Coffee science
Roasting and CGA
Last reviewed 7 Nov 2026
Chlorogenic acids (CGA) are natural compounds in coffee beans. This page explains what happens to them in the roaster, and why we roast light.
What chlorogenic acids are
Chlorogenic acids are a group of natural compounds in coffee beans. They are already in the bean before it is roasted.
What roasting does
Roasting breaks chlorogenic acids down. The darker the roast, the less of them remains, so a light roast keeps more than a dark one.
Sources: Food Chemistry, 2011 (opens in a new tab) · Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2005 (opens in a new tab)
Why we roast light
That's why both our coffees are roasted light. I developed a light roast profile to keep as much CGA as possible.
About our figures
The CGA figure for each roast lot is an estimate from its roast data: a middle value, with a range. The card on how we estimate explains it in plain words.
How we estimate caffeine and CGASources
Research changes. These summaries reflect the studies available on the date shown, and we update them as new evidence appears. They are general information, not medical advice.