters who are involved in every step of production, from growth to processing to distribution.
Additionally, Folgers states that flavored coffee products may contain ingredients that aren’t gluten-free or have come into contact with gluten.
About Folgers Coffee
Folgers coffee is an evolution of a brand called the Pioneer Steam Coffee and Spice Mills, founded in 1850. This was the first commercial coffee brand in the country, which provided coffee already roasted and ground, ready to be brewed. Before this, people had to roast and grind their own coffee.
Over 100 years later, Folgers is the largest pre-roasted coffee brand in America. They are known for their ground coffee, instant coffee, and now K-Cups for Keurig coffee-makers.
Ingredients
100% Coffee – Robusta and Arabica beans
Nutritional Info | Classic Roast |
Calories | 2 |
Carbohydrates | 0 |
Fat | 0 |
Protein | 0 |