Will California Judge Rule That Coffee Can Cause Cancer?

Cancer warnings have multiplied in California since 1986, when the Toxic Enforcement Act took effect. Its purpose was to keep unsafe chemicals out of the water supply and warn of dangerous ingredients elsewhere. A state judge will rule soon on whether the law applies to coffee, which contains the flavorless chemical acrylamide, produced during roasting. Acrylamide is on a list of carcinogens that also cause birth defects or other reproductive harm. Businesses must warn of its presence. The coffee case was filed in 2010 by the nonprofit Council for Education and Research on Toxics, which sued dozens of coffee sellers and manufacturers, including Starbucks and Keurig Green Mountain. The defendants argue, however, that coffee contains only harmless trace amounts of acrylamide whose presence is outweighed by the health benefits of the drink.