We get asked about why we sometimes see a California Proposition 65 warning on coffee bags or in coffee shops and sometimes not. We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions and answers to provide some more insight into this topic:
Is coffee on California’s Proposition 65 list?
No. Coffee is not on California’s Proposition 65 list. In general, Proposition 65 warnings for coffee should not be given.
So why do I sometimes see Proposition 65 warnings for coffee?
You may be seeing older warnings. Some businesses had been giving warnings prior to the 2019 determination by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) that chemicals in coffee created during roasting and brewing do not pose a significant risk of cancer, as discussed below.
Is there a connection between coffee and cancer?
Coffee is a beverage that contains a mixture of many chemicals. Some chemicals are present in unroasted coffee beans, and some, like acrylamide, form during roasting or brewing. Some of these, including acrylamide, cause cancer. Others, including antioxidants and dietary fiber, may protect against cancer.
A very large number of human studies, taken together, show inadequate evidence that drinking coffee causes cancer. Drinking coffee even appears to reduce the risk of liver cancer and endometrial cancer, and overall evidence from animal studies shows a reduced incidence or number of tumors with coffee intake.
What did OEHHA conclude about coffee and Proposition 65?
OEHHA has determined that chemicals in coffee created during roasting and brewing do not pose a significant risk of cancer. This determination was informed by an in-depth review in 2018 by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of more than 1,000 studies of coffee and cancer, as well as additional studies published after IARC’s evaluation.
On this basis, OEHHA adopted a regulation stating that exposure to chemicals in coffee that form during normal roasting or brewing processes does not pose a significant risk of cancer. Therefore, no warning is required for exposure to these chemicals in coffee.
When might a Proposition 65 warning be required for coffee?
A warning could be required if a coffee product contains a significant amount of a listed chemical that is intentionally added, or that enters the product as a contaminant in some way other than through the process of roasting and brewing.
If you see a warning for coffee, you can share the information in this document to help the business determine if a warning is really needed.
For more information:
- World Health Organization (WHO)
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
- IARC Monographs evaluate drinking coffee, maté, and very hot beverages. Press Release (June 15, 2016)
- Drinking Coffee, Mate, and Very Hot Beverages (2018), IARC Monographs, vol. 116, pages 35-423.
- California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)
Proposition 65
- California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA)
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)
- Proposition 65: Background
- Proposition 65: The List of Chemicals
- Proposition 65: Fact Sheets