FDA Slams Proposal to Link Coffee With Increased Cancer Risk

The FDA spoke out Wednesday against California’s proposal to require a cancer warning on coffee, noting that there is no scientific reason to believe that drinking coffee could lead to cancer. “We were deeply concerned when a court recently ruled that a California law–known as Proposition 65–may require coffee sold in California to be labeled with a cancer warning because of the presence of a chemical called acrylamide,” the administration wrote in a press release. “Requiring a cancer warning on coffee, based on the presence of acrylamide, would be more likely to mislead consumers than to inform them.” As The Daily Beast reported previously, acrylamide is produced when coffee beans are roasted, and high doses of the chemical can lead to cancer—but that would require massive, basically impossible levels of coffee consumption. To support that conclusion, the press release cited a WHO study that concluded “consuming coffee poses no significant risk of cancer,” and voiced its support for a proposal that would exempt coffee from Proposition 65’s cancer warning requirements. “We’re dedicated to providing science-based information to consumers in an effort to benefit health and nutrition,” the press release added. “And we remain committed to ensuring product labeling provides the most factual, easy-to-understand information needed to inform diet selections”