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Cup of Controversy: California Judge Rules in Favor of Coffee Warning Labels in Stores

04 Apr

Cup of Controversy: California Judge Rules in Favor of Coffee Warning Labels in Stores

By Gilbarco Veeder-Root

A controversial court ruling could have changes brewing for c-stores in California. A judge has decided coffee-sellers must post warnings about cancer risks linked to the globally-glorified drink. The ruling stems from a lawsuit by non-profit Council for Education and Research on Toxins (CERT).

(CSP Daily News) - “The terms of the lawsuit require retailers to post signs at the point of sale reading, “Chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer and reproductive toxicity, including acrylamide, are present in coffee, baked goods and other food or beverages sold here. Acrylamide is not added to our products, but results from cooking, such as when coffee beans are roasted or baked goods are baked. As a result, acrylamide is present in our brewed coffee.”
 

President & CEO of the National Coffee Association, William Murray called the lawsuit a “mockery” and said it “has confused consumers, and does nothing to improve public health.”

He’s far from alone on that opinion. There are a ton of studies out there that say a cup of joe is good for you. So what’s the risk? It starts with a chemical called acrylamide which is a “probable” or “likely” carcinogen…

BUT!

(CBS News) - “…people and rodents absorb the chemical at different rates and metabolize it differently, so its relevance to human health is unknown. A group of 23 scientists convened by the WHO's cancer agency in 2016 looked at coffee - not acrylamide directly - and decided coffee was unlikely to cause breast, prostate or pancreatic cancer, and that it seemed to lower the risks for liver and uterine cancers. Evidence was inadequate to determine its effect on dozens of other cancer types.”
 

Don’t expect to see scary warning signs in Golden State c-stores just yet. Reports say a slew of coffee retailers will likely appeal the decision.

And while all this brew-haha goes on, there is no question coffee is critical to c-store sales. Americans just can’t get enough of their java right now. Learn how to use our products to maximize profits from store items like coffee.