{
  "id": 12951920,
  "title": "'Consumers should feel ripped off': How coffee brands have changed",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/consumers-should-feel-ripped-off-how-coffee-brands-have-changed",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-08T20:33:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-09/coffee-brands-drop-premium-arabica-beans-in-price-squeeze/107242310"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Major supermarket coffee brands have altered their marketing strategies due to a surge in bean prices reaching almost 50-year highs. Some companies have stopped labeling their products as \"100% arabica\" and now describe them as \"coffee\" or a blend with cheaper robusta beans. Experts and consumers are calling for companies to inform buyers about any recipe changes. Cairns pensioner Brian Rantzau, who considers price his most important factor when buying coffee, wants clear information about changes to the product. Coles' premium organic fair trade gold freeze-dried coffee, previously labeled as \"100% arabica,\" has seen its price double from $4 to $8 per 100 grams since early 2024. The product's \"100% arabica\" description has been changed to simply \"instant coffee.\" Both versions may coexist on supermarket shelves as stores phase out the old recipe. While the change is legal and may not indicate a worse product, experts argue consumers deserve to know when changes are made. Australian food labelling rules do not require coffee companies to specify the species of bean unless they make a specific claim about it.",
  "summary": "If your coffee tastes different, you may not be imagining things. Brands have quietly changed their recipes and labels after bean prices surged to almost 50-year highs.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}