LOS ANGELES (AP) – It’s fair to say that a lot of people awoke Friday to a national headline that might have jolted them more awake than a morning cup of joe: A California judge had ruled that coffee sold in the state should carry a cancer warning.
Here are some things to know about the ruling and how it might affect you:
Like many foods that are cooked, coffee-roasting creates a chemical byproduct called acrylamide that is a carcinogen.
The Council for Education and Research on Toxics, a small nonprofit, took the coffee industry to court under a California law that requires warnings where chemicals known to cause cancer or birth defects are present.
Coffee companies, led by Starbucks Corp., acknowledge the presence of the chemical, but said it’s found in trace levels that are harmless.
They argue any risks are outweighed by other health benefits from drinking the beverage.
While scientists have gone back and forth for years on benefits or risks from coffee, concerns have eased recently and some studies have found health benefits and even lower risks of getting certain cancer types.
But a Los Angeles Superior Court judge said Big Coffee had failed to prove their case.
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