The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) has issued a statement in response to last week’s ruling by a judge about California’s Proposition 65 ruling.
The judge in Los Angeles ruled that Starbucks and many other coffee companies involved in lawsuits brought by the Council for Education and Research on Toxics had failed to warn customers about acrylamide in coffee.
Superior Court Judge Elihu Berle said the companies “had failed to prove that consumption of coffee confers a benefit to human health.”
The Specialty Coffee Association said it was “disappointed” to learn about the ruling.
It said the vast preponderance of scientific evidence points to coffee consumption as part of a healthy lifestyle, and there is no evidence that coffee is carcinogenic. In fact, the bulk of recent independent studies suggest that coffee may have some role in preventing certain cancers.
The SCA said it expected that the decision will have a negative effect on consumers who will be confused by cancer labels on a beverage that is known to be part of a healthy diet and on small coffee businesses who will need to navigate the legal complexities of this decision.
