Feel Free to Drink Coffee in California Guilt Free State Agency Says

A state regulatory agency in California says people can drink coffee guilt-free and has gone so far to propose a new regulation that will say so. 

The all-clear from the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment comes three months after a judge ordered coffee sellers to warn customers poses a cancer risk. The industry was facing millions in civil penalties after losing an 8-year-old lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court that would require large warnings on all coffee packages sold in California. 

The 1986 law requires warnings on every product that may contain chemicals known to cause cancer and birth defects. One of those chemicals is acrylamide, a byproduct of coffee roasting and brewing, and is present in just about every cup of coffee sold in California. 

Coffee manufacturers didn't deny that acrylamide was in your cup of joe, and instead argued that the chemical was only found in low levels and was outweighed by coffee's many other health benefits, such as antioxidants in the brew that can reduce cancer risk. The OEHHA agreed. 

The state agency cited "extensive scientific evidence" that "drinking coffee has not been shown to increase the risk of cancer and may reduce the risk of some types of cancer." If the agency's regulation is adopted, the coffee industry would avoid those huge fines, a big win for them. 

Photo: Getty Images


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content