Coffee May Come With A Cancer Warning Label In California

By Samantha in Health and Fitness On 31st March 2018
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#1 All Coffee Beverages To Carry A Warning Label For Consumers

According to a California Judge's ruling, all the coffee beverages in future should include a cancer warning label because of the potential health hazards caused when the coffee beans are roasted. The ruling stems from a 2010 case that was filed by a non-profit organization, the Council For Education and Research on Toxics.

The group charged famous chains including Starbucks and 91 other brands for not carrying a warning label for the customers that ingesting coffee could expose them to chemicals like acrylamide, which is formed when coffee beans are roasted.

#2 Coffee Sellers Thinking Of Solution To Challenge The Court's Order

Reportedly, the coffee sellers are now thinking of ways to fight back the Judge's decision to prevent the beverages from carrying cancer warning labels. In a statement, the National Coffee Association, whose teams includes members from high-end brands like Star Bucks and Dunkin Donuts said, they were currently considering all options to oppose the Judge's decisions, including potential appeals and further legal actions.

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#3 Acrylamide Is Part Of Cancer-Causing Agents List Since 1990

It is reported, the State of California keeps a list of chemicals that can cause cancer or any sort of reproductive damage and apparently acrylamide has been included in the list since 1990. The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, better known as Proposition 65 requires warning labels for chemicals of any sort that might be in human use and can cause health hazards. According to this act, private citizens, advocacy groups and attorneys to sue on behalf of the state and collect a portion of civil penalties for failure to provide warnings.

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#4 Coffee Sellers Failed To Defend Their Products

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elihu Berle said the coffee sellers failed to provide suitable evidence in their defence. Berle in his proposed ruling wrote, "While plaintiff offered evidence that consumption of coffee increases the risk of harm to the fetus, to infants, to children and to adults, defendants' medical and epidemiology experts testified that they had no opinion on causation. Defendants failed to satisfy their burden of proving ... that consumption of coffee confers a benefit to human health."

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#5 Because Of Its Addicting Nature It Is Difficult To Make Public Serious About The Drink's Health Consequences

Coffee companies have made it quite clear that it is not possible to remove acrylamide form the drink without damaging the flavor. However, attorney Raphael Metzger who actually brought the lawsuit and himself drinks a few cups of coffee each day says that it is possible to remove the chemical without impairing the taste, "I firmly believe if the potato chip industry can do it, so can the coffee industry. A warning won't be that effective because it's an addictive product."

Many coffee shops in the state have already attached warning labels to their coffee products but no visible decline in the sales of the beverage has been observed yet. Darlington Ibekwe, a lawyer in Los Angeles, said a cancer warning would be annoying but wouldn't stop him from treating himself to three lattes a week.