The market is witnessing a rapid increase in the amount of counterfeit coffee, which is difficult to distinguish from genuine products. Fraudsters, aiming to reduce production costs, are increasingly replacing part or even all of the coffee beans with cheaper legumes, primarily soy.
This is reported by Finway
Why Counterfeits are Becoming Widespread
The use of roasted soy as a coffee substitute is particularly common in ground and instant products. Roasted soybeans take on a dark hue and a characteristic bitter aroma, allowing them to mimic the appearance and smell of real coffee. As a result, from one kilogram of the natural product, a significantly larger volume of counterfeit can be produced while maintaining a similar appearance and scent. Detecting such counterfeiting without laboratory testing is nearly impossible.
“Roasted soybeans have a dark color and an intense bitter aroma, making them similar to coffee, especially in ground and instant blends. From one kilogram of genuine product, a much larger amount of counterfeit ‘coffee’ can be obtained. At the same time, a similar appearance and smell are preserved. Detecting the substitution without specialized research is extremely difficult.”
Reasons for Counterfeiting and Impact on Prices
The rise in counterfeiting is directly related to global trends in the coffee market. In 2024, coffee prices surged by 39% due to unfavorable weather in Brazil and Vietnam, which led to a decrease in harvests. In conditions of scarcity and high raw material costs, counterfeits become attractive to unscrupulous producers.
Over the past year, ground coffee has increased in price by 30.1%, while instant coffee has risen by 15.7%. Analysts expect that in the first half of 2026, prices for ground coffee will rise by another 4–8%. This difference in dynamics is related to the fact that instant coffee contains less arabica in its composition.
Counterfeits can be identified by several signs. Firstly, genuine coffee has a characteristic aroma, while soy imparts an earthy smell to the product. Secondly, an unusually light shade of ground coffee may indicate the presence of impurities. Thirdly, ground soy quickly absorbs water, while quality coffee does so more slowly.