The British Coffee Association says it does not support a decision reached in a recent court ruling in California regarding acrylamide in coffee.
“The Council for Education and Research on Toxins falsely asserts that, because coffee contains trace levels of acrylamide, a substance naturally produced during the roasting process, coffee manufacturers and retailers must warn consumers of an increased risk of cancer,” said the association. “This notion runs contrary to the scientific evidence,” said the British Coffee Association (BCA).
“Coffee is one of the most heavily researched products in the world today, and the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence concludes that moderate coffee consumption of four to five cups per day (400mg caffeine), or two to three cups for pregnant women (200mg caffeine from all sources) can contribute to a healthy, balanced diet, and may even confer a range of health benefits,” said the BCA.
“Furthermore, in a review of coffee and cancer published in June 2016, the World Health Organization’s International Agency on Cancer Research (IARC) classified coffee into Group 3 for agents ‘not classifiable as to carcinogenicity to humans’.
“After thoroughly reviewing more than 1,000 studies in humans and animals, IARC found there was inadequate evidence for the carcinogenicity of coffee drinking overall.
“In Europe, Regulation EU 2017/2158 of 20 November 2017 establishing mitigation measures and benchmark levels for the reduction of the presence of acrylamide in food, ensures food safety by laying down appropriate mitigation measures,” said the BCA.
“The European coffee industry has been and remains firmly committed to investigate and test different approaches to reduce acrylamide in coffee and welcomes further input from academia and research institutes,” it concluded. “We will continue to contribute to international research on the formation, measurement and potential ways of reducing acrylamide levels in coffee, without compromising food safety and taste.”
