California judge: Coffee should come with cancer warnings

A California judge ruled Thursday that coffee sellers in the state should have to post warnings about a possibly toxic ingredient linked to cancer. Acrylamide, a chemical produced in the bean-roasting process, is a known carcinogen, but coffee companies insist the amount that makes it into a cup of coffee isn’t large enough to pose a risk. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elihu Berle disagreed: “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.” The Council for Education and Research on Toxics filed suit eight years ago against the coffee sellers. The same organization successfully pressured potato chip manufacturers to remove acrylamide from their products years ago. Berle’s ruling won’t be final for several more weeks, giving the coffee companies, led by Starbucks, time to challenge the decision. If they’re not successful, they can appeal to a higher court. In addition to requiring warning labels on packaged coffee and signs in coffee shops, the judge could assess civil penalties of up to $2,500 per person exposed each day over eight years, a potentially massive fine.