# Why no nutrition facts on coffee? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 30, 2005, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-nutrition-facts-on-coffee/328620 "2005-10-30T20:16:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-nutrition-facts-on-coffee/328620/21 "2005-10-31T16:18:31Z")
… but, to be fair, if you drank enough coffee that you were worried about how much oil you were drinking with it, dude, the caffeine would cause your molecules to vibrate so fast the oil would just fall out of you… at least, it would in a comic book commercial. It’s like the calcium in TUMS. Sure, there’s some calcium, but if you’re eating enough of them that it matters, you’ve got other problems… ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-nutrition-facts-on-coffee/328620/22 "2005-10-31T16:18:51Z")
> [@Terminus Est](#): > > From the Scientific American article: [The Complexity of Coffee](http://www.sciamdigital.com/browse.cfm?sequencenameCHAR=item2&methodnameCHAR=resource_getitembrowse&interfacenameCHAR=browse.cfm&ISSUEID_CHAR=31E7F518-2EC9-4DDC-93A6-21E8488C35D&ARTICLEID_CHAR=75A5C13D-28C5-4C09-B898-767A01FC54C&sc=I100322): > You will need to either purchase the item or find a paper copy. Well, the topic in question is expresso, which is, IIRC, not filtered, but hot water is pushed through a coffee cake. Thus the fats from the beans can easily be transferred to the drink. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-nutrition-facts-on-coffee/328620/23 "2005-10-31T16:26:40Z")
I seriously doubt that fatty acid molecules will be hindered from passing through a paper filter, aside from the usual absorption. While large, fatty acid molecules are still smaller than the pore size of filter paper. A quick google search tells me that the pore size of laboratory-grade filter paper is on the order of [2 to 5 um](http://www.hach.com/hc/search.product.details.invoker/PackagingCode=189457/NewLinkLabel=Filter+Paper,+Pleated,+Pore+Size+2+to+5+%B5m). You should be able to test this for yourself: Run some cooking oil through your paper coffee filter. Do you seriously doubt that the paper will be able to hold all the oil back? ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-nutrition-facts-on-coffee/328620/24 "2005-10-31T16:31:18Z")
> [@Miss Violaceous](#): > > I can see a little skim of oil on top of my coffee, and all I use is a gold filter in an automatic drip machine. Heh, I would look into that. Seriously. Ok, cite-o-rama: [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05285/586569.stm](http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05285/586569.stm) > [@](#): > > Drink it black. One cup of coffee contains two to four calories and zero fat, while a two-ounce shot of espresso also contains no fat and only one calorie. > **[OhioHealth – Blog](https://blog.ohiohealth.com)** > > Blog > [@](#): > > A plain cup of brewed coffee has zero fat and zero calories [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi\_m1608/is\_5\_19/ai\_100545121](http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1608/is_5_19/ai_100545121) > [@](#): > > 1 cup black coffee: 5 calories, zero carbs, zero protein, zero fat > **[BodyTrends Health & Fitness Blog | Let's Change The Lifestyle](https://bodytrends.com/)** > > BodyTrends aims to educate people that help to achieve optimum health and fitness. Visit our blog now to learn more about diet, exercise, and mindfulness. > [@](#): > > While plain, black coffee comes with no fat and barely six calories in an 8 oz. serving Want more? ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-nutrition-facts-on-coffee/328620/25 "2005-10-31T16:34:54Z")
> [@Terminus Est](#): > > I seriously doubt that fatty acid molecules will be hindered from passing through a paper filter, aside from the usual absorption. While large, fatty acid molecules are still smaller than the pore size of filter paper. A quick google search tells me that the pore size of laboratory-grade filter paper is on the order of [2 to 5 um](http://www.hach.com/hc/search.product.details.invoker/PackagingCode=189457/NewLinkLabel=Filter+Paper,+Pleated,+Pore+Size+2+to+5+%B5m). You should be able to test this for yourself: Run some cooking oil through your paper coffee filter. Do you seriously doubt that the paper will be able to hold all the oil back? Are you suggesting that the minute amount of fatty acids that MAY be found in beans is equivilant to pouring several ounces of cooking oil through a filter? You said it right there, “aside from the usual abosrption”. That paper could probably absorb 10 grams of oil. Probably 50 times more than 6 tablespoons of coffee grounds. I provided cites saying coffee (black, filtered), has NO fat. Please provide equivilant cites disproving that statement. Otherwise I will have to conclude that you are wrong. ---
**Author:** ![hammerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hammerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammerbach)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-nutrition-facts-on-coffee/328620/26 "2005-10-31T16:44:01Z")
> [@Epimetheus](#): > > Well, the topic in question is expresso, which is, IIRC, not filtered, but hot water is pushed through a coffee cake. Thus the fats from the beans can easily be transferred to the drink. Well, my coffee is generally oily however it’s prepared. And the oils tend to stick to the cup. Makes me wonder what’s going on in my digestive system (but not enough to give up coffee). ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-nutrition-facts-on-coffee/328620/27 "2005-10-31T16:45:19Z")
If coffee has no carbs, no fat and no protein, where are those 5 calories coming from? Nutrition information is rounded to the nearest 5. The extremely small amount of fat in coffee is rounded to 0. ---
**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-nutrition-facts-on-coffee/328620/28 "2005-10-31T16:47:59Z")
> [@Epimetheus](#): > > Excuse me if I am hesitant to believe another forum as a cite, especially when I can cite a whole lot more in that fatty acids are not water soluble. Find me a mechanism in which the fat can get into the coffee through the filter, and I will be more convinced. (The guy quoted seems quite knowledgeable). I agree that oils may not get through the filter, but the OP enquires about nutritional info on coffee packs, not that in your cup. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-nutrition-facts-on-coffee/328620/29 "2005-10-31T16:53:09Z")
Incidentally, **Epimetheus** , you asked for “a mechanism in which the fat can get into the coffee through the filter”. I answered that. ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-nutrition-facts-on-coffee/328620/30 "2005-10-31T17:00:44Z")
> [@Terminus Est](#): > > Incidentally, **Epimetheus** , you asked for “a mechanism in which the fat can get into the coffee through the filter”. I answered that. Ok, so you provided a mechanism, care to offer supporting evidence, such as a cite that black, filtered coffee has fat in it. (Good luck, because on the offchance I was wrong, I found very little that could be construed as evidence in your favor, you may have more luck than myself though) For the record I drink black coffee regularly, and have never seen a film on top, or in the cup. Are you sure it isn’t from the creamer? ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-nutrition-facts-on-coffee/328620/31 "2005-10-31T17:04:34Z")
Come on **Epimetheus**. Paper coffee filters are designed to keep the grounds from you coffee cup. I find that there is small amount of visible solids in my coffee that passes through a paper filter. This coffee dust is much large than an oil molecule. [http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/foodlabel/newlabel.html](http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/foodlabel/newlabel.html) Nutrition Labeling–Exemptions Under NLEA, some foods are exempt from nutrition labeling. These include: [ul] [li]food served for immediate consumption, such as that served in hospital cafeterias and airplanes, and that sold by food service vendors–for example, mall cookie counters, sidewalk vendors, and vending machines[/li][li]ready-to-eat food that is not for immediate consumption but is prepared primarily on site–for example, bakery, deli, and candy store items[/li][li]food shipped in bulk, as long as it is not for sale in that form to consumers[/li][li]medical foods, such as those used to address the nutritional needs of patients with certain diseases[/li][li]plain coffee and tea, some spices, and other foods that contain no significant amounts of any nutrients.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-nutrition-facts-on-coffee/328620/32 "2005-10-31T17:07:36Z")
> [@Gymnopithys](#): > > (The guy quoted seems quite knowledgeable). > I agree that oils may not get through the filter, but the OP enquires about nutritional info on coffee packs, not that in your cup. Thats true, and I agree that coffee beans has fat in them (just that in the usual brewing process they do not get transferred). I know that some brewing techniques allow these fatty oils to get into the drink, such as the link by Ethilrist, which incidentally I have a similar one that gives support for my point: [http://www.coffeeresearch.org/coffee/brewing.htm](http://www.coffeeresearch.org/coffee/brewing.htm) > [@](#): > > The French press offers unparalleled flavor due to perfect extraction time and delivery of the **volatile oils that are often trapped in filters**. As for answering the OP, I don’t know, my package of Folgers at home has nutritional information on the side, but often times the higher priced coffees that I buy do not. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-nutrition-facts-on-coffee/328620/33 "2005-10-31T17:13:52Z")
Have you ever forgotten to rinse out your coffee cup? After all the water has evaporated, there’s this sticky residue left behind. What’s that made of? Here’s another experiment to try. Take a couple of cups of hot water. Add a few drops of some aromatic essential oil, like citronella. Shake up the mixture really, really well. Run it through your paper coffee filter. Take a whiff of the filtered water. Can you still smell the citronella? ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-nutrition-facts-on-coffee/328620/34 "2005-10-31T17:40:44Z")
OK, cite time. There has to be at least some oil extracted from the coffee grounds, or else it wouldn’t have any aroma or flavor. Roasting releases the essential oils: [http://www.kraft.com.au/maxwellhouse/about\_coffee\_roasting.cfm](http://www.kraft.com.au/maxwellhouse/about_coffee_roasting.cfm) > [@](#): > > Roasting is the heat treatment that generates the characteristic flavor, aroma and body of the brown nuggets that we buy as whole or ground coffee. > > Most roasters use air temperatures between 450 and 550 degrees Fahrenheit. The beans are kept moving during the roasting process to keep them from burning. When the beans reach a temperature of about 400 degrees ahrenheit, they start to turn a darker brown, and the **oils (called coffee essence, coffee oil or caffeol) start to emerge**. > > This process, called pyrolosis, is at the heart of roasting, as **it produces the flavor and aroma of the coffee we drink**. The flavor development of roast coffee is primarily dependent on the degree of roast, e.g. dark, medium and light. The darker the roast, the greater the flavor development and intensity. Darker roasts require longer roast times. When the desired degree of roast is achieved, the beans are rapidly cooled using air or water. Breweing extracts these essential oils: [http://www.ico.org/making\_coffee.asp](http://www.ico.org/making_coffee.asp) > [@](#): > > There is no single best way to make coffee; each of us prefers one method to the rest. Coffee is an everyday part of our lives and it must above all fit our lifestyles and our pockets. Making coffee is both a ritual and a practical part of life. Unlike tea or cocoa, coffee lends itself readily to many different ways of making the infusion. All these methods share the basic principle which is to **use hot water, to extract from the ground beans the natural essential oils, the caffeol, that give coffee its wonderful aroma and flavour**. The resulting brew, or liquor, is a coffee infusion. [http://coffeefaq.com/coffaq2.htm](http://coffeefaq.com/coffaq2.htm) > [@](#): > > A paper filter will hold **_some_ of the essential oils** that are being released from the coffee. Some, not all. [http://www.java-n-jazz.com/coffee.html](http://www.java-n-jazz.com/coffee.html) > [@](#): > > It is very important that you wash your coffee pot and filter container thoroughly at least once a week. **Bitter oils** stick to the glass container and plastic filter holder. Wash both thoroughly with plenty of soap. The flavor will improve dramatically. Some drip coffee makers require periodic cleansing with a solution of water and vinegar. If you have a coffee/teapot, the inside of which is stained with **oily brown residues** - also plastic/metal coffee filters, tea strainers, and stainless steel - they can be restored to a shining state by washing in hot detergent. ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-nutrition-facts-on-coffee/328620/35 "2005-10-31T18:00:56Z")
Ah, got me there. I guess I have been succinctly proven wrong. Nice citation work, btw. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-nutrition-facts-on-coffee/328620/36 "2005-10-31T18:17:32Z")
No problem. Now to see about washing my coffee pot… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-nutrition-facts-on-coffee/328620/37 "2005-10-31T18:36:27Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > at least, it would in a comic book commercial. It’s like the calcium in TUMS. Sure, there’s some calcium, but if you’re eating enough of them that it matters, you’ve got other problems… The US RDA for calcium is 1000 mg/day. A regular TUMS contains 200 mg of calcium, and a TUMS-EX contains 300 mg of calcium, as much as an 8 oz glass of milk. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-nutrition-facts-on-coffee/328620/38 "2005-10-31T22:20:35Z")
> [@Podkayne](#): > > The US RDA for calcium is 1000 mg/day. A regular TUMS contains 200 mg of calcium, and a TUMS-EX contains 300 mg of calcium, as much as an 8 oz glass of milk. And in fact, I seem to recall hearing about calcium carbonate antacids (such as TUMS (R)) being recommended as calcium supplements by medical personnel (perhaps only in situations where other sources of calcium were difficult to get, but still) ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-nutrition-facts-on-coffee/328620/39 "2005-11-01T14:11:00Z")
> [@rfgdxm](#): > > More accurately, it has negligable nutritional value. I meant my remark more along the lines of “I hate the taste of coffee”. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-nutrition-facts-on-coffee/328620/40 "2005-11-01T17:12:24Z")
“oils” and oil are two different things. oils are a catchall to refer to any molecular compound which are aromatic and have a boiling point less than water. Chemically, oils are very different and they aren’t neccesarily fats (although some are). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-nutrition-facts-on-coffee/328620.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-nutrition-facts-on-coffee/328620.md?page=3)