California Gives Coffee cancer Warning!

Recently, you may have heard that California mandated that coffee must have a cancer warning label. This is based on the presence of small amounts of acrylamide, a chemical produced when coffee is roasted. Acrylamide is thought to be carcinogenic, and a non-profit group filed suit in 2010 to have these warning labels.

While it is true that acrylamide is likely toxic, its presence in roasted coffee does not seem to have consequences. There have been numerous studies looking at coffee ingestion that have been associated with living longer (some in this blog).

In some cases we need to look at the results not the components. That is, although this chemical may be potentially toxic, we have good studies that show coffee drinking is not only safe but actually may be beneficial. Tell that to the judge. Once again lawyers becoming scientists?

New York Times Article