April 30th, 2024

The Safety Concerns of Decaf Coffee
In the recent article titled "Activist Groups Challenge Safety of Decaf Coffee," environmental health advocacy groups have raised significant concerns about the use of methylene chloride in the decaffeination process of coffee. Methylene chloride is a solvent linked to cancer risks, but it is still permitted in decaffeinated coffee production under current FDA regulations, as long as the residue levels do not exceed 10 parts per million.

We already know that methylene chloride exposure at high doses can be deadly.  I was quoted in the article discussing the lesser-known risks of methylene chloride, noting that the EPA banned its use in certain applications like paint stripping due to its high toxicity and associated fatalities from exposure. This raises further questions about its safety in food products, although these are at low doses.  

The article highlights the findings from laboratory animal studies suggesting that chronic exposure to methylene chloride could potentially lead to cancer.   Despite these findings, the coffee industry maintains that decaffeinated coffee produced using methylene chloride is safe, citing that the levels found in coffee are significantly below the FDA's safety threshold.

Still, using this chemical in decaffeination can be avoided.  There are safer and effective methods such as the Swiss water process or the CO2 process, which do not involve methylene chloride.  Choosing these methods can help reduce potential low-level exposure in consumers, and can also help protect workers in the coffee industry.  

In conclusion, while the coffee industry assures the safety of methylene chloride in decaffeinated coffee, environmental health groups and some experts in the field advocate for caution and recommend choosing decaffeination methods that do not use this chemical. This issue not only affects consumers but also poses a risk to workers in the coffee production industry who may be exposed to higher levels of this toxic chemical.

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